Sooner or later the time comes when you have to say goodbye to your beloved four-legged friend. I will talk about the medical and moral aspects associated with the euthanasia of dogs, whether it is possible to euthanize a dog at home, and ways to maintain psychological balance after the loss of a dog.
Ditilin
Ditilin is a muscle relaxant with depolarizing action. Refers to curare-like drugs. It is used to immobilize animals, and in large doses to euthanize them. Also known under the names listenol, adiline, adiline-super, succinylcholine, suxamethonium, etc. It is widely used in Russia, in particular, for euthanizing stray animals. It is used not only for medical euthanasia, but also for shooting stray dogs using ampoules. It is widely used in state veterinary hospitals and holding centers of public utilities. According to current practice, ditilin injections are often carried out without first putting the animal into a narcotic sleep, which leads to significant suffering.
Ditilin acts on the muscles, causing blockade and muscle relaxation. In this case, the animal cannot move or voice, but remains fully conscious. Then breathing stops, leading to death. If a sleeping pill or anesthetic is not used in combination with a muscle relaxant, then this method of killing is very painful and cannot be considered humane.
If veterinarians suggest euthanizing an animal using ditilin, the owner must insist on first putting his pet into a narcotic sleep, which can be done through the use of a barbiturate, another anesthetic, or general anesthesia. Please note that a number of drugs used in veterinary clinics do not completely turn off the animal’s consciousness, but only immobilize it. Here you can name such agents as xylazine, rometar or rompun. Therefore, it is very important to make sure that the animal will actually be immersed in a deep narcotic sleep before injecting ditilin by using a reliable and effective drug (for example, sodium thiopental, propofol, hexenal, zoletil, etc.).
Carrying out at home
The place where your beloved pet is euthanized is very important. Carrying out euthanasia at home is much preferable and more humane than transporting it to a veterinary clinic, which will cause additional suffering to the dog. To do this, you need to call a veterinarian at home.
The doctor will examine the animal and, taking into account the weight, select the required dosage of drugs. Euthanasia of even a healthy dog or puppy is painless and does not cause suffering to the pet.
Self-euthanization of a dog is permissible only in cases of extreme necessity, when the animal is suffering, and there is no way to seek help from veterinarians. In other cases, the injection should be entrusted to veterinary clinic specialists.
Self-euthanizing a dog is only permissible if absolutely necessary.
T-61
In a number of countries, the drug T-61 is used to carry out euthanasia. In particular, this product is used in Germany, Italy, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Belarus. T-61 contains active ingredients such as embutramide, tetracaine hydrochloride and mebesonium iodide. The instructions for use recommend intravenous, intracardiac or intrapulmonary injections of the drug. Embutramide causes inhibition of cells in the cerebral cortex, resulting in an anesthetic effect on the central nervous system. Tetracaine hydrochloride has a local anesthetic effect that is established within a few minutes. Mebesonium iodide is a muscle relaxant. It blocks the transmission of impulses from nerve endings to muscles, producing a curare-like effect and causing paralysis of the respiratory muscles.
The description of the drug T-61 indicates that the anesthetic components first act, causing a narcotic state, and only then paralysis of the respiratory organs, cardiac arrest and brain death occur. Thus, the injection of this drug is designed to lead to quick, reliable and painless killing of the animal without the appearance of excitement. However, in practice, animal owners often complain that their pets experienced convulsions, pain and agony before death. Veterinarians expressed similar opinions. There is a fairly high probability that muscle tissue relaxation occurs before the animal falls into narcotic sleep and a complete blackout occurs. As a result, killing is carried out in an inhumane way, since the animal experiences severe suffering before death.
According to the recommendations of the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), T-61 should be used only in combination with sleeping pills. It is also worth noting that intrapulmonary and intracardiac injections themselves are classified as cruel methods of euthanasia in many countries and are used extremely limitedly. The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) classifies the use of T-61 as an inhumane euthanasia method and does not recommend its use for the purpose of euthanasia.
Based on the foregoing, it is worth concluding that the widespread practice of widespread use of the T-61 drug can hardly be considered justified. If a veterinarian suggests that the owner use this drug to euthanize a pet, it is necessary to insist on first putting the animal into a narcotic sleep through an injection of a sleeping pill or anesthesia.
Reasons for euthanizing a dog
There are reasons why owners decide to euthanize a pet, despite moral principles.
What can serve as a basis for administering a lethal injection:
- The dog becomes very old or is in great distress due to an incurable illness or severe injury.
- Uncontrolled aggressiveness , posing a danger to others.
- Inability to keep an animal.
- Allergy.
- Animal bites.
- Rabies or plague.
Euthanasia may be necessary if infected with rabies.
Pentobarbital
Pentobarbital (pentobarbital sodium, etaminal sodium) is a drug from the barbiturate group, used in medicine as a hypnotic and anesthetic. An overdose of this drug is one of the most effective ways to quickly and humanely euthanize animals. It can be sold under the commercial names Morbital, Nembutal, Pental, etc. Application by injection into a vein is recommended. If the veins are difficult to access, the drug can be injected into any organ rich in blood vessels.
After pentobarbital is injected into a vein, within a few seconds the animal’s consciousness turns off, and then cardiac arrest and death occur. The drug affects the central nervous system, relieves pain, relaxes muscles, puts the animal into a state of narcotic sleep and causes respiratory arrest. Typically, death occurs within a few seconds after the drug is injected into a vein. In approximately 10% of cases, action is possible within a minute.
At the request of the animal owner, sedatives or anesthesia may be used before administering pentobarbital. It is recommended to use such drugs in cases where the animal is depressed, anxious or excitable.
Pentobarbital is one of the most convenient, humane, fast-acting and effective agents used to euthanize pets. However, its widespread use, especially in the provinces, is difficult due to the position of the federal drug control authorities. Note that the Humane Society of the United States recommends the use of sodium pentobarbital to euthanize animals. Its effectiveness turned out to be so high that the drug was even used to carry out death sentences in several North American states.
Similar in action to pentobarbital are other drugs from the group of barbiturates and, more broadly, anesthetics: hexenal, phenobarbital, sodium thiopental, profopol. Most of them can be successfully used both as anesthesia and for euthanasia. In the latter case, an increased, lethal dose of the drug is used.
Two polar opinions
Modern dog owners are divided into two opposing camps regarding the euthanasia of their pets:
- In the first, they believe that if a friend, or rather a family member, is hopeless, then euthanasia is a truly difficult, but the most correct decision. They share the opinion that a dog that has faithfully served man has every right to decent care - without excruciating pain, next to its owner. There is a rational grain to such judgments; many diseases lead to a very unsightly, painful death. These include cancer with metastases and multiple surgical interventions, injuries that are incompatible with life, irreversible processes within the body that have a chronic or age-related cause. If pain relief does not bring relief, then the owners are inclined to decide to release the animal.
- Those in the anti-euthanasia camp believe that euthanasia is murder, albeit with good intentions, and is a sin. In their opinion, a person does not have the right to decide who and how long to live. Examples include cases of miraculous healings of terminally ill cats and dogs. Even the most hopeless situation gives hope for a miraculous healing. Euthanasia takes away hope and deprives the pet of a chance to live, albeit illusory.
Dogs are the most loyal creatures, ready to die for their owner. They endure all illnesses and hardships without complaint, without showing how hard it is for them. In this difficult situation, each pet owner makes an independent decision.
Premedication
Regardless of the chosen method of euthanasia, it is possible to pre-medicate, which is designed to reduce the animal’s feelings of anxiety, relieve stress and enhance the effect of the main means for euthanasia. For this purpose, a combination of narcotic analgesics, antihistamines, anticholinergics, sedatives and other drugs can be used. It is also possible to use general anesthesia.
After the end of the effect of the drug that causes respiratory and cardiac arrest, the veterinarian must ensure that the animal is dead.
Rodenticides (poisons for rodents)
Mice and rat bait is made to be palatable to them, but unfortunately, a dog may find the bait edible for the same reason. Until now, many such baits are made on the basis of an anticoagulant, which blocks vitamin K and leads to massive internal bleeding and death of any rodent. Dogs experience the same bleeding, but because dogs are larger, without treatment, death usually occurs after 3-5 days. If your dog has recently ingested poison, induce vomiting as soon as possible and seek veterinary attention. Your veterinarian will give your dog vitamin K and you will need to monitor him for lethargy, weakness, and loss of appetite for 2-3 weeks. If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your veterinarian immediately. In exceptional cases, the dog may require a blood transfusion.
List of main drugs used for euthanasia in the Russian Federation
Xylazine (rometar, xylanite, xyla) is a sedative, relaxant and anesthetic. Can be used for local anesthesia. Used in combination with other drugs for anesthesia. Zoletil is a combination of two drugs, tiletamine (an analgesic anesthetic) and zolazepam (a muscle relaxant with a sedative effect). It is used for general anesthesia (anesthesia) at the first stage of euthanasia. Can be used in combination with other drugs (for example, xylazine).
Barbiturates: sodium thiopental, pentobarbital, hexenal, phenobarbital, etc. They can be used both at the first stage of euthanasia as anesthesia and for direct killing of animals.
Propofol (diprivan) is an anesthetic, short-acting hypnotic, similar in properties to previous drugs. It is used as anesthesia and for euthanasia. Arduan, listenol are muscle relaxants with curare-like action, similar to ditilin. They are used to carry out euthanasia by stopping breathing. They can be used only after the animal’s consciousness has been switched off (introduction to a state of anesthesia).
Lidocaine is an anesthetic and cardiac depressant. It is used for euthanasia by injection into a vein or subaccipitally. The animal must be under anesthesia. Magnesium sulfate. Causes vascular collapse and paralysis of the respiratory center. Similar to previous drugs, it should be used only after anesthesia.
Veterinarian Zotov A. A.
Recommendations from veterinarians and breeders
Before euthanizing an animal, decide what will happen to its body after death.
- Breeders recommend obtaining a document from local authorities to bury the dog. If necessary and if there is a crematorium in the city, the body can be cremated.
- You must approach your choice consciously. Understand that almost every breeder will sooner or later be faced with the need to euthanize an animal and you need to be prepared for this.
- It is better to euthanize the puppy immediately if it is found to have defects that will not allow the body to develop properly.
- If the animal constantly has systemic diseases, the etiology of which cannot be identified.
How to cope with the loss of a pet?
Many owners suffer greatly after losing a pet. This is normal, because the dog has become more than just an object of leisure. After the death of a friend or family member, there is no need to bottle up your emotions and suffer alone. A funeral ceremony should be held, and there should be a lot of crying and grieving. At the same time, there is no need to fall into apathy and depression. You need to find the strength to let go of the animal and move on.
If a person is not ready to adopt a new dog, you can become a volunteer. Taking care of other animals will help you take your mind off the loss and preserve in your memory joyful moments with your departed friend. Psychological support from other people who have experienced a similar situation helps most effectively.
When is euthanasia of a cat justified?
Unfortunately, there are would-be veterinarians who follow the lead of the owners of absolutely healthy animals, performing medical euthanasia for monstrous reasons: if the animal is tired, if it scratches, if the desire arises, and the old one is left out of work.
We will not consider such cases and discuss the moral character of such individuals. By the way, those veterinarians who carry out euthanasia without the necessary tests and studies do not inspire confidence either. If we talk about euthanasia as freeing an animal from suffering, then it can be justified if: the cat has received injuries incompatible with life or the animal suffers from an incurable disease that is progressing. Sometimes a doctor may euthanize a cat because it is too old, if vital functions are impaired and irreversible processes in the body have begun. Before making such a difficult decision, the owner can contact a number of clinics to hear the competent opinion of several specialists. In most cases, not only a visual examination of the pet is necessary, but also laboratory tests. Doctors can also make mistakes with their diagnosis, but what if the cat fights again? In any case, if there is hope for recovery, you need to cling to it.
Summarizing…
The death of an animal is always painful for itself and its loving family. If you live in a country house on your own plot, then this is usually easier, especially when it comes to a cat. Before dying, a pet usually leaves its home or finds a secluded place in the yard, hidden from prying eyes, where it dies calmly.
In an urban environment, in apartments, such a scenario is practically impossible. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary suffering for the animal and psychological trauma for the owner, we recommend using the euthanasia service. But this decision must be deliberate.
