Hi everyone,

I unfortunately lost my beloved 17 year old male cat this Thursday.
My guy was suffering from advanced renal failure and after years of being treated for hyperthyroid disease he had to be put to sleep.

He was euthanised at home by a Veterinarian and I have a problem with the way he was handled.

As she plunged the needle into his abdomen he let out a scream, struggled, and was held down with force. I was needless to say disturbed and angered by this event but I was in tears and facing the reality that he was gone so I was too grief stricken to ask questions or do anything else.

I guess I need to know if this is a common occurrence. Has something been done wrong, or am I going to have to accept this is the way it happens?

Roman will be missed forever and I am consumed with horrible guilt and anger that a cat I loved more than life, was coldly taken away from me.

Any responses appreciated,
D.

First, let me say how sorry I am for your loss of Roman. We lost our cat Scooter to kidney failure not quite 10 months ago. It is extremely painful when you have to make that decision to end their suffering. You did make the right decision, and having the procedure done at home, was also better for Roman also.

On the other hand, I have never heard of euthanasia being done the way you described it. With any of the pets that I have had to have put to sleep, it has always been done with a needle into the vein of the leg. Sometimes a sedative is given first, then the other medication gently helps your pet to sleep, peacefully.

I am so sorry for your experience. It's hard enough to make the decision, and to have it be made more awful with the method used, I understand your questioning it now. Maybe you should call and talk to your veterinarian, or maybe another vet in your area, to ask if this is what is uwually done, or prehaps why it was done in the manner it was. In any case, I'd ask, maybe there was a reason it had to be done that way.

I am truly sorry for your loss though. 17 years is a long time to love a pet, and I know you did everything you could for Roman. It will take time for the pain to ease, and I can only advise you to let the tears and emotions come. Talking here is good. Everyone understands what you are going through, so please, write whatever you feel, and please, , do take care of yourself.

Scooters Mom

Firstly please can I say how sorry I am for you and your boy Roman, I know exactly how tough it is to have to make that decision because of the advanced stages of renal failure and other age related conditions.

Can I ask whether the proceedure was actually explained to you first, because I am guessing your vet did not do this. The whole experience is horrendous enough and I am really sorry that you are now suffering this addition trauma as well.

Euthanasis CAN be done through the abdomen for several reasons as well as through the front leg, both are options.

The most common is by putting in first a catheter into the front leg ready for the injection which is quite painless, and as Shortrish said, a sedative can be administered prior, if it is felt it is needed.

With the other method this can be used for cases where the blood pressure is low or if the veins have collapsed. I have read that this method does produce a bit more discomfort, but again, there should also be the option of a sedative being given first.

Obviously both of the options are distressing enough and we would like the proceedure to be as kind and pain free as possible, for them and for us.

Do not feel the guilt you are feeling, your vet should have made it perfectly clear to you what was going to happen, and given you their medical opinion as to why this was the best method and should have made sure you understood this before they proceeded, and also should have discussed with you whether a sedative should or shouldn't be used too.

This is not your fault, you should not be left questioning the proceedure used and I am truely sorry that you have been put through this turmoil on top of your suffering.

If your vet can give you the confirmation that the method they adopted was the best method for Roman's condition then this will bring you peace of mind, but they should be made aware of the lack of communication on their part and the distress this has caused you by not explaining their professional judgement.

I hope this is of some help but I would really suggest you speak to your vet and raise these concerns.

Once again I am so sorry for you to be experiencing this anguish on top of every other emotion you must be feeling right now.

Do take care, and try and speak to your vet on Monday to resolve these issues.

You will be in my thoughts.

D,
I'm so sorry for you loss. I know how devastated you are right now. It will take time for things to feel normal again but you will get there.

I have never heard of euthanasia being done in this manner either, but I'm no Doctor. I know that the stomach is very sensitive to shots on a human, so maybe it is for cats too. Either way please don't beat yourself up. Roman wouldn't want you to. He is at peace now and you need to grieve in a possitive way without the complications of self doubt and guilt. You did what you did in love and that is all that counts.

John B.

Please don't feel guilty as none of this was your fault.
Your beloved pet was helped into a better world. You were generous enough to do everything in your power to help him with this. Now your cat is in a blissful state and he needs you to remember the beautiful moments along with him as he has already forgotten those few minutes of distress

Dear D,
I am so sorry for your loss, but how lovely to have been loved & loved Roman for 17 years. From what you describe it sounds like the procedure was similar to when Furry was put to sleep in July 2006. Furry had heart disease, & there was no cure, when she became paralysed & in pain I had the vet come to our house to put her to sleep. The vet tried to give her an anaesthetic through a drip in her leg, but couldn't do this as her heart was barely working so she had no circulation - so the drug wouldn't have been able to take effect. So she gave her the sedative by sub-cutananeous injection in the back of the back of the neck, & even though she seemed to be unaware at this time, she still cried out at the injection. The next, & fatal, injection was directly into her kidney, I was so worried that this would hurt her, but she had passed away even before this was done.
I should certainly talk to your vet, but we all have regrets & I'm sure if you look back you will know that you had to give your Roman the peace & the end to his suffering.
Furry was only 12 - the love of my life. I will grieve for her forever.
Judith

Dear D,

I am so sorry for the pain you are feeling right now. It is hard enough when they are sick that we need to figure out whether the time is right, where to do it, etc......these have to be our choices & we make the best decisions we can under the cir%%stances. Your sweet little guy was too sick to hang on & you made the decision to end his suffering. You did what was right for him. The few moments of discomfort he may have experienced at the very end are surely only a fraction of the misery he would have experienced had he continued living with his illness. I'm sure that the joy he had during his life with you was immeasurable compared to this. Please think of the good times you had with Roman during his life, and try to take comfort in the fact that he is in a happy, good place right now.

First, as the others here have written, I want to say that I am SO SORRY for your loss. I too have never heard of euthanasia being done that way. I am not sure why they didn't explain things to you (which is necessary, so there are no surprises, and you can ease your pet through the transition). The other thing that is usually offered is a sedative which lets them go to sleep first. I am so sorry that you and Roman weren't given this option. It seems to have doubled your trauma. But I also agree with the sentiment that it truly would have been MUCH worse for him to continue in his physical state. You made the best choice you could have, and he was transitioned at home, which MUST have been a great comfort to him, truly. All his familiar surroundings were there, and you were there too, helping him through it with all the love that was in your heart.

Right now your emotions will be raging as well, your grief is SO fresh, so be aware of that. Your pain will become more tolerable in time. Meanwhile, please come back and let us know how you're doing. We all care here, and check on each other. Please treat yourself very well these next few weeks, and keep yourself surrounded with loved ones.

Much Love,

Jenn (Chaos' Mom)

I was so upset reading this that I couldn't respond for a couple of days. First, I am SO, SO sorry that you had to go through this. Most of us here will tell you that euthanasia under the very best of cir%%stances is still traumatic. My boy's passing was peaceful but I still regret my decision and struggle with it daily.

I'm unfamiliar with the different methods used for euthanasia, having only seen the leg used as the injection site, so I can't comment. I am just heartbroken for you that you had to witness such distress. I am, though, like the wise souls who have responded to you before me, relieved that Roman no longer suffers. He's at peace. And you were able to be with him, which is a huge gift to him, and could comfort him as much as possible. I am sorry that his passing was not more peaceful for both of you.

Please keep us posted about how yuo're doing..this site has been my saving grace for nearly 3 months and we will all be here for you...

Sending you warm thoughts,

Jen

I am so sorry for your loss of Roman and the trauma you had letting him go to his rest.
Having a beloved pet PTS is the hardest thing we have to do and it shouldn't be made worse by an insensative vet. She should have explained things to you and I think you have a right to go and ask for answers.
The good thing Roman is at peace now after a long and happy life with you.
We are all here for you, Take care.

Cleo 1

Hi everyone,

Thanks very much for taking the time and writing your kind words of support. I am finding it hard to write about this because I keep replaying the event in my mind over & over.
I just stopped by right now to thank everyone and offer my condolences as well. I will post more soon.

Roman is survived by his genetic sister (same age of course). She is diabetic, and is stable, so at least I still have her.

I love and miss him so much.

Take care everyone...
My best to all,
D.

Let me say how sorry I am for your loss. You did everything right and the euthanasia process should go gently and peacefully. I would strongly suggest that you never use that vet again for any procedure. The earlier writer was correct in saying that peritoneal euthanasia is an option in cases where the blood pressure is so low that it is impossible finding a good vein. I also know that the way he did that without a sedative was barbaric. I had a similar experience when we put a hamster to sleep and the main impression I came away with was that the vet had absolutely no care about the comfort of my pet in his last moments or of my feelings. That was the last time I ever used him. Our current vets are caring individuals who have made the euthanasia process as caring and peaceful as possible. They are wonderful and I would not hesitate to have any of my pets euthanized by them if there was no other alternative treatment. I'm sorry that you had to experience that level of callousness and hope you find a good vet that you can trust during those horrible times to provide a high degree of compassion for your pet and you.

Dear Roman's Mom,

I am so terribly sorry for the lose of Roman. We lost our cat of 22 yrs about 4 yrs ago. When out cat was euthanized, it was in the leg, but he still yowled, because it can be painful ( I learned afterwards) unfortunately, the vet didn't realize how strong he was, (she apologized) he had about zero kidney function for about a yr, living on sub Q fluids, and still fought his way to the end. I was wracked with grief myself over the ending.. however he also had a type of invasive cancer that wasn't treatable...but still its a terrible feeling. I wish we could have done it at our home. That is one source of comfort to you, I am sorry for your pain, and i truly understand. its a terrible place to be. Take Care, try not to relive it...thats a hard one, but try. Also, talk to your vet she may have information that you didn't realize. Take Care, Tory...Hrudey and Frank's Momma

D,
I know it is hard to do but you have to stop letting those images in. Deliberately push them out of your mind and think of the good times you had with your baby. You've been through enough. You don't need to relive that part anymore.

John B

I have seen this method done a few times. It is rare, but I am assuming the vet was by himself (no tech) and was unable to put a cathedar in by himself, this is probably why he chose the stomach method. That method is slower than injecting it right in a vein, as the euthanol has to be absorbed by the body. The euthanol does sting (and getting a needle in the belly doesn't help either), which is why your cat probably struggled - it is better to forcefully hold down an animal, than let them flop around to hurt themselves. It is sometimes a necessary part of the procedure, most animals go to sleep peacefully, but some struggle or can even have seizures after the drug is given.
I can't say, because I wasn't there, but your vet may have been doing what was neccessary to give the injection.

Thinking of you and Roman tonight. I hope that you're doing ok. Please come back and let us know how you're doing.

Much Love,

Jenn (Chaos' Mom)

I am so sorry for your loss. How thoughtful and kind to have your beloved friend euthanized at home. Unfortunately I had to take my Daisy to the vet, but at least I got to be with her also.

I too have never heard of a procedure like that. Daisy was given a strong sedative through IV in her arm and when she was completely unconscious, the deadly dose was given. She passed from life to death quietly and with no seeming discomfort. The pain I felt, and still feel, is terrible.

I would ask the vet about this, and if you don't get a satisfactory answer, contact your local veterinary board.

Find peace in knowing what a good life you gave your furbaby. That is more important than the moment of death. A life is more than how it ends - it is how it was lived, and your furbaby obviously had a wonderful life.


Daisy's Mommy

I'm terribly sorry about waht happened to Roman. You are my thoughts and prayers.
Steve

I am so sorry for your loss, we lost our 18 year old Misty over 5 months ago. We also had hyperthyroidism and renal failure, but died of cancer. We also had to euthanize, I have never heard of what you described, Misty was given a sedative first, then the final injection when he was out.

I am so sorry that you had to endure this......not what you needed with facing the loss of such a longtime friend friend. Know that you did make the right decision--ending suffering is the best gift we can give them. HAve you thought of reporting this vet to the state board or something.....maybe to prevent this from happening to another animal.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss, please know that we will be here in the months that follow, too. The first three weeks are a blur to me, it does get better than that first month, so please hang in there.

Many many hugs your way....Amy

Hi all,


Again, let me say that I appreciate all the warm thoughts and support during this time. You guys are really great and I can't thank you enough.
I am doing ok, I guess...just trying to distract myself and keeping busy.

It's still really fresh to me and I find it hard to talk about it, so forgive me if I don't post a response right away.


Anyways... take care everyone, be good to yourselves, and thank you.

My best as always,
D.

Please come back and let us know how you're doing just as soon as you feel up to it. I'm thinking of you and Roman.

-Jenn