I just put Rosie down - need reassurance

[ratunda]

I just got back form the vet and Rosie is gone. Her URI was getting really bad and the Baytril was no longer working. My experience was different than with Mathilda a year ago - after she injected the med - it took quite a long time for her to stop breathing and for her heart to stop - she said she got right in the heart as blood came back up in the syringe - with Tilly it was almost instant that her heart and breathing stopped. Does it usually take a long time when it is injected right into the heart?
Also, with Tilly she fit into the bell so it was a tight seal and the iso could not get out - with Rosie - she did not fit in the bell so they used the little bell/mask over her face - it was not a tight seal so iso was getting out - would it still be enough iso to have her under deep enough? I just REALLY hope she was under deep enough and did not feel anything - this is so hard.
Thanks for your time.

 

[lilspaz68]

I just got back form the vet and Rosie is gone. Her URI was getting really bad and the Baytril was no longer working. My experience was different than with Mathilda a year ago - after she injected the med - it took quite a long time for her to stop breathing and for her heart to stop - she said she got right in the heart as blood came back up in the syringe - with Tilly it was almost instant that her heart and breathing stopped. Does it usually take a long time when it is injected right into the heart?
Also, with Tilly she fit into the bell so it was a tight seal and the iso could not get out - with Rosie - she did not fit in the bell so they used the little bell/mask over her face - it was not a tight seal so iso was getting out - would it still be enough iso to have her under deep enough? I just REALLY hope she was under deep enough and did not feel anything - this is so hard.
Thanks for your time.

If she was gassed down, then she didn't feel anything. My vet uses little masks as well at times, and it just takes longer for the gas to work compared to an enclosed area. Some rats will fool us but normally it is pretty fast once the euthanizing agent has been injected into the heart.

It sounds like you did the right thing ((hugs))

 

[jorats]

I agree, she was probably long gone and didn't feel a thing.

 

[ratunda]

It's just that she was breathing and her heart was beating for quite a while after the injection into the heart - the vet said "she's a little fighter" - with Tilly she went right away. I thought with the injection right into the heart they went right away? How long does it usually take when injected right into the heart? This vet was not experienced with rats, so that makes it worse too ...

 

[lilspaz68]

It's just that she was breathing and her heart was beating for quite a while after the injection into the heart - the vet said "she's a little fighter" - with Tilly she went right away. I thought with the injection right into the heart they went right away? How long does it usually take when injected right into the heart? This vet was not experienced with rats, so that makes it worse too ...

Even if she missed the heart, the solution got into the blood stream, and it took awhile longer than a straight heart stick. They can inject into the abdominal cavity and it takes a long time for them to pass as the solution takes longer to get through the body and stop their heart. She was completely out, so don't stress over it. There was no pain.

 

[ratunda]

Even if she missed the heart, the solution got into the blood stream, and it took awhile longer than a straight heart stick. They can inject into the abdominal cavity and it takes a long time for them to pass as the solution takes longer to get through the body and stop their heart. She was completely out, so don't stress over it. There was no pain.

She did get it in the heart as blood drew back up in the needle and she said she got the heart - that is why I am concerned as I read everywhere that when the injection is in the heart they go immediately - and she did NOT go immediately.

 

[2Rats]

Even if she did not go immediately, - she did not feel anything because of the gas. Gas is what they use for anesthesia when doing rattie surgery.
Take comfort in knowing she felt no pain. So sorry for your loss:flowers3:

 

[Joanne]

Here's a description of the drug's action:

"Within seconds, unconsciousness is induced with simultaneous collapse of the dog. This stage rapidly progresses to deep anesthesia with concomitant reduction in the blood pressure. A few seconds later, breathing stops, due to depression of the medullary respiratory center; encephalographic activity becomes isoelectric, indicating cerebral death; and then cardiac activity ceases."

So the Euthasol also acts as an anaesthetic. The vet probably didn't get the heart or it wouldn't have taken as long. But it just means she went more slowly. She went to sleep initially with the gas, but she would have stayed asleep with the Euthasol and quietly passed on.
I'm sorry you had to say goodbye to your sweet girl. It sounds like she was OK. It was different, but not bad.

 

[Bundyrats]

- the vet said "she's a little fighter"......This vet was not experienced with rats, so that makes it worse too ...

Oh I can't BELIEVE the vet said that to you. I had a vet who said the exact same thing and I wanted to hit her over the head. As if the decision is not hard enough without someone telling you that they are actually a little fighter.

I can totally understand your concern though ratunda, my girls seemed to all be a bit different when I had to have them pts. For some it seemed instant and others it took longer but you can rest assured that your little Rosie was deep asleep when the vet injected her, she was already at peace and sounds like you did the kindest thing for her.

I go over everything in my mind a thousand times to see if there's anything I could/should have done differently and I always have a little bit of doubt in my mind but as for being asleep at the time, there really is no way she could not have been. The vets always discreetly check for signs to make sure they are under completely.

You can rest easy knowing your girl did not feel any pain.
Hugs to you.

 

[ratunda]

Thank you so much for your kind words - it really is such a hard thing to do - and the biggest thing for me is to just know that she felt no pain. It is just really hard when you do not have a "rat" vet - and don't really trust that the vet knows much about rats. But, again, thanks so much for writing!

 

[Bundyrats]

:hugs:
Thinking of you