Why was IM sedation used for my kitten's euthanasia instead of IV?

I am so sorry for your loss of Cocoa. I know this is a very difficult time for you and I'm sorry the euthanasia procedure traumatized you. There are many ways to perform euthanasia. Typically, I would say most vets, including myself, give a sedative prior to euthanasia however, it is not mandated by any law that this be done. I suggest you speak to your vet directly about the procedure he/she performs as perhaps there was a miscommunication between them and their staff assuming a sedative was already given prior to them performing the euthanasia?? I really think that they need this feedback so they can review their euthanasia protocol and change it in the future for other owners if they don't typically use a sedative prior. Again, so sorry for your loss.

First off, I'm so very sorry had to say goodbye to Lucy! It's always hard to say goodbye to a pet, and it also sounds like it was a tough experience for you. When cats are old and sick, a lot of times extra medication is needed to get the desired effect. It's because their system isn't working as well as it used to, and you can find yourself in a situation where more drug is needed than expected. I work for a home euthanasia service, and I've unfortunately had this happen to a patient of mine before where I have had to use three times the normal amount of sedative to get the animal fully sedated. It doesn't mean Lucy was healthy, and the vet wouldn't have put her down if she was healthy. It simply means she was very sick and her body couldn't metabolize the drugs normally, leading to more being needed. It's still upsetting to see, and I'm sorry your family went through that, but it does happen and we as vets cannot predict 100% how a euthanasia will proceed. While we'd like it to be easy and smooth, it doesn't happen that way all the time. I'm sure the vet did everything in their power to make it as comfortable as possible for you and her. Again, I'm sorry for you loss and I hope this helps!

I am sorry to hear your kitty did not make it. I am unsure as to what the problem was but it may have been that he was not getting better from the treatments that were given and he just continued to worsen despite treatment. Hard to say since I was unable to examine him and see him in person. He may have eaten something that caused an intestinal obstruction and he may also have had a bad infection somewhere.

Do not give her any other medications. I would have strongly recommended you NOT sedate a kitten this small. That was not a good idea. Her heartbeat is hammering because you overdosed her. Without knowing what you gave her and how much and when you gave it I really cannot comment much on this point. Just leave her alone and let her sleep it off. Stop trying to force her to interact with you. In the future, do not sedate unless absolutely necessary and be sure you have the correct dosage. Give her food made for kittens. She may not eat until the sedative wears off completely. If you are truly worried about how she is acting then I suggest you get her to a vet for an exam.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear about your kitten. It's very hard to try to give you the right answer without a necropsy (autopsy of animals) and some tests. Some guesses would include sepsis (blood poisoning), viral infection with a very potent upper respiratory virus, fading kitten syndrome, among other things. Again, I'm so sorry that you lost him. I send you my deepest condolences.

He may have had an injury, been hit by a car or he had a congenital heart defect that caused a blood clot at the bifurcation of the aorta (that paralyses hind legs and hurts terribly). This can also cause a clot in the lungs which would cause breathing problems. Unfortunately most cats with these blood clots die within a short time. I am so sorry for your loss. This is very sad.

I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your kitten! How awful. To answer your question, the odds that his death was related to the dewormer he received at the vet are essentially zero. All of the commonly-used dewormers in the US are extremely safe, and I have never seen a single serious problem related to a dose of dewormer in my entire career. It's much more likely that your kitten had some type of unrelated illness that caused his death. If you want to try and find out what happened, the only way to know would be to have an autopsy done, called a necropsy in animals. Your veterinarian should be able to advise you on where you can have this done, if it's something you want to pursue. Again, I'm very sorry for loss.