Question:
I recently had to have my cat euthanized. Due to my regular doctor's absence, I had to choose another doctor to perform the procedure. While the injection was administered, something went terribly wrong -- the cat cried out in pain, opened her eyes and her tongue dropped out of her mouth.
Every pet that I have had has been very special to me because they were all rescued. To lose them is always heartbreaking, but I never had this kind of experience before. To see my pet suffer like this was absolutely devastating for me. For weeks, I was unable to erase the horror on my cat's face out of my mind. Could you please help me understand what went wrong?
I.R., P.B. Gardens, IL Jul 12, 2009
Answer:
Cats and dogs can react in distressing ways to the intravenous drugs used for euthanasia. More often, they simply pant briefly, give a deep sigh and stop breathing. But there's no way of predicting what the reaction will be. That is why many veterinarians, sensitive to the owner's grief and vulnerability, don't allow owners to be present at the time of injection. Or they give a pre-euthanasia sedative. In old and weak animals with poor circulation and hard-to-locate veins, this entire process may not go as smoothly as one would hope. Some reactions, like a final gasp, a cry or moan, the tongue coming out or the animal shuddering or being startled occur when the animal is unconscious, but the heart may not have stopped yet. I believe that is what you witnessed. No one is to blame, and I doubt that your cat suffered because she was no longer fully conscious. As a general rule, veterinarians are empathetic and endeavor to render this service at minimal emotional cost to all concerned, often setting a time at theend of day when the facilities will be less busy, and even performing in-home euthanasia when appropriate.
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