Dogs are given a sedative injection under the skin of the neck (as with a vaccination). The sedative also contains pain relief. It is always nice if the injection can be made less noticeable with treats and cuddles.
After 5–10 minutes, most dogs are so tired that they want to lie down in their favourite spot.
When the dog is asleep, an IV cannula is placed in a vein in one leg. The overdose of anaesthetic is given through the cannula directly into the bloodstream. Within a minute or so, sleep deepens and breathing becomes irregular, until breathing stops and the heart stops beating.
The vet listens to the heart to confirm cardiac arrest.
In rare cases I meet very old, weak, dehydrated or otherwise ill dogs, in whom it can be very difficult to place a cannula in the leg. This is usually due to low blood pressure and blood vessels becoming more fragile with age and illness (as in people), or to how the vessel lies in the tissue. These dogs are instead given an injection into the liver or, in a few cases, into the heart’s circulation once they are very deeply asleep.
Worth knowing
It is worth knowing that all animals (people too) pass away with their eyes more or less open.
Sometimes reflex breaths, also called “the last sighs”, vibrations or muscle twitches can be seen, and the fur may rise after the heart has stopped and death has occurred. This does not mean that the dog is alive or suffering in any way; it is only the body’s last muscle energy running out.
If the dog has had heart problems or high blood pressure, fluid may in some cases come out of the nose afterwards. This is due to backward heart failure, which causes fluid to build up in the lungs (pulmonary oedema). The fluid can then flow out freely when all the body’s muscles relax.
If you would like to know more about euthanasia, you are welcome to read the independent project (in Swedish) written by a veterinary nurse, “Avlivning av smådjur på klinik”.
