My pet had a heart stop procedure. What is heart stick euthanasia?

They likely asked you to leave because this can be very traumatizing to owners. Dixie probably was not aware of what was happening but most owners do not want to watch a vet poke their dog in the heart with a needle. I believe they were trying to respect your comfort.

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.

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.

The sciatic nerve is quite deep within the muscle bellies and would be difficult, but not impossible, to accidentally hit when performing an intramuscular injection. Without more information as to the specific injection technique used, I cannot say for sure if this is what occurred. It is more likely that the medications used may have burned as they were injected (much like when we get an injection). It is also possible that Sadie’s illness and discomfort made her more sensitive to the injection. My sincerest condolences 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'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your dog. It's possible that he may have had a stroke or blood clot secondary to his heart disease that traveled to his brain. Or, if he was regularly having collapsing episodes due to his heart (syncope), what you saw may have been one of these that was especially severe, as this is a common cause of sudden death in dogs with severe heart problems. If you want to try to get a more definite answer on what the cause of death may have been, you would need to have an autopsy done, called a necropsy in animals. Your veterinarian should be able to let you know where you can have this done, if it's something you want to pursue. Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

I would not recommend withdrawal of heart medications as a means to home euthanasia it this would run the risk of increasing the signs and symptoms of her heart disease (fluid on the lungs etc) and would be distressing for her. Unfortunately it does sound like she is approaching that stage that a thoughtful and compassionate euthansia may need to be considered; see the attached link which can help to provide a framework between all of her caregivers as to when such decisions should be discussed https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/sites/default/files/import/assets/pdf/hospital/companionAnimals/HonoringtheBond/HowDoIKnowWhen.pdf