euthanasia question

[desperatehorsewife]

Yesterday I witnessed my second euthanasia as an aged gelding was put down.

A few years back I was there when one of my horses was put down. The vet had me hold his head so his neck wouldn't break as he fell down. The entire thing was quick and easier than I'd expected.

Yesterday I offered to hold the head for the owner as he put on his dark glasses and stood a distance off. The vet assured him his horse would be gone before he hit the ground.

He wasn't.

She made me stand back so that I didn't get hit by any thrashing due to nerves as he laid down. (I found this odd...I know there are nerves but don't believe my vet would have placed me in that kind of danger; this is the way they always do it since it's easier on the horse.)

Once the old boy was down, she checked for a heart and murmured she didn't hear it. However, his eye was still blinking. She stood waiting and the eye didn't stop blinking, so she poked it. It blinked in response. She poked it again, and again a blink. She listened again, and despite her saying no heart beat, his flank was showing a faint breath.

Another poke to the eye, another blink, and she finally went for more solution, and at that point he died.

I stood there wondering if this is normal? Comanche was gone in an instant; poor Sundown was poked in the eye three times and not dead. This vet already has a sketchy reputation among many people. Nice woman, not the best vet. I'm just wondering if this was another bad call on her part, and if she should have not been so chintzy with the solution (whatever it's called) when she administered it to begin with?

[kigercat]

When they put Lyric down they gave her a strong sedative first and waited for that to take affect. She was almost falling over asleep with me braced and holding her up before they ever did the actual euthanasia shot. I didn't see her go down...had to leave... but from my sister, friend and the vets on the spot she was gone on the way down...very fast, no struggle or reaction at all. Just collapsed and was gone.
I think this gal misjudged the amount needed. Sad for the old guy to have it stretched out like that and poked in the eye on top of it.

[ctxkiger]

SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY CRAPPY JOB TO ME. WE HAD ONE PUT DOWN AND SHE WAS DEAD BEFORE SHE HIT THE GROUND.............

[desperatehorsewife]

Thats rather what I figured. No reason to have gone cheap...not like you can OD the horse on the juice that kills them

[JoanMRK]

Yep, every one I've seen they're out pretty quickly. What a sad story, I feel bad for the owner who had to see all that.

[kimk]

Tracey,
how awful! My old mare was already down when the vet arrived, so I did not have to deal with that part. But in the past I have witnessed horse euthanasia, and the vet actually sedated the horse to the point where it layed down as though she were going to geld or do some other field surgery before administering the fatal dose.
What you witnessed was complete lack of compassion IMO.

[mustangdara]

i have been with LOADS of cat and dog euth. some have reactions like breathing and and lots of other thinks that owners dont like to see or hear....but it keep blinking! I t sounds like she just did not give enough juice.
the vet i work with , who uses to be a large animal vet, and has told me loads of horror stories about other vets giving enough that they thought would be plenty to kill a horse, then it woke up and walked away the next day before it got burried...yikes!
too bad, the poor horse got poked in the eye more than once and was not just given more.

[desperatehorsewife]

Fortunately, the owner was standing a good 50' away. I stopped using this vet several years ago after a couple of bad calls on her part.

[lindad]

I have had to euthanize two aged horses that we had for many years, so our vet knew them well. He explained everything that was going to happen, we led them to the place they were to be buried, then he sent me into the house. I did not go to the house and could see from a distance. He sedated first, even alcohol wiping the injection site before and then she slowly went down and he administered the lethal dose. It was respectful and without trauma or discomfort. He had tears in his eyes. I have had 4 dogs and several cats euthanized and each time it was quick and painless, peaceful and complete without the trauma described. What you described is just incompetence, and unforgivable. How sad.