P.T.S - Terrible experience, has anyone gone through this?

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filly190

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I had a home visit from the vet yesterday to put my old doberman to sleep. He injected her and told us, that she would just simply drift off, may take a few breaths which were reflexes and would know nothing about it.

After he had injected her, she semi lay down and nothing seemed to be happening, he gave her another and she then lay down. She was still breathing and moving and he assured us it was a reflex reaction. This went on for over 35 minutes, with him then giving her further injections into her legs and two more directly into her heart.

It was terrible, she lay there, but was clearly breathing very heavily and the vet kept saying it was reflexes, so why a total of 7 injections when it should have been one.

Why was it so distressing and why did it take so long. I havent stopped crying, thinking about it. What should have been a two minute job, took 35 mins.

Would you please advise me, what your thoughts are on this, because I keep going over and over it all in my mind.
 
Oh how horrible for you - I have never known this happen and can only think that the dose he gave her initially was incorrect. Please be assured that she will not have suffered as she would have been so heavily sedated but what a dreadful experience for you to go through
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really sorry you had to go through this. i'm sure the vet was finding it equally distressing. normally they are unconscious by the time you finish injecting - they need only about half a ml per kg, so it's a fairly small dose so as long as it was in the vein, it should work pretty quickly. my thoughts are either the vet wasn't managing to get the drug into the vein, or her circulation was so poor that it just wasn't getting around her body and to her heart and brain to work. Either way, I can imagine it was extremely distressing for you and I'm really sorry you had to go through this.
 
You poor thing, that must have been so distressing. But as Milor says she would have known nothing about it I am sure, it was just you who was suffering. Sending you hugs, I lost my special old girl last August and know how you must be feeling but it does get easier.
 
You poor thing, that's never happened to me when I've had to take dogs to be PTS. The vet must have been very distressed as well. RIP.
 

So sorry for you, this must have been awful. Not had a similar experience I'm afraid. If it is any consolation I am sure you and the vet were more distressed than your dog who wouldn't have been aware. I hope it starts to get easier for you soon.

J x
 
I had a similar experience with my much loved lab, I took him to the surgery and the vet came out to my car boot, he too took ages to go and had an injection into his heart wich made him yelp and cut me to the quick.
After it was all over the vet and I talked and I explained how he had upset me, and he said the heart was so weak the blood was taking ages to get round the body, so the anaesthetic also took a long time. He could see I was upset so he tried to speed things up by the heart injection.
Since then I always have them done at home in familiar surroundings and speak with the vet first to make sure he understands not to inject into the heart.
We've had four dogs pts since and all have been peaceful and easy.
My advice is always discuss it with the vet and make your wishes clear, I am so sorry it happened to you too, because it makes a dreadful time even worse..
 
Oh no how sad...I remember when I did my vet nursing I would have to go along and assist the vet with PTS at home.
Most of the time things would go ok, but now and again the veins can blow and it does slow the whole thing down which is extremely upsetting. Try not to get too upset about it, it is just like they are floating off to sleep. Sorry for the terrible experience.
 
Poor you. Try not to dwell on how wrong it went as she wasn't suffering, although it must have been distressing for you. We want it to be over as quickly as possible don't we but even so she won't have known what was going on. Just hold on to the fact that it was still the best way for her to go. Big hugs xx
 
She did yelp when it went into the heart and that was just too much to bear. After more injections, a further one went into the heart and she did not react. The vet kept assuring us that she knew nothing about it, but I feel differently because of that yelp.

It seemed that she was unable to move, but aware of things around her. After it was over, I could not bury her for ages because I was convinced she might not have been dead.

Since Wednesday, I have been having terrible nightmares where she is trying to dig out of the grave. They are so real, I have asked my husband to check the grave, this he refuses to do because he is equally upset and just cant do it.

Thanks everyone for your support, I had no idea that things could go wrong. I phoned the vet today for a chat about it, and he said in old poorly dogs the veins collapse and it can be difficult and slow the stuff to circulate.

I just would not wish this on anyone, my vet said this is why most vets prefer not to do a home visit as it can get distressing. He was most professional and caring and all the time sat next to her on the floor, giving injection after injection. I had to give him a Whiskey afterwards, so I know he was upset with how it went.

Once again thanks folks, most appreciated.
 
All I can say is time does heal but sometimes slowly, I can't believe how many times I've now heard of the PTS experience not being as the vet says.
I had to have my beautiful mare PTS and the vet said after the injection she would take a couple of deep breaths and just fall to the floor, well she fell to the floor and then started to fight as she didn't understand why she had gone down and the vet said to stay away from her, well I ignored him and went to her, she stopped fighting as soon as she heard my voice, cocked her ear toward me and died in my arms, she just didn't deserve to end her life like that and I had major bad dreams etc for a long time afterwards and eventually had to have counselling which helped enormously.
Please just remember that your dogs suffering is over and she can't have a memory of the pain, it was not your fault and I've certainly learnt that different animals react differently.
As checkmate says crying does help, which goes for you and hubby and remember the good times, big hugs and thinking of you!!!
 
Jan you poor thing, I know what you mean though as you are already distressed and it is delaying it more and more.
God bless Sasha, but at least she died in your arms at home and that is a blessing.

Big hugs and (like me) try to only think of the good times she had.
 
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Since Wednesday, I have been having terrible nightmares where she is trying to dig out of the grave. They are so real, I have asked my husband to check the grave, this he refuses to do because he is equally upset and just cant do it.


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I think this is a normal reaction to a trauma like this. When I found my cat dead after 4 days missing it was obvious he was gone but I still had a terrible urge to dig him up and check.

I'm so so sorry for you. I can imagine how bad you're feeling but even that yelp doesn't indicate that she was suffering. Just ask yourself 'did she yelp that much if I trod on her foot'? The pain of that would be forgotten in an instant. The pain you're feeling is because you think she didn't have the ending she deserved but she didn't know it was the end or that it was all going wrong. Forgive yourself xx
 
I am so sorry for your loss,we had to have our greyhound put to sleep three weeks ago and i must be honest it was all very peaceful he had gone by the time the injection had finished and he went in my arms
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he never felt a thing and he was in so much pain i don't think he knew what was going on and glad to be relived of it all he was 14 and i loved him to bits.

I'm sorry you had a horrible time it does get eaiser but they are always in your thoughts.
 
I just wanted to say a big thank you to everyone that has replied, you are all very kind.

We are a few days on now and I am feeling a little more settled, still having the nightmares and walking to the grave to see if the ground has moved, but I know that will pass in time.

The whole experience has certainly put me off being in attendance and hopefully it will be many more years before I have to think about that with my other dogs.
 
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