Euthanasia literally means ‘gentle
death’. Other terms you may hear are ‘put to sleep’, or ‘put down’. The
decision to end a life is never easy. It is a personal, loving decision to
euthanase a pet for which the quality of life has deteriorated. It takes
courage to assume this last duty and it is our last responsibility to a pet
which has given us love and companionship.
What should I do?
Your relationship with your pet is
special, and you are responsible for your pet’s care and welfare. Eventually,
many owners are faced with making life-or-death decisions for their pets.
Your vet is an invaluable source of
advice when you feel the time for euthanasia may be approaching. He or she
cannot make the decision for you, but he can help you to decide when it is time
to let go. Consider not only what is best for your pet, but also what is best
for you and your family. Quality of life is important for pets and people
alike.
Why is there a need for euthanasia?
There are numerous reasons for opting to
euthanase a pet.
These include:
Old age and debility;
A terminal illness;
Inability to treat a pet due to medical or other reasons;
Translocating and an inability to re-home a pet.
Whatever the reason, it is important that the decision is made in the best interests of your pet.
“I know in time that you will see the kindness that you did for me. Although my tail its last has waved, from pain and suffering I’ve been saved.”
(excerpt from “If it should be” – Anonymous)
What happens when an animal is euthanased?
Some veterinarians prefer to give a
sedative tranquilizer prior to the euthanasia drug, which is given in the vein.
The tranquilizer is either given as a tablet by mouth or a painless injection
under the skin, like a vaccination. The animal is then restful and the owner
may elect to spend some quiet time saying good-bye. The euthanasia drug itself
is an overdose of a barbiturate.
This is administered through an IV
catheter or with a needle and syringe.
Unconsciousness then follows rapidly, usually within 30 seconds. Observers generally describe it as a quick and peaceful death.
Things to be aware of as death occurs:
The eyes may remain open.
There may be a last gasping breath, called an agonal breath.
There may be vocalisation.
There may be muscle twitching.
The heart may continue beating for a short period after breathing has stopped.
The bladder and possibly, bowel contents will be released.
In most circumstances, you will notice nothing except a peaceful release of tension, as in ‘going to sleep’
Due to each animal’s individual health
situation, things may be different from animal to animal.
How can I make the process less stressful?
Book an appointment during a
quiet time of the vet’s day.
If possible sit with your pet
in the car until the vet is able to see you — ask the receptionist to call you
when the vet is ready to take you through.
If possible, settle the bill
upfront – try and avoid having to pay a bill in a distressed state after having
put your beloved companion to sleep.
What happens to your pet’s body after the euthanasia procedure?
After temporary cooled storage,
your pet may be cremated by a pet cremation company.
You may choose to have the
ashes returned to you. If this is the case it is important that you tell the
vet prior to the euthanasia procedure.
Occasionally pet owners request
to keep their pet’s body for their own burial arrangements.
Your veterinarian understands the relationship you have lost.
Castration is the surgical removal of the testicles from the scrotal sac of your dog or cat. The medical term for castration is orchidectomy. It is also referred to as neutering or sterilisation.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING MY PET CASTRATED?
There are several benefits to having your cat or dog castrated:
• Castrated animals are less likely to roam thereby decreasing the chances of them fighting with other animals and being injured or killed by motor vehicles. Cats that fight with other cats are at risk of contracting certain diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, otherwise known as Feline AIDS. This virus is transmitted through their saliva when they bite each other. Fighting cats are also at risk of developing abscesses.
• Castration of dogs and cats decreases the number of unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.
• Castrating your cat will also reduce or eliminate certain sexually driven behaviours, such as urine spraying.
• Castration may also be used to decrease male aggression.
• Cryptorchidism is a congenital failure of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotum. The testicles are then located in the abdomen, where they are constantly exposed to higher intra-abdominal temperatures. Retained testicles are predisposed to neoplasia (cancer). Castration is of vital importance in these dogs and cats.
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE CASTRATION PROCEDURE?
Your cat or dog will need to undergo general anaesthesia to perform the procedure. Your veterinarian will perform a preoperative physical examination prior to the surgical procedure. During the procedure, your pet’s testicles will be surgically removed from the scrotal sac. Cats will not need any stitches as only a small incision is made directly over the scrotal sac. Dogs will have a few stitches that will need to be removed 10 – 14 days later.
HOW SHOULD I CARE FOR MY DOG OR CAT AT HOME AFTER THE PROCEDURE?
When you get home, offer only small amounts of food and water at first – give your pet some time to settle down.
Do not allow your pet to lick his wound as this may lead to infection of the wound.
Do not bath your pet or allow swimming for the first ten days after surgery or until after his skin stitches have been removed.
Do not allow other pets or children to pester him.
Castration is the surgical removal of the testicles from the scrotal sac of your dog or cat. The medical term for castration is orchidectomy. It is also referred to as neutering or sterilisation.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF HAVING MY PET CASTRATED?
There are several benefits to having your cat or dog castrated:
• Castrated animals are less likely to roam thereby decreasing the chances of them fighting with other animals and being injured or killed by motor vehicles. Cats that fight with other cats are at risk of contracting certain diseases such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, otherwise known as Feline AIDS. This virus is transmitted through their saliva when they bite each other. Fighting cats are also at risk of developing abscesses.
• Castration of dogs and cats decreases the number of unwanted litters of puppies and kittens.
• Castrating your cat will also reduce or eliminate certain sexually driven behaviours, such as urine spraying.
• Castration may also be used to decrease male aggression.
• Cryptorchidism is a congenital failure of one or both testicles to descend into the scrotum. The testicles are then located in the abdomen, where they are constantly exposed to higher intra-abdominal temperatures. Retained testicles are predisposed to neoplasia (cancer). Castration is of vital importance in these dogs and cats.
WHAT IS INVOLVED IN THE CASTRATION PROCEDURE?
Your cat or dog will need to undergo general anaesthesia to perform the procedure. Your veterinarian will perform a preoperative physical examination prior to the surgical procedure. During the procedure, your pet’s testicles will be surgically removed from the scrotal sac. Cats will not need any stitches as only a small incision is made directly over the scrotal sac. Dogs will have a few stitches that will need to be removed 10 – 14 days later.
HOW SHOULD I CARE FOR MY DOG OR CAT AT HOME AFTER THE PROCEDURE?
When you get home, offer only small amounts of food and water at first – give your pet some time to settle down.
Do not allow your pet to lick his wound as this may lead to infection of the wound.
Do not bath your pet or allow swimming for the first ten days after surgery or until after his skin stitches have been removed.
Do not allow other pets or children to pester him.
Constipation is the infrequent or difficult passage of faeces.
WHAT CAUSES CONSTIPATION?
There can be various causes for constipation. Dietary, behavioural, environmental and medically related causes may result in your pet becoming constipated. Below are some of the more common causes of constipation:
Behavioural or environmental causes:
• • • Cats may become constipated if they refuse to use the litter tray due to it being soiled. Animals that are well house trained and are locked up all day, may become constipated as they will refuse to defaecate inside the house. Inactivity will often result in constipation; older animals that tend to sleep most of the day may be inclined to suffer from constipation.
Medically related causes:
• • • • • Pain in the rectal area may prevent your pet from defaecating. Inability to assume the position to defecate as seen in dogs and cats that have orthopedic problems e.g. spinal problems and fractures, as well as in animals that have neurological problems. Colonic obstructions that may be caused by tumours, granulomas, abscesses or enlarged prostate glands. A weakness of the colon. Megacolon is the enlargement of the colon. The colon becomes dilated and flaccid and is no longer able to contract properly, often leading to chronic constipation. These animals require constant veterinary care.
Dietary causes:
• • • • Abnormal diet, which includes too little fibre in your pet’s diet or not drinking enough water. Feeding bones to your pet may cause an obstruction or severe constipation. Both long and short haired cats may ingest a considerable amount of fur while grooming, resulting in hairballs which could cause your cat to become constipated. Some animals are inclined to swallow foreign objects such as toys and plastic bags. This may cause an obstruction in your pet’s bowel, resulting in either constipation or vomiting. This is very often a medical emergency
HOW WILL I KNOW IF MY PET IS CONSTIPATED?
Signs of constipation may include the following:
• • • • • • • • Intermittent straining with no production of faeces. Cats may be seen scratching around in their litter trays with intermittent straining; this sign should be distinguished from urinary tract infections which your vet will be able to determine on examination and further tests. Your pet may pass small amounts of hard, dry faecal matter or mucous after repeated attempts to defaecate. Defaecation may be painful and there may be redness and swelling around the anal area. Should the straining be severe enough, it may result in a prolapse of the rectum, which is a medical emergency. Anal scooting, which may also be a sign of blocked anal glands or worm infestation. Animals who are constipated will often show no interest in food and may even have intermittent vomiting. Weight loss (especially in animals that suffer with chronic constipation). Lethargy
HOW IS CONSTIPATION TREATED?
Mild constipation can be treated with laxatives available from your veterinarian. It is however advisable to take your dog or cat to the vet for a thorough examination to ensure there are no other underlying conditions causing the constipation. Some diseases may be easily confused with constipation and will require a veterinary examination to rule these out. Severe cases of constipation will require that your pet be placed on a drip and once fully rehydrated, enemas may need to be administered under veterinary supervision. Depending on the severity of the constipation, your veterinarian may send your dog or cat home with a laxative and a special diet for a few days.
Ectoparasites, such as ticks, are more harmful to animals and humans than is generally realised. Not only do they cause debilitating and irritating conditions themselves, but they can transmit hazardous diseases to their hosts and humans. Certain zoonoses (disease transmitted from animal to human) have increased in recent times due to the rise of the pet population, with ticks and fleas being the main causative species.
BILIARY FEVER (BABESIA) IN DOGS
Biliary is a serious tick-borne disease which affects the red blood cells of dogs, cats, horses and livestock. Ticks transmit tiny infectious parasites into their host’s bloodstream where they multiply in the red blood cells (erythrocytes) (Fig.1). During this continuous multiplication process many more red blood cells are invaded and eventually destroyed (haemolysis) resulting in anaemia (Fig.2). This disease can be most troublesome as the clinical signs may be acute, chronic, protracted or relapsing.
The ticks that prey on your pet are mainly the yellow dog tick (Haemaphysalis elliptica) and the kennel tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) (Fig.3). Both are major transmitters of canine biliary fever (Babesia canis). In severe infections death may occur very quickly, within as little as one day, unless there is an effective response to treatment. Some animals in endemic areas will carry the disease, but without clinical signs, whilst in other animals showing poor condition, the disease may have reached a chronic stage.
Ticks attaching to such infected carrier dogs, will engorge blood cells containing Babesia sp. parasites. In the tick’s digestive system these parasites undergo another developmental cycle, and by further multiplications disseminate throughout the tick’s intestinal cells and, more importantly, invade various organs of the tick including the ovaries of the female and subsequent eggs laid by the female. This transmission ensures propagation of the Babesia sp. organisms to the next tick generation. This means that a certain percentage of the larval stages of a Babesia-infected female tick pass the infection to dogs, without prior attachment to the infected or carrier animals.
Humans in close and frequent contact with infected animals are at risk of contracting tick-borne diseases, of which tick-bite fever (infection with Rickettsia conori) is the most common in South Africa. Tick-borne diseases are transmitted by the kennel tick as well as other tick species. Of late, Congo haemorrhagic fever, which is transmitted by the immature bont tick (Hyalomma spp.), also has to be considered as an increasing human health hazard.
DIAGNOSIS AND SAMPLING
Blood samples, preferably from a capillary bed such as the ear tip as these are richest in parasites, should be collected for parasite identification. This procedure should only be done by a veterinarian.
EHRLICHIOSIS IN DOGS
Ehrlichiosis is a tick-borne rickettsial disease transmitted through the saliva of ticks. This bacterium infects and kills the white blood cells. Clinical signs may be acute or chronic.
Treatment of biliary involves a visit to your local veterinarian, where he/she will recommend the best treatment for the animal according to the clinical signs, often with a combination of products. He may also suggest post-biliary supportive treatment for the animal that could be given at home.
PREVENTION
• Babesiosis is normally transmitted by tick bites, so prevention depends on stopping the attachment and feeding of ticks, which may be achieved by avoiding tick-infested areas and by using dips, spot-on products or repellents with or without acaricides. • Each treatment regime has its place in the control of ticks. Some are fast-acting but short-lived, while others are long-acting. Some combat on-host parasites, while others the off-host parasites. • Depending on the severity and stage of the tick challenge, different products are recommended. Some products work only against ticks, while others have a combined efficacy to treat both ticks and fleas. Some products kill ticks while others repel and kill. A product that repels ticks reduces the risk of transmission of biliary fever. • Owners planning to travel with their dogs to areas where ticks are prevalent, should ensure that their dogs are adequately protected against ticks. • Babesiosis infection in a dog does not usually pose a direct risk for another dog, as blood transfer or ticks are needed for transmission of infection
