I have seen both methods- I think each vet has his/her own preferences for how they do it. The injection into the heart is thought to be favorable because it is immediate. The abdominal injection takes a little longer, but can be nice if an owner wants to hold the animal while he/she passes. The circumstances surrounding the euthanasia are also an issue- if the animal is in extreme pain, then fastest is better. While if the animal is simply declining from old age, the slower method may be preferable for the owner. Jill ---------- > From: Julian and Jackie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: euthanasia - please read only if you must > Date: Wednesday, April 11, 2001 5:39 PM > > Lisa Hawkes <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote > > >hello list.... thought I'd add my 2 cents.... > > > >I argee about home euthanasia as being an unsafe and sad situation. > > > >However, I don't find my vet's method very coforting either! When I had to > >have a gerbil put down they took a very large needle and inserted it > >DIRECTLY into her heart. They said that due to size they can not find a > >vein etc... > > > >very sad proposition no matter how you look at it. > >Lisa > > > > Our vet has always used a long needle, but this is because they inject > into the abdominal cavity. This is because it has a large blood supply, > that goes via the kidneys to the heart and then the brain. Subcutaneous > injection, that us usually used for slow drug release, is the wrong > thing to do. You want the maximum dose going straight to the brain. > > > -- > Julian > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > National Gerbil Society > http://www.gerbils.co.uk/ Shop online without a credit card http://www.rocketcash.com RocketCash, a NetZero subsidiary
