A question about euthenasia...

[Jenk]

My husband I know that we'll someday need to make the call to euthanize a bun. (Our one girl has a mass inside; we may need to make that call sooner rather than later.)

I've read that rabbit euthanasia differs from that of predatory animals. Can anyone tell me what exactly a vet must do in order to correctly euthanize a bun? I wouldn't want an animal to suffer more due to something being done incorrectly.


Thank you,

Jenk

 

[Watermelons]

It really depends if you want to be there when it happens. From my experience the only difference is the vein that would be used.
I apologize in advance if anything I say upsets you.

For our clinic, if the owners wanted to be there for a bunny E&A we would take bun to the back, put a catheter in the front leg and add an extension set to it so the owners could hold their bun. If they didnt want to be there, we would simply go for a vein in the ear. Or (if anyone does like this part mods can erase it) we would anesthetize the bun, then we would have access to inject the euthanyl right into the heart.
So long as the vet has the correct dose for a rabbit (we would always draw up a little bit extra) and is able to gain access to a good vein, and the drug stays in the vein and doesn't go interstitial, Then it is really a simple process. Honestly the most difficult part (for the vet) is trying to access a vein.
Any I really dont know the process down there about creamation, but it is technically illegal up here to bury an animal that has been euthanized, so the owners would have the choice of a communal creamation, where they dont get the ashes back and their creamated with other 'communal' animals, or a Private where they will get the ashed back in a little urn.

It is a tough decision but in the end you know you did the best for them and you dont want to let them suffer.

 

[Jenk]

Watermelons wrote:

It really depends if you want to be there when it happens. From my experience the only difference is the vein that would be used. I apologize in advance if anything I say upsets you.

As much as I don't really want to "hear" how it's done, it is something that I need to know. But I thank you for your sensitivity on this matter. :hug2:

For our clinic, if the owners wanted to be there for a bunny E&A we would take bun to the back, put a catheter in the front leg and add an extension set to it so the owners could hold their bun. If they didnt want to be there, we would simply go for a vein in the ear. Or (if anyone does like this part mods can erase it) we would anesthetize the bun, then we would have access to inject the euthanyl right into the heart.

I guess my real question is this: must the heart always be injected? I could swear that I've read somewhere that a "heart stick" must always be done in order to truly/accurately euthanize a bun. The very idea hurts (emotionally), though.

...I really dont know the process down there about cremation, but it is technically illegal up here to bury an animal that has been euthanized, so the owners would have the choice of a communal creamation, where they dont get the ashes back and their creamated with other 'communal' animals, or a Private where they will get the ashed back in a little urn.

I do believe burying an animal is illegal where I live, too.

I know that after all the money we've lost due to pet healthcare costs, my DH is not keen on the idea of spending more for a private cremation. I think I could be happy to have at least some memento--e.g., some shaved fur and a few nail clippings.

It is a tough decision but in the end you know you did the best for them and you dont want to let them suffer.

I know. The hard part for me is that blood work doesn't indicate anything "off" at this time, but we know there's a mass. And our girl hasn't been acting/eating well as of recently. Plus, she started consuming a lot of water on Sunday--the day after the mass was found.

A part of me thought her system--urinary, digestive, or both--got irritated from all the palpation she had on Saturday. (She was palpated three different times by two vets.) But now I wonder if the timing is just coincidental and the mass is starting to affect her.

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

I've had to have 2 buns euthanized and they were both done by the same vet, so the process was the same.
I don't really know much of the technical stuff, only what I saw and experienced.
The vet/techs (can't remember totally) took the buns into the back to shave the ear a bit and put on some freezing stuff so they don't feel the needle. They brought the bun back so the freezing can take effect. The needle goes into a vein in the ear and it was very quick. I don't feel that my buns suffered in the process and it was probably less than a minute for the needle going in to them being gone.

I choose to get them cremated and get the ashes back. It was expensive, but I don't think I would feel right otherwise.
My vet also offers paw prints. They do the impression and then send it off to a local company that paints and fires them. It usually takes a month or so to get it back depending on how much the people have to do. You can see if your vet offers anything like this or even if there are other vets who do paw prints that you could get done there. I think the ones I got cost about $50, but they are really nice.
Another thing I have done is to buy some small wooden boxes at Michale's and painting them. I get the ones that you can put a photo in. Inside the box I have some fur (execpt for Sophie as I didn't have any), their ashes, the cage name tags I made. I also have the card the vet send and the one from the cremation with it as well.

The decision to let them go is a hard one. It can be a bit easier when you know it is coming and can plan for it a bit rather than just have it come on suddenly. Look into cremation in your area now as well as other things you can do to have a keepsake. Also take some nice pictures, collect fur and other things now as it is not much fun to do it after. Don't forget to spend lots of time with them as well.

 

[Watermelons]

I guess my real question is this: must the heart always be injected? I could swear that I've read somewhere that a "heart stick" must always be done in order to truly/accurately euthanize a bun. The very idea hurts (emotionally), though.

No, it doesn not HAVE to be done that way, but it is the easiest for the vet as rabbits have very small fragile veins. And most vets perfer not to continually miss veins infront of a client when their trying to say goodbye to their pets, so they do prefer to have the animal left with them so they can inject directly into the heart.

Our Locum vet would always put a catheter in the front leg of the buns she did, add small extension set filled with LRS (just IV fluids) wrap the bun in a towel/blankie and bring it back to the owners, then she was able to euthanize the bunny without any of the tech's/assistants in the room to hold off the vein for her. She would then inject the euthanyl into the extension set, immediatly followed by enough LRS to flush the euthanly all the way through the tubing into the bunny.

So unless the vet will do a catheter, the ear has the veins of choice but they are fragile, hard to hit, and can easily blow when injecting a thick solution like euthanly. See if the vet will try to catheter you bun so she can give the euthanyl from a distance and allow you to hold your Bun to say goodbye.

 

[Flashy]

I've had too many euthanised and all have been done in the ear, with me there, and holding them, and its always been very peaceful.

As for when, you just know. You trust your gut instinct on what is best for your bunny and you just know.

 

[jujub793]

this conversation breaks my heart :cry2

 

[Sweetie]

It breaks my heart too. I almost had to make that decision for Prince when he broke his leg, because I could not see him suffering with a broken leg and each time he was in pain from it. But luckily I was approved for care credit to fix his leg.

I had to get my cat, Anne, put to sleep and it was hard. I came home one day and found her and she was basicly lifeless when I lifted her up to hold her. I was crying so badly. When my mom and I got to the vet they put a catheter in her and then as I was saying goodbye, they injected her. I do have a paw print from her though.

If I ever have to make this decision for my rabbits, I want to keep the ashes and I want to be there to say goodbye to them and let them know that they were good bunnies.

 

[rabbitgeek]

I applaud you all for facing this with dignity and respect.

This situation breaks my heart also.

Having animals is a matter of life and death. So we try to have the end as peaceful as possible.

Have a good day!