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.
What is euthanasia in dogs
The literal translation of this term is “good death.” This refers to the approach of death through the influence of third, uninterested parties on it. In this case, it is the veterinarian who confirms the need for euthanasia and carries it out. Confirmation of the need for euthanasia occurs only after all possible types of treatment have been used and a complete examination of the animal.
How to humanely kill a dog? The main principle of euthanasia is painlessness. The sick animal is given anesthesia and then a sedative. There are many types of the latter. There is a list of strictly prohibited methods of killing an animal as euthanasia: drowning, suffocation, euthanasia with potent poisons and electric shock.
Euthanasia is common in the fight against homeless animals. Many animal rights activists oppose such methods of getting rid of stray dogs, but, for example, in the United States, about five million stray animals are killed in this way every year. A similar trend is observed in European countries.
In what cases is euthanasia necessary?
There are several good reasons for using euthanasia.
Incurable diseases
Pets may develop an incurable disease, leading to a long, painful and painful death of the animal. Most often, this is oncology that cannot be treated. The last stages of tumor development bring severe suffering to the pet due to the growth of metastases in vital organs. During this period, the pet loses appetite, weight and normal breathing.
Chronic renal failure is also dangerous for dogs. In the final stages of the disease, the kidneys fail, which leads to a stop in the cleansing process of the body, slow poisoning, convulsions and coma.
Aggression
The dog owner is certainly responsible for aggression in dogs. But sometimes uncontrolled behavior of an animal occurs, which poses a threat to the lives of others and requires the use of extreme measures.
Non-life-threatening injuries
If a dog receives serious injuries (for example, after an accident), there is a risk of an unfavorable prognosis for the future existence of the pet. If treatment does not help and the animal is in excruciating pain, then euthanasia is the only humane solution.
Contraindications: myth or truth
It must be said that there are indeed some recommendations when pets do not need to be euthanized. So, one of them is if the dog is aggressive. No need to kill her. There are much more correct and humane solutions. If the dog is healthy, it can be sent to a shelter or re-educated by dog handlers. If you don't want to work hard at it, just give the animal to someone who will be willing to take it and take care of it. It is also not recommended to euthanize a dog if there is any hope for its recovery.
In conclusion, we need to remind you once again that euthanasia is carried out only in cases where the dog cannot be cured! No matter how much your heart hurts, saving your pet from a life of pain can be the right decision, and one you don’t have to beat yourself up over making.
Love your pets, take care of them! And may euthanasia bypass them!
Euthanasia in a veterinary clinic
This procedure requires medical skills and high responsibility. It must be performed by a qualified veterinarian. The process includes two stages:
- deep anesthesia of a sick animal, allowing it to fall asleep and stop feeling anything;
- administration of a potent drug that stops the functioning of the heart.
Important! Injecting the drug without anesthesia is illegal.
What allows a beloved pet to die painlessly? Veterinarians use drugs that allow the dog to be killed as comfortably as possible. The most commonly used anesthetics, sedatives, muscle relaxants, and lidocaine.
The existence of the possibility of euthanasia for dogs is very important, since this is the only possible method of painless death for a pet. The humaneness of the process also lies in the fact that the owner can be with the pet all the time in order to make him feel calmer and more comfortable. By the time the doctor administers the lethal injection, the animal is calm and no longer feels anything.
Of course, deciding to euthanasia is difficult for dog owners. As for the cost of the procedure, it directly depends on the size of the animal. The larger the dog, the higher the price tag for the service. For example, euthanizing a pet weighing up to ten kilograms will cost about one and a half thousand rubles, while euthanasia of a large dog will cost four to six thousand.
Natural sedatives
Sometimes dog breeders note that their pet’s own reactions prevent them from falling asleep: anxiety, fear, aggression, depression. In this situation, natural sedatives will be sufficient to eliminate stress.
The safest are herbal drops, decoctions, and infusions. According to the degree of strength of the effect, they are distinguished: valerian, motherwort, passionflower, Baikal skullcap. Among pharmaceutical products with natural ingredients, it is worth mentioning the following: “Cat-Bayun”; "Fitex"; "Dbd Relax Plus"; Hormone Balancer Flower Essence. They provide the body with useful substances and have general strengthening properties.
Nature has decreed that the lifespan of dogs is much shorter than that of humans. And in any case, sooner or later, you have to say goodbye to your pet. But it becomes even more difficult because often you have to do this earlier than expected, and in some cases you even have to decide his fate on your own. Is it difficult to take responsibility? Of course... But once in a family, a four-legged friend already depends on a person, and his life is already in the hands of the owner.
How to euthanize a pet at home
Euthanasia of a dog without certain medical knowledge and skills is impossible. But many experts believe that performing the procedure at home will make it more comfortable for both the sick animal and its owner.
What is the cost of euthanizing a dog at home? Typically, the price for providing services in such conditions additionally includes a home visit from a qualified veterinarian who has the ability and skills to perform euthanasia correctly and painlessly. Carrying out euthanasia at home will provide peace of mind to the sick animal and the absence of stress from transportation.
Is it possible to euthanize a dog yourself? It is worth noting that you need to carry out such a procedure yourself only if you have a veterinary education and experience in providing such services. For example, experienced breeders are able to choose the right drug and may know how to properly euthanize an animal, but without education it will not be easy to make injections painlessly for the pet. Therefore, it is better to entrust the euthanasia of the dog to a veterinarian.
In some sources you can find information on how to properly kill a dog. You can read in the public domain that a dog can be euthanized with lidocaine, but attempting to administer the drug on your own can cause severe pain to the pet.
Based on the above, the best solution would be to invite a veterinarian to your home. A specialist will competently and quickly carry out the procedure, which will save the animal from unnecessary suffering and the owner from stress and worry about the pet.
How to put a dog to sleep for a quick and painless haircut
In order to cut a dog quickly and painlessly, sometimes it is necessary to euthanize it, and for this purpose, as a rule, sedatives are used, as for euthanasia, but in smaller quantities. When they are administered, the animal calms down and does not become nervous. In some cases, a veterinarian uses muscle relaxants to make the haircut procedure painless for restless pets.
Of course, such euthanasia has nothing in common with euthanasia. An animal under the influence of medications is in a state of light narcotic sleep and, after the drug wears off, wakes up safely.
Grooming a dog under sedation
Light anesthesia to temporarily euthanize a dog
Light anesthesia to temporarily euthanize a dog is used in veterinary practice to carry out various manipulations that do not require serious surgical intervention; the same drugs are used. For example, for grooming a pet, removing tartar, opening small abscesses, and diagnostic procedures. For accurate dosage, the veterinarian calculates the dose of anesthetic after preliminary weighing the animal.
How long does it take to temporarily euthanize animals?
Temporary euthanasia of animals, which is a light anesthesia, usually lasts no more than 15 minutes. For this purpose, in veterinary practice the same drugs are used as for euthanasia, but in different doses. Before temporary euthanasia, the dog is kept on an 8-12 hour fasting diet.
Pros and cons of euthanasia
The main advantage of euthanasia is the painless death of your pet. An owner who loves his dog is unlikely to be able to watch him suffer from a progressive disease or excruciating pain after an injury. In such cases, the euthanasia procedure is justified.
A pet can live a long life with an existing disease or injury, but all this time the dog will feel severe pain, which will bring unbearable mental pain to the owner. Of course, the process of euthanasia is a difficult test for the owner, which he is unlikely to ever forget. But experts advise to perceive this procedure as a gift of relief to the animal, and not its killing.
In particular, euthanasia is the only humane solution if a dog has rabies. Despite the fact that the animal does not suffer during this period of time, it poses a threat to the life and health of surrounding people. This disease is fatal to humans, and anyone can become a victim of a dog with rabies: a passer-by, a child, an owner.
Animal rights activists emphasize that people do not have the right to decide whether an animal lives or not. In their opinion, any living creature should die a natural death and euthanasia is considered a crime.
This opinion exists, but there is no legal prohibition on carrying out the procedure and the decision on its implementation is made only by the doctor and the pet owner. If a dog owner contacts the clinic with a request to carry out a procedure without a good reason (the animal is tired, it is not needed, it is in the way), then a qualified doctor will refuse. However, in the pursuit of profit, some specialists may agree to perform euthanasia, which is a definite disadvantage.
Unfortunately, there is a tendency to euthanize animals in nurseries that do not have free enclosures. In addition, the procedure is often carried out without anesthesia. Open access to drugs and the absence of a ban on euthanasia in such situations are certainly a disadvantage. The issue of euthanasia has been debated for many years. Pet owners have the right to protect them and have the opportunity to make their lives easier. But animal rights activists have been trying for years to prove that even dog owners do not have the right to decide whether to live with them or not.
Both opinions are justified and have a right to exist. The only possible solution would be to adopt a law banning euthanasia on healthy animals, which would limit the rights of the veterinarian and allow the procedure to be carried out only in the following cases:
- the animal has a fatal disease or excruciating pain;
- the presence of an injury that brings excruciating pain;
- presence of rabies;
- presence of a threat to surrounding people.
Also, it would be necessary to take into account the possibility of euthanizing animals only with approved drugs using anesthesia.
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