humane cat solution

some vets in this area will put an animal down for free if they know it needs it and it's getting to the end. Call around and ask you might find one in your area to help you.

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I hope you're changing vets. Any vet that would charge $122 to put a cat to sleep should be put to sleep himself. Our vet cared for our last cat for 15 years and then when the time came, he did it for the cost of the meds.

I would never use the freezer method for a warm blooded animal.

It is however, humane for a cold-blooded animal.

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we had this discussion before I belive we settled on a tank of CO2.
CO2 tanks are commonly used in drasft beer machines and a beer distributor should have them...
a box, a a little time breathing the co2 and its as quiet a death as youll get on the cheap and clean....

Ive been meaning to find a tank for just such an emergency but I always end up using the .22, which I really really am getting old and weepy over using anymore.

I'll go find a c02 tank tomorrow.

if i'm not mostaken you can get small refill tanks of paintball guns at wal mart... it shouldnt take much in a small box.

A lot of vets won't "do the deed" unless they have seen your pet before. Thus they may be charging you for an office visit and exam. I also only take animals to the vet when they are obviously sick and don't do vaccinations or "check-ups". But fortunately, the vet who had seen my dog for some reason or other, was willing to euthanize my cat, for about $25. And, as has been discussed before on this forum, the shot she gave him was far less traumatic than any other way I could have done it. He just lay his head down as if to go to sleep. Couldn't have been a more gentle snuffing. He had been my best friend for 16 years. I could never have drowned him or put him in a freezing black box or blown his head off, as some have recommended to others, but neither could I let him suffer on to the end.

My thoughts exactly!!! The nerve of some people. It's bad enough to lose a family pet, without the vet adding to the suffering.

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I wouldn't have used the freezer method either if we weren't instructed to way back when. It was a multi level learning experience: anatomy, hypothermia effects, frost bite, multi system failure studies etc.

Today I dispatch all the sick/injured/strays myself.

that price sounds about right... vets are $$$$.

I called the local beer distributor they said they will recharge a 10 pound tank for 15 bucks with co2.
the tanks are cheap when you find them.

I think when you take your pet to a vet all its life they should do the knockdown for free.... the shelter uses co2 (so I am told) and its super cheap and painless, but the vet insists on using 50 bucks in drugs and a hefty labor fee.
go figure...

For a 90 pound dog the vet used about 3 cc of some kind of "pink juice." It knocked him out before the vet even got done with the injection. We had teh vet dispose of the body. It all cost us 50.
The cost of the injection was nominal most of the cost was disposal.
Alice in Virginia

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There is nothing any worse than an angry little old lady, they've had a lifetime to learn all the dirty tricks and people get upset if you hit them!

some helpfull tech info on the use of co2;
(I didnt know in small doses it was a painkiller... interesting stuff)

http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/

if I aint mistaken some folks in the bunny forum use co2 to whack their meat bunnies, and sound pretty "refined" in their methods... that might be a good place to post about co2.

as i have been reading along elsewhere, the basic precatution is to gass them slowly till they pass out then increse the gas till they die, because to high a gas % right off is irrtating, and a low% to begin with is actually an analgesic, which kills their pain and makes them relax.

good info i might need it for ME one of these days....

I may be the lone voice in the wilderness here, but (with all due respect to you, Chandra) I am not hearing that this cat can't be made well with a little help. His teeth probably need to be pulled, and the fact that they are rotting may explain why he is systemically ill. That's a lot of toxin for a little body to take. The vomiting and diarrhea may be IBD, a very common condition in cats, and easily treatable with oral prednisone (cheap). Have you checked with any local animal rescue organizations to see if there might be a foster situation available? I really don't mean to chide, and I do applaud your desire to be humane. I just think that a little help might get this little guy back on his feet.

Are you mistaking Co2 (carbon dioxide) for CO (carbon monoxide)?

I found this on animal euthanasia: http://www.crean.com/kindness/ebi-vs-co.html

Sodium Pentobarbital

AVMA considers both sodium pentobarbital and CO as acceptable animal shelter euthanasia methods for dogs and cats. Of the two methods, euthanasia by injection with sodium pentobarbital is considered the preferred method of euthanasia. EBI is a medical procedure (rather than a physical method) and as such is much more humane for the majority of animals. Sodium pentobarbital's mechanism of action is complicated, but brings about a rapid and painless shutdown of the neurotransmitters in the brain resulting in very rapid (+/- 5 seconds) unconsciousness followed, in a few minutes by medical death. Sodium pentobarbital is the method of choice of virtually 100% of veterinarians, nearly 100% of privately funded animal shelters and most, but definitely not all municipally funded shelters.

Proper training and recommended staff certification is essential to proper delivery of EBI. Like any method, uncaring, thoughtless or poorly trained personnel can abuse EBI and the result is a bad death for the animal.

Carbon Monoxide

CO is a method of euthanasia that sounds much better than it actually is. Under relatively high concentrations of CO, a non-aquatic mammal will quickly lose consciousness. The concentration should be 6% and time to unconsciousness less than a minute. When delivered properly, carbon monoxide gas does not "sear" the lungs or cause conscious choking or gasping. On the contrary, CO from a bottled and pressurized source is breathed in with little sensation (taste or otherwise). Red blood cells have a high attraction for CO. When breathed in, CO immediately binds itself tightly to the red blood cell. Once bound up with CO, the red blood cell cannot carry its usual passenger, oxygen and the result is a rapid reduction of oxygen to the tissues and brain. Hypoxia (reduced oxygen -- do not confuse with suffocation or asphyxia) sets in within seconds and the animal feels sleepy and soon falls asleep, then unconscious then dies. In theory it sounds good, in actual practice there are problems.

The number one problem with CO is in the delivery mechanism. Because it is so dangerous to non-target animals, CO must be confined in an airtight box. The box, since it is by necessity airtight, is often hot, smelly, and confining for dogs and cats. It is sometimes overloaded or improperly loaded with incompatible species or animals with respiratory problems. This results in improper absorption (uptake) of the gas and, as a result of less than optimal concentration of gas in the box, a bad death for the animal. This high potential for misuse is most troublesome. In addition, CO, especially home-built boxes are dangerous to shelter workers. A Chattanooga, Tennessee shelter worker passed out and died with his body partially inside the CO box just a few years ago. He was unloading the chamber. Finally, according to the only study ever conducted on CO euthanasia, a high percentage of adult dogs were observed struggling and in an agitated state prior to unconsciousness. Pre-euthanasia tranquilization was recommended by the study to significantly reduce this reaction.

Although no longer considered acceptable by AVMA or national animal care and control agencies, hotbox CO, where a gasoline engine produces the gas, is still employed by a few agencies.

Um, not trying to sound rude here, but this cat is on it's last leg from what I have read. 12-13 years is a nice long life for a cat in my opinion. Yes, some do live longer, but why prolong suffering in the name of trying to 'fix' it? The cat is probably in kidney failure and will eventually expire wether or not a systemic infection due to the teeth are cleared up or not. Then you're talking about keeping the cat alive for what? So it can feel crummy and eat wet food(which really isn't all that great for them anyway), until it dies or gets bad enough that this question is being asked again? I am sorry if I sound harsh, and I'm not knocking anyone who goes to great lengths to save an animal, but I have seen so many cases where the pet was kept alive for the sake of the owner with no consideration of how the animal was suffering or it's quality of life and it makes me sad. My dog(a rescue puppy) was put down at 5 years because poor breeding gave him NO hip sockets. He was in pain, and yes I may have been able to surgically correct it, but I couldn't afford neither could I see putting him through that. Again, forgive me, just a sensitive subject. Perhaps I should just keep my comments to myself....

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This is interesting, I am having some very very mixed feelings here. Mostly I'm upset by the euth. charges. The vet I worked for, depending on size of the animal with amount of euth. never exceeded $40. Even on a horse. Alot of times he would put the animal down, and ask if the owner would make a small contribution in the animals name to help support all the strays people brought us, also it was an alternative to financial costs, we are a very poor county and people can't always afford $20 for an animal. Which is understandable, I'm just thankful I'm in where if the animal has a chance I don't care of the cost, as long as it can have a healthy comfortable life.
No offense, I know you haven't put anything towards the cat, and she is aged but cats can live several years beyond her age. The oldest cat I saw was 24, and the average we had them at was about 17-18y/o. But perhaps her problems could be from her teeth. Animals need dental care too, and without being able to properly chew her food, intake water, and with all the bacteria I'm sure is teeming in her mouth and getting into her blood stream, that I'm certain if not causing all of her problems certainly plays a HUGE role. We used to see alot of animal that had similar issues all because of their dental hygene. Once the bacteria gets into the blood stream it will do all sorts of damage to internal organs and digestion functions. Even if it's nothing more then pulling out the dead teeth, and putting her on antibiotics I'm sure it will cost, with the price you had for euth. Sad and unfortunate in my opinion. But shop around.

I have alot of issues with the freezer method...first of why would you do that? You might as well put them in the washer or dryer. I'm not trying to be offensive but I think that is very inhumane, not real big on the tail pipe thing either. I'm sorry, but having to live with myself after that...I just don't know. How would you like to freeze to death, at a few hours of ump-teen years I don't see how this is right. I prefer the bullet method. This to me is humane, completely painless(as long as you know where to shoot) and is less stressful and both the animal and the person. We've put 2 horses down this way, cattle, and a dog or two, deer, nothing about death is pleasant. However how I got my dog, was because someone took 2 day old puppies left them in a dumpster in the midst of a abnormally cold, snowy Nov. and they were brought to us pretty much frozen, out of 5 puppies, 4 lived. We had to gradually warm them up, bottle raised them. I took them home from the office and took care of them, all are with family members, one dog has a foot issue which was caused from frost bite, not bad enough to amputate but enough to be lameness which he'll have all his life. I will tell you freezing to death is not a quick, painless death like people think it is, animals were made to survive cold for a reason.

I know this may sound bad, and may be difficult to administer. But acetaminophen is lethal to cats, I'm sure giving a liquid version such as with children would be adiquate enough. I'm not proud for recomending this, and the death this would come from is probally not right, but the acetaminphen blocks clotting inhibitors in the liver and technically causes internal bleeding, with the liver being the primary bleed out. I'm sure with a sedative such as benadryl(large doses of benadryl may also subsiquently work as well, or sleeping aids) right beford administering the tylenol would work. However I will let someone else do the research on it, all I know if what it does and how to correct it. If you want to use that method it is your choice, and if given the right dosage the death would probally occur in about 8 hours, with a heavy sedative maybe within an hour or 2. It depends. I don't think this is proper if you have a child.
Also another way to do it, but it has to be done right is with an empty syringe and air. Just pull bag the plug and put about 1/2 to 1cc of air and that's all she wrote, causes and anyuerism pretty much and is painless. However if is difficult to get a vein in a cat in that condition I'm sure within the legs, front and back, I would go for the cartoid artery, quickest route to the brain. My thoughts, air is a very simple way, and if you were to sedate the cat first it would make it easier on the both of you.
Well those are my thoughts, I'm pro euthanasia or a bullet here, there's a fine line between selfeshness and peoples ideas of humane sometimes. My definition of humane is very very quick and as painless as absolutely possible. Another thing for consideration, think of how patient our pets are with us, with out mistakes, selfeshness, forgetfulness, children, tantrum etc. and how they have been with us. Sometimes euthanasia is more painful on our check book but it is easier to end the life of that animal that has had to endure us. I look at is as a respect to the animal. And when you see people bring animals in to be put down (the good, bad and ugle as far as human treatment goes) you learn alot about just making their last most comfortable and calm. That's all for me.

Come on ...

The cat gave you 10+ years as a faithful companion to your children, and now you're nickel-and-diming over how to end her life compassionately?

Give me a break, folks! :no:

I agree $122 is highway robbery, but surely there is another vet in your area, or a county-run shelter that will do the deed for a reasonable sum.

Remember that your children are watching and learning a lesson on how much care and compassion should be provided to the elderly and dying.

Do you want them nickle-and-diming on YOUR care when you get old and feeble someday?!

Just a thought ...

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I'm sure all catch grief for this and I'm not trying to be a smart-*ss, but what's wrong with a well-placed .22 long? The death is instantaneous, and the cost is pennies.

I guess I just fail to see why this is inhumane; it's his condition that's inhumane.

I personally wouldn't go either the Acetaminophen route or the air route. Acetaminophen toxity takes more like 18-36 hours to kill a cat ("The Feline Patient" p.103). It also generally causes vomiting and salivation, facial and extremity edema, and hemolytic anemia. Doesn't sound too pretty to me. While the air route may be effective, finding a vein on a kitty can sometimes be difficult for a vet, much less an owner! I also think you may need more air than that too. In school the anesthesiologists told us that injected air was a little blown out of proportion (though if I remember correctly it is quite lethal in a bird?-don't know I don't treat birds). There is no problem with some air bubbles in an IV line or syringe (of course these are pretty small amounts). I'd hate to give the cat too little, pull the syringe out and have a cat in convulsions or something!

Like you said either euthanasia or something very quick like a bullet is the most humane. While many cats can make it to 17-18, we still see many cats that don't. I do not fault the owner at all for making this choice with a 13 year old kitty. Even with extensive medical intervention at this point, it probably has irreversible kidney/other organ damage.

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Sarah,

If there are no dogs Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.
-Will Rogers

I have had to deal with this a whole back
when funds were low.

I have found that
1) Call around, not all vets charge such high prices,
a half a tank of gas may say you $$$$
What is 122 at one vet may be 50 at another

2) Do call the humain society and ask for help.

3) Call Paws or other animal rescue and ask for assistance.

Out of sympathy I adopted an older Rottie who within a week
attached a dog I had, not a snap but a
hang on shake ands growl aggressive attack
I knew I could not keep the dog at that point and was not
going to pawn it off on someother unsuspecting family.
It was inbetween paydays and the pound required $100.
But this included disposal of a large dog.
Paws offered them 50 which they accepted.
I paid paws back later.

Also when talking to people let them know that you want the
body back for the children to have a burial.
Most of the costs seem to be in disposal of the body.

Tough situation to be in.
But a $50 to $75 even $100. pain in your wallet is better than
1)an animal suffering longer or more
2)upset children and
3)you having a guilty conscience.
Don't take a chance of trying to do it yourself and
possibly botching it up and causing the animal more pain.
Best Wishes

And the bullet thing, I wouldn't suggest it unless you know what you're
doing cause a wrong shot or a critter moving at the last minute
and you can have a yowling, convulsive critter on your hands
and you having to take a secoond shot.
In case you haven't done it before, just know it ain't pretty.

Goldenmom,

I agree that acetaminophen is not the most grascious way out, but like I said if the animal is sedated prior to admin. the acet. then simply it should go to sleep while the med works. And if you do a large dose enough, with a cat in that condition it should not take longer then 8hrs. The range you gave is for a normal adult cat, same type of incident with antifreeze. And the air should be right, I know for a puppy that was roughly 6lbs is all it took. The lady was home bound, and the vet could not get to her residence at the time and the puppy was hydrocephalus, and the poor thing I'm surprised he lived, she didn't want to have me take him back, said she wanted to be with him so that was all it took. It's quick, painless, but not 100%, and like I said cartoid is the best bet, but most likely any vein would be hard to find by an owner on a cat in that condition. I agree with the bullet, painless and instant, but some people can't do it, but I can't see how freezing or holding the poor things nose to a tail pipe works either.

Call another couple of vets. I'm sure you can get a tranquilizer that can be put into her food and let the cat die at home. Kids view family pets as members of the family, so it is important that you let the kids know you are trying to take care of the sick cat. This may include a simple visit to the vet to see if there is an operation or medicine that can save her. Of course there isn't, but maybe you could give her vitamins for a few days before the lethal dose. If they know she is going to die they can be prepared. A large shoebox with a satin lining would be nice, and a eulogy (after all, she is the BEST cat in the world).