By Dr Siân Burwood MA VetMB MRCVS – Small Animal GP and Veterinary Writer
For many of us, we choose to have our pets’ final moments at home because we want them to feel as relaxed as possible. At Paws Over the Rainbow, we want this not just for your pet but for you too, and find that sedating an animal before euthanasia is the best way to achieve this. You may not have experienced sedation with your pet before, so this blog aims to talk you through what we do and why we do it so you can feel as comfortable as possible with the procedure.
What is sedation?
Sedation is the act of giving a pet specific drugs to help them feel calm and sleepy, and so make it easier to perform minor procedures. Unlike general anaesthesia, under sedation an animal is still conscious, but they are less aware of things that usually bother them (like a person they don’t know touching them) and are able to remain calm.
Sedative drugs lower the heart rate, respiratory rate, blood pressure and reduces fear as well as the pet’s ability to move around, but are not what causes death as part of euthanasia.
Why does Paws over the Rainbow choose to use sedation?
We choose to sedate our patients before euthanasia to make sure they are not stressed or uncomfortable, when we have to place an intra-venous cannula into the leg. The cannula allows us to easily administer the drug needed for euthanasia, but involves clipping some fur of a leg and applying a tourniquet to help us see the vein. Furthermore, the cannula is placed through the skin into the vein. Some animals do not like this sensation, and elderly patients with arthritis can find it hard to extend their leg to get into the right position. Sedation causes enough relaxation that this is rarely a problem.
We also choose to sedate our patients to help maintain a calm dignified environment for the families who are saying goodbye to their pet. Administered as a quick injection under the scruff (similar to when having a vaccination), our vets can then be entirely hands off over the next fifteen minutes or so until your pet is calm and sleepy enough to have their intra-venous cannula placed. During this time pet and owner can be together having cuddles and treats, and everyone’s stress levels remain low.
What medications are used and how are they given?
The sedation drugs we choose to use are commonly used in dogs and cats, and we carry a range with us. This allows our vets to tailor what sedation is given to your individual pet’s needs depending on what their health conditions are and what their temperament is like. This way we can find the best result for very individual circumstances.
Most of these medications can be given as a single injection under the scruff. This is the same as the way your pet will have had their vaccinations throughout their life, and is a pain free and quick way to give medications that most do not even notice.
For pets who are very anxious or who would react to even a simple injection, we would suggest medications that you can safely give at home before our visit (typically the night before and two hours before the visit). Usually these would be requested from and prescribed by your regular vets, but if your pet is not currently under veterinary care you can discuss this with us. These oral medications are very effective and do not alter what we then give afterwards for sedation, but mean your pet is more relaxed even before we arrive. In our experience, it is very rare that we need to muzzle a patient to give the sedation injection, but we are able to provide these just in case they prove necessary.
What should I expect when my pet is sedated?
Sedation is a gradual process (especially in the way we choose to do it), and usually takes 10-15 minutes after the injection for your pet to go from awake and alert to calm and sleepy. During this time it is best that we also stay calm and quiet, talking quietly and not making any loud noises, as stimulation can increase adrenaline and can affect how well the sedation works. Calming music or white noise can be helpful.
After an initial period where they may even be walking around, most pets will choose to lie down, and will act as if they are going to sleep. Their breathing will become slower and calmer, and they will react less to people and noises around them. As they are still conscious sometimes they can startle, but then settle down again. It can be helpful during this time to guide them to the area that you have chosen for euthanasia; be that their bed, your bed, the garden or any other place that seems best to you. It is helpful that wherever you have chosen has plenty of space for you and the vet to move around your pet, and good lighting can really help us place the intra-venous cannula more easily.
Are there any downsides to sedation?
We feel that the benefits of sedation outweigh any potential downsides, but it is worth being aware of why some veterinary services would choose not to use it.
- Sedative drugs can lower blood pressure, and so make it harder to place an intra-venous cannula. We are experienced and comfortable with the drug doses we use and find that our protocol allows us to calm our patients but then still place the cannula easily. For patients with heart disease, skin disease or other conditions that affect vein quality, we can adjust doses as necessary.
- Some pets do not like being injected in whatever way, and the most effective sedative drugs do need to be given by injection. If this is your pet, let us know when booking and we can arrange for you to have pre-visit sedative tablets that can further take the edge off. In very rare circumstances, we can provide muzzles as needed.
- Sedation is not anaesthesia, and high levels of stimulation (through noise, touch or other interaction) can increase adrenaline and make the sedation ineffective. We can work around this by ensuring we choose a quiet calm place in your home for the euthanasia to happen, and by keeping our voices quiet and our cuddles gentle after the sedation is given.
How is it different from the drugs used for euthanasia?
The drug used for euthanasia in veterinary practice is an anaesthetic drug, not a sedative. Anaesthetic drugs make the brain unconscious, as well as removing the perception of pain. In euthanasia, the drug is given at higher doses than it would be for anaesthesia. As it is given into the intra-venous cannula, you will see your pet fall gently asleep, just as if they were about to have an operation. When they are asleep, because we keep giving the drug, the parts of the brain that control the heart and the lungs quietly shut down and lead to death. This whole process usually takes a couple of minutes, and we find that by having had sedation beforehand, the process goes smoothly and quickly.
Conclusion
Sedation may seem like an unnerving extra step during what is already a difficult day, but the team at Paws Over the Rainbow choose to use it in all of our cases because it allows for a calmer, more peaceful and more dignified euthanasia. By removing stress during hands-on veterinary interaction, it helps ensure that on the day of euthanasia, the focus of attention is your pet and you, and you are able to say good bye as you would wish to.
If you’d like to talk, ask questions, or just need support, we’re always here. Call us on 07942 077180 or email info@pawsovertherainbow.co.uk