Putting Pets to Sleep:

Sometimes the kindest gesture one can make for a pet that is grievously ill or seriously injured and can never regain a good life is to consider euthanasia. Euthanasia can literally be defined as peaceful death. It is the act of humanely and painlessly inducing death or allowing death to occur by withholding the medications and measures that are sustaining life. Establishing the right time or making the right decision is always hard. Sometimes euthanasia is practiced if the pet has become vicious or dangerous and is displaying unusually unmanageable and abnormal characteristics. If a pet is involved in causing grievous injury or death to a human then euthanasia is practiced. Normally if your pet can not enjoy its life the way it used because of a debilitating condition or is unable to respond to you the way it used to then it may be another reason. This is so especially in the case of terminally ill pets. Other causes can include rabies or old age. Letting the veterinarian evaluate your pet’s health, estimate its chances to recover and lead a normal life, can help in the decision process. Discuss all surgical options or medical ones and what the outcomes would be. You can also discuss the possibilities and effects of long term disabilities and problems. Sometimes your family members along with friends and the veterinarian can help you weigh the options and take the decision.

Euthanasia for pets is normally practiced by injecting a drug that induces death. If done by a veterinarian, the first step might be to administer a tranquilizing drug. This helps to relax the pet. Next the injection administering the euthanasia drug will cause the animal to fall unconscious. This is irreversible. Death then follows fast and painlessly. Sometimes for large animals shooting is the preferable option to an injection. Gas anesthesia is sometimes used when practicing euthanasia on very small animals.  At other times, cervical dislocation is a common method used to kill small animals like the rabbit. Here the neck is snapped from the spine. When done correctly it leads to death instantly. If the animal is small, then euthanasia is practiced in a hospital, veterinary clinic or in an animal home. At times, workers in an animal shelter are also trained to practice euthanasia. At other times, it can be practiced by the veterinarian in the pet’s home itself. This is normally the case for larger animals. The exception being when horses injured in a race or hunt need to be put down immediately. There are funeral homes for pets that specifically take care of cremation or burial of the pet’s remains, if required by the owner.