Can I start a thread about euthanasia of small pets?

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Just had to look up the spelling and apparently it's Greek for Good Death . Well every day is a learning process.

I have (and looking at 'Small Pets' quite a few others) have just had one of my rodents Put To Sleep (PTS) .
It is a difficult choice because even though there's often no other viable option, you as the owner are making that decision, saying "Yes I want to euthanise her/him" and signing that paper.
If they die peacefully in your arms at home or in their own beds , then that;s a (hopefully) nice peaceful end.

I've had to make the decision last year to PTS my GP5 . She had vet treatment and very good care from my DD , but when she phoned me to say that there was blood and snot coming out of guinea-pig's nose , I knew .

My most recent one , she had a swelling on her chin, it wasn;t as I thought , an abscess , it was a growth. It would have kept growing. The incision made to lance it ( to draw pus and see what it was) might have bled out or bled into the neck. Surgery was an option in theory but I always believe that some things are not done for the benefit of the animal. If it was elsewhere on her body , it might have been feasible. But right by her trachea and all those blood vessels?

We (DD and I) were right snotty messes I can tell you. The vet asked if I'd seen a guinea-pig euthanised (Yes) and did I want to stay with her (Yes, I'm in it for the long haul )

Like GP5 , first injection to slow things down. We stroked and talked calmly. There was the cagemate on the table too for support.
2nd injection to end things .
Peaceful, took maybe 15 minutes.

GP5 peed on the table once she;d gone "Ha! something to remember me"

When we take these little animals into our homes , we know that one day they'll leave us. I've been very lucky that so far 2 have passed in their house with their cagemate , 2 in our arms , 2 at the vets and they've all been peaceful.

I know loads of people don't want to think about it. I don't want to think about the two pigs I have left going to The Bridge.
Not for a good few years anyway.

Over the years I've taken 3 decisions to PTS various bunnies. So far piggies have died peacefully at home and one rabbit died in my arms at home. It never gets easier. I am, however, of the opinion that quality of life is more important than quantity (for humans too but that's another issue).

The first bun was PTS when I was 8 and it was my decision with help from my DF. As Id grown up around farms I was already used to animals sometimes dying. I could never bear the idea that an animal was suffering pain. There are worse things than death and I could never be selfish and keep a pet alive if it's not the best thing for them.

I've been there every time a bun was PTS and it's not scary and not horrid. It's peaceful and calm.

I’ve had 3 piggies pts. The vets have always known in advance the purpose of the visit and I think that helps.

With Todd we were sent to a quieter room away from the waiting room. I held Todd until it was time for the apt. He had first injection that was supposed to do the trick and he leapt into my hands instantly asleep but not dead. After a few minutes vet declared him passed and I said no he’s still with us. Vet checked and found his heartbeat . Second injection finished him off.

Different vet for Coco. We had decided that a sunny September weekend would be her last and she was in the run with the other 2 piggies. Big mistake to put a sick piggie in an outside run. She was a target for flystrike which was horrific. Never want to put an animal through that again. Monday morning at the vets. Coco was put in a round plastic bowl with lid to be taken to a separate room to be gassed. It was horrible she still had a lot of fight in her, she looked frightened, tried to get out and screamed the whole time she was taken to a separate room. Members of public are not allowed to be in the same room when an animal is taking gas for sedation. On her return she was asleep. Vet gave her one injection which she was aware of, she raised her leg and that was it, she was gone.
Last one was Shai. I wasn’t with her as she declined quickly whilst we were away. The job fell to my 18 year old daughter . Again Shai had gas to sedate first. I’m told she didn’t resist and passed with no fuss.

IMO going to the vets is a necessary evil to stop lingering suffering but neither method is great. Going straight to injection is painful but sedation is fast. Gas box is frightening and takes a few minutes but they are less aware of the final injection.

I've read that a lot of vets use the gas prior in injection , but my GP5 and GP8 just had the injections (x2) . We had time with them while the first one worked (that's the worst bit for me , the point of No Return )
Neither of them struggled (there was a brief angry wheek in protest but I'd expect that)

The gas sounds scarier , being enclosed and something over the airways.

I think a lot depends on the Vet and the guinea-pig. They have such different characters (though both my females made far more fuss having their claws cut )

I had to have both my rats PTS. I was so so sad. But they went together and the vet was lovely, she cuddled them up together in a blanket and in the box that the children had decorated for them.

I wouldn't have small animals again though because of how short their little lives are, it's too sad.

It's horrifically sad isn't it? We've had most of our rats PTS, usually either when respi issues get bad enough that drugs aren't helping anymore and it's kinder to say goodbye than to let them struggle with breathing for another week or two, or other health issues. Only one of ours has died at home, one on the operating table too which was probably the worst for us as it was totally unexpected. But then out of the 12 rats we've had who have passed, we have had three special needs rats and one who had life long respi issues (despite living the longest at nearly three years!)

We have one who is on the cusp of needing a decision made, we have him on one last effort of antibiotics and yesterday he seemed much better but he's gone downhill again and is really struggling with his breathing :(

I've never been allowed to stay, I thought that was normal. Both of the vets practices we've been with tell us that they make them go to sleep with gas first and then injection. They get us to put them into the box that they use at our current practice wrapped in a blanket from home. I preferred our last vet who would give them a big cuddle admittedly, she loved them as much as we did.

I’ve just had a teary morning giving away my rat stuff. My last two were PTS back in May & I decided that I couldn’t get any more. They’re my favourite pets but they live for such a short time.

My last two girls were sisters and had always been together. If there were vets visits, both went for company. The longest they’d been apart was when they had surgery to remove breast tumours (a month apart) but again, after their ops, there was their sister waiting for them in the recovery unit.

One had myco but upper respiratory so had been on steroids all her life - she was always very, very lively. It was getting slowly worse - she’d run around energetically for about 20mins then would lie down for about 30mins, panting to get over it. Her sister started to gradually lose the use of her back legs.

Both went suddenly downhill one weekend - almost as if they both decided to let go. I took them to the vet and I made the decision that it was better to PTS. I didn’t want to separate them so we put them in the box together so as they drifted off to sleep, the last thing they saw & felt was each other. I had them cremated together so they would be together forever.

Silly me, crying as I write this!