Will my dog still be aware of my touch during euthanasia sedation?

I am so very sorry you recently lost Mac. Please accept my condolences for your loss. When we put an animal to sleep, they get a sedative first that puts them into a deep sleep. At this stage, they are not aware of anything happening, so when the final injection is given, they just slip away quietly. After the sedative was given, he would not have noticed you weren't there, and he wouldn't be aware what was happening to him. I'm sorry for your loss.

Hi there. This is a great question, as I'm sure you want things to go as smoothly as possible for your pet's euthanasia. There are oral medications your vet can prescribe that will calm the dog, as you say - but none of these meds are strong enough to actually make the dog unconscious. However, many veterinarians opt to give an injectable sedative at the start of the appointment, which will make the dog completely relaxed and asleep within 10-15 minutes, prior to giving the actual euthanasia injection. This is how we do euthanasias at my clinic, and I do feel that it makes the process smoother and more peaceful for both the pet and the owner. You may want to ask your veterinarian about this option, if it's not something they routinely do.

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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm very sorry to hear about Bundas, that sounds like a tough situation. The most humane way to euthanize a pet is with a veterinarian who can administer a sedative and a euthanasia solution to painlessly stop the heart. There are some veterinarians who can perform at-home euthanasias, which may be a good option for Bundas. While there are no sleeping pills for dogs, there are pills that can cause light sedation and a calming effect. I'm not sure what is available in Hungary, but I recommend asking your veterinarian about medications such as Trazodone, Gabapentin, Acepromazine or Melatonin. These medications can be combined to help "take the edge off", and reduce the stress of Bundas's last moments with you. I hope this is helpful!

It can be extremely difficult to get intravenous access in small kittens, especially with poor circulation and sedation is often used beforehand. The disoriented response is very rare but it is unlikely your kitten was actually aware as certain sedatives can cause :dissociation' where there is no link between behavior and sensation leading to erratic movements and delusions. In people, amnesia is often reported after the sedation wears off with no recollections of the effects.

Hello. I am so sorry for the loss of your pet. It is just so difficult to say what went wrong. I would doubt it was the sedation, although there are better sedation protocols available that do not result in a pet sleeping so long afterwards. Perhaps you are in an outlying area where newer medications are not readily available. It is still possible that there was some injury that was just too awful for your pet to overcome. Many years ago, I attended to a dog injured in a fight where all the wounds seemed very superficial. Sedation to clean & treat the wounds went very well, the dog awoke promptly after we tuned off the anesthetic gas, yet the dog was found dead the next morning after doing quite well all day. Without a necropsy, it is impossible to say what happened. Best guess is a possible blood clot that broke loose & lodged in the brain or one of the vessels of the heart. I am just so sorry for your loss. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I am so sorry Nat that you had to put Jack to sleep. I work for a home euthanasia company, so I know what it entails quite well. I wasn't there, so I can't say anything for certain, but it may be that he wasn't fully sedated at the time the solution was pushed, or it could have been a natural body reaction to the solution. He may have had what's called agonal breathing, which is normal. I warn owners about the potential of it happening, as it is distressing, but I can assure you it doesn't mean the dog is in distress or feeling anything. I have seen it happen myself. The solution causes no pain to the dog, so I suspect that may be the cause of what you saw. I hope this helps.