Without starting a riot ...(Euthanasia)

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Eira

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What are the pro's and cons of each different methods(for want of a better word).


I don't want to start an argument .

I just want informed opinions please
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No arguement from me!

The modern injection is alot different from the old school. Its alot more reliable and peaceful (if I had a choice I wouldn't mind being euthanased by this method).

Generally horse will have a patch on jugular, clipped, cleaned and local aneastheic under the skin, catheter place (will be sedated now if not already). Then a large injection will be given fairly swifty. Horses will go down, generally knees first then back end - almost as they go down to roll.

This is of course if it all goes well.

To be shot, depends on horse and disposal means may or may not be sedated. horse 'shot' then expect the worst and to see a massive haemorrhage, doesn't happen every time but more often than not, very quick and horse knows nothing of whats happening.
 
I've only one experience of euthansia and injection was used. It was very quick and clean, no problems at all.
 
From my own personal experience. I would allways have the horse shot ( had one horse injected by the vet and would not do it again if at all possible). The injection seemed to take a while to work and the mare just laid there looking at me. An experience i would never want to go through again. I think personally that having the horse shot is kinder and much quicker ( this is my opinion).
 
I am a pro injection person. Had two PTS this way. However, they were both quite old and poorly. Was quick and calm though.

I just think of it as the same as having an anaesthetic for an op (many people put their horses though operations under GA and don't think about it). Once the horse is asleep it does not know anything - the same as if you are 'put under' and it is just an overdose of the drug that once the horse is 'knocked out' that stops the heart.

If I have the choice and can plan it that is what I would go with. If however, it was an emergency and the horse was suffering (ie if an RTA for example) then I would go with whatever method was available quickest.
 
My preference is for the local knacker man as it is so quick, however when Mazzie was PTS it was injection, and as far as I know it all went well (I was further down the road in a caravan - long story). Have heard horror stories about both methods, so it's personal preference in my opinion.
 
I had my horse done by the injection, he was heavily sedated first so he didnt really know what was going on, then he had the injection. I honestly could never have any of my horses shot, its just not something i could stand and watch.
If the horse is shot then they could go on to zoo's etc (for food)
I know some hunt's will come and shoot the horse free of charge if they could use the horse for meat etc.
 
The cheapest option is to have them shot by your local hunt. It is a humane type silent just in the head. This is the option we have always taken.

You can also have them PTS by injection. This is done by a Vet & they will quietly drift off.

Either method is quick & painless & the horse knows nothing about it. But I suggest you do it out in the paddock, extracting a horse from a stable is horrid & undignified. Lets not go into keeping ashes etc, that is personal taste & nothing to do with interests of the horse.
 
A loan pony was put down by being shot, essentially she was led out fed a carrot, and as she put her head down to pick up the next, was shot. I guess it is as instant as you can get, although I don't much like the muscle tremors. There was little blood spilt.

I'd always thought I would go down the injection route until I saw the gun method, it did make me change my mind.
 
We had a pony shot which husband found very distressing to deal with. Not, I hasten to add for the horse but for him!! Quite a bit of clearing up afterwards.
2 pts by lethal injection. Both went peacefully with no problems, they just lay down, took a deep breath and were gone.
 
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I am a pro injection person. Had two PTS this way. However, they were both quite old and poorly. Was quick and calm though.

I just think of it as the same as having an anaesthetic for an op (many people put their horses though operations under GA and don't think about it). Once the horse is asleep it does not know anything - the same as if you are 'put under' and it is just an overdose of the drug that once the horse is 'knocked out' that stops the heart.



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What you say is spot on, generally before the horse hits the floor it knows nothing as is anaesithised. Botch these days ups are generally human error - but this can happen with anything.
 
i've had my last 2 shot by the hunt, at their premises. both times the man who did it was very calm and kind and patient (with me as well as horse!), took time to fuss and comfort the horse and get it to relax, made me walk away so i didn't risk upsetting the horse by being upset myself. it was instantaneous. no haemorraging.
they explained beforehand that the muscles wouldn't stop immediately so it would look as if the horse was still breathing but it obviously wasn't. i knew about this anyway but it was nice that they were patient and explained it to prevent me getting shocked/upset.
i know of friends who have had them destroyed by injection and it has taken a long time and the horse has been distressed. i would never want to risk this.
 
Injection is nicer for the owner, whilst bullet is quicker for the horse
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That's my belief anyway. I have known two horrific occasions(not that long ago) whereby the injection 'went wrong' with a horse. I know of two further occasions where it went wrong with a dog
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In all cases, the end was so catastrophic for the animal that the owners will never, ever get over it. One of the horses was PTS, left in its stable for the collection...when suddenly someone noticed a groaning noise coming from the stable. The horse was still alive - just - and in agony. It took the vet another hour to get there to put the poor thing down properly
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The second occasion was possibly even worse. The horse went down with the injection, but then struggled to her feet again, reared up, went over backwards, got up again and staggered wildly around. She eventually plunged through a barbed wire fence and broke her neck
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Now, I know that many, many horses are PTS in this way without mishap, but it is not a chance I would ever take with mine. Shooting may be messy, but it is quick - and God forbid the first shot does not do the job, there is always a second bullet loaded to finish it within seconds.

I'm sorry to be so blunt, but if it were me there would be no choice between the two
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Sorry about long post but I had a 16.3hh horse put down by shooting with a compound fracture of his tibia. Unfortunately (I was around the vicinity but not present) we believe the horse moved his head at the last second and he was shot twice which was obviously distressing for everyone present, especially the poor horse. There was a gap of about 15 seconds between each shot. However as a rule you can elect to have your horse sedated before this is carried out which reduces this risk. As for lethal injection I had a horse put down with this and again, I was not present as the horse had wobblers and it was considered too dangerous as he was totally uncoordinated in his movements. I elected to see his body after he was put down but was not warned about any relex movements or sounds and I found the whole experience terribly distressing to the point that it plunged me into a depression and took me a long long time to get over his death. I was assured that the animal was dead but it was horrific seeing his tummy and flank flickering and hear him grunting. The first grunt coincided with my hand touching his neck as I crouched down to stroke him and this totally freaked me out as I believed he knew I was there and he was trying to communicate with me. This grunting is called agonal gasping and is nothing to do with 'agony' in the sense we know it. It is merely a reflex action of the body shutting down and the air releasing from the lungs and vocal cords. The horse is unconscious and out of pain and totally unaware of what has happened to it. I wrote to Horse & Rider magazine totally torn apart and devastated and the kind vet sent me a massive reply about what happens when a horse dies and the reflexes and it put my mind at rest and I was eventually able to move on, but I found the whole experience extremely harrowing. I only wanted to see the body as I didn't get to see my previous horse after he was put down and I always wondered - due to the grief - that the clinic had saved him and he was really alive but they were scared to tell me. Irrational stupid thoughts, but this is what happens. That's why i needed to see Rommy so I could accept that he was gone. I would never ever see my horse again so soon, I would wait until the agonal gasping had ceased which the vet at Horse & Rider magazine said was about ten minutes after death.

At the end of the day you may not have a choice about how the horse is put down, it depends on the circumstances and if the animal is very distressed or in a lot of pain I believe the lethal injection method can make the situation a lot worse. Injections are very fast these days and the horror stories you used to hear are no longer happening, thank god. My vet has said before now that which ever method you pick (so long as the operator is efficient) the horse will be dead before it hits the floor so to speak. Cookies and cream if you have got to the end. RIP Rommy x
 
Had my horse PTS last summer, vet gave me both options but said he would prefer to shoot him as it is instantaneous for the horse (but more traumatic for owner). He was heavily sedated - still in his stable-I stayed with him until he was almost on the floor with the sedative, then left....I thought I would be able to stay, but on the day I just couldn't. Everything had been explained to me prior to vet coming, ie: what to expect etc.... OH called vet after, & everything went to plan - no hiccups. Hardest part for me was leaving him with the vet & also the fact that the pick up van was there before he was PTS...I found that really distressing.
 
i have always had horses shot-never used injection-heard to many stories!!have found the knacker man will do a much better job than vet-hardly any blood and brilliant with the horse-altho have had vet to sedate horse if it little head shy-i am so so sorry tho that you have to ask this-best wishes and chose what is right for you and horse
 
Hi ISHY,

When I had to make the very sad decision to have my mare put down I discussed at length with my vet options for euthanasing her.

My girl had mellanomic (sorry not sure if spelt right) disease and therefore as we managed to treat these and keep her happy and comfortable for a number of years prior to euthanasia I had a number of occasions where I talked to my vet at length.

I decided, following advice from my vet to have my girl put down using a firearm. As it was explained to me that this was the safest method for her, quicker, and less could go wrong.

My vet was fantastic on the day, as they had already explained exactly what would happen, I was able to say goodbye to my girl whilst she was sedated, I then left her with the vet ( I did want to stay with her but was advised that due to the heavy sedative she would not know I was there and I would only be putting myself through more trauma) whilst he did the necessary,

I wanted to go back to see my mare once she had gone as I had this sort of warped paranoia that she would be taken off for medial research on her tumors whilst still alive etc (I am very over imaginative) so I went over to see her and give her one last cuddle - the vets covered her head so i could not see the damage to her by the bullet.

It was all very peaceful and quiet, and whilst totally heartbreaking for me I know it was the right thing for her, and if I could go back I would not change a thing.

I think my advice to people would be do be guided by your vet, but ultimately do whats best for you, and what you feel is best for your horse.

Cheers
Gem
 
It is awful hearing horror stories. I think as hellspells says it is generally due to human error. However you have it done, have it done by someone you trust. Many vets do not deal with large animals regularly and I think sometimes this can cause problems. Hence an equine/large animal vet is essential.

We trust our vet fully and he is great, calm and efficient. The vet/knacker man etc should ALWAYS be there to ensure the horse's heart has stopped.
 
Hmmm.

Before recently I was against the injection because I had heard through rumour that the horse would have a slow death, you would see it swaying from side to side, it would know it was dying kind of thing, and I didn’t like the thought of that, whereas a shot to the head is so quick the horse wouldn’t even know what had happened before it was over. However, a gunshot never sounds nice does it? I read in one magazine recently though that the injection has now come on leaps and bounds from years ago and it is now very quick and the horse wouldn’t have a clue. This leans me towards injection as it just seems like it would be more quiet and more peaceful, just like they are going to sleep for a little while.

I hope this day never comes 
 
I had my beloved pony pts by injection and I and my husband found it distressing.

He was brought into turnout paddock, given an injection to relax him first and then the injection that finished him off. He went down, as others have said as if for a roll, but he was still rubbing his lips on the school surface and taking great big sighs for what seemed quite a while. The vet, obviously seeing my distress, said "he is dead, the movements are involuntary". He said it more than once. I feel like I failed my boy after many, many years of ownership and it took me a great deal of time to accept it wasn't my fault.

Was I a one off? It's not something I could ask a vet to this day, 5 years later, it's still raw.

Had I known then what I know now, he'd have had the bullet, which the one I had pts last year had. It was quick and the horse seemed to be oblivious to it all.
 
Two of mine were shot by the hunt - no fuss and instant whilst stuffing themselves. On both occasions I walked away on hearing the shot - I stood with my back to them but beside them whilst it was done.

Cairo was pts by injection - he was already down and the vet gave him sedation first and whilst he was asleep put in the catheter and gave the injection.

It did take a few minutes for him to go - he was a clydesdale so a big lad. The last 30 seconds were a bit distressing for us as he breathed very heavily as his lungs tried to pump oxygen due to the heart stopping but he was not aware - no other reaction.

The plus side of this method is that my OH could sit cuddling him all the way and then sat resting against his back saying goodbye waiting about 30 mins for the disposal people to come.

With the TBs, the hunt were best - they would have resisted going down, they were that sort, but Cairo was used to have GA's so just went to sleep with no stress.

I would probably have the current clydie and cob pts by injection as they are the type that would go quietly to sleep with sedation and then the final injection. I would always insist on heavy sedation first and never just the injection.

When my WB had to be pts recently, she was shot - again she would fight sedation and for her this was the best method.
 
Hi Kerilli, My opinion is the same as yours. The injection for me was not as humane. Also had a friend which used the injection and said it was very distressing to watch and her pony seemed to linger. Having a horse destroyed for any reason is not a nice thing to do and see. I just think that having the horse shot is quicker and kinder but obviously my experience of the injection method was not nice for both my mare and myself.
 
My old lad was shot, outside his field away from the others, he knew nothing, mouth full of grass and just thought people had come to fuss him, very quick and removed from the premises in less time it would take to groom and tack up horse!
My dad held him while the deed was done, I walked away as I didn't want my last memory of him to be layed there and I'm still glad to this day I did.

If I had to have another destroyed, I'd do the same again no doubt about it (and I'm as soft as they come!) to be honest it was not as dramatic as what you are led to believe...or as bad as you dread, of course loosing your horse is, there is no pain like it but what I mean is is the whole horse disposal thing, its not as gruesome as you think, its a job that has to be done and it was a job well done.
You feel a sense of relief and a sense of piece afterwards, the worst thing is driving down to your yard days/weeks/months on and not seeing them in there field grazing with the rest of them and having to muck out their stable or pack there rugs away, silly little things like their hair from the rug, that is far worse than the whole experiance of having a horse shot I can tell you.
 
as above. i've heard too many horror stories of injections. i haven't heard of one with the bullet (well, apart from the drunk vet at a p-2-p who managed to totally miss the horse and shoot the lad in the foot, at which point the supposedly paralysed horse leapt to its feet and galloped off, proving it was absolutely fine...!) if the bullet/bolt is done properly, calmly and patiently on a relaxed horse (essential, obv), i cannot see how it can go wrong tbh.
a friend's much loved mare was injected and took about 40 mins to go. she described it to me in far-too-graphic detail. No, thankyou.
 
As lots of you know, I had my mare PTS on Monday.

We don't have a hunt here and to obtain the services of the knackermen we would have had to have waited several hours.

Therefore, we had Deli PTS by injection. I have to say it was v. peaceful and there was no problem. She was given a massive dose of painkillers (to ease her leg) and a little bit of sedation so that we could walk her round the bag of the steading to the grass. She was then given the lethal injection and just lay down and went to sleep.

ISHY, whatever you decide for Sol, good luck.
 
ISHY, I have followed your posts with great sadness, I feel so sorry that you are in this situation.

One thing I forgot to mention in my first post is the need for you to have a vet that YOU like, who has a good "bedside" manner, who is sympathetic to your situation. Also, have other people with you on the day (I didn't, my choice, but would change that now). The anticipation & build up to having a horse PTS are probably about the worst feelings I have ever experienced. Also, for me, guilt crept in after but it didn't last long & now I feel totally at peace with the decision I made. You are performing a great kindness for your horse, and you will have a heavy heart for a while, but you will be showing a final act of love.
 
Thankyou everyone for replying (and not arguing)

I'm not sure what else I can say as theres not much going on in my brain atm !
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I had my old girl injected - she was 37 and ready to go. It was completely peaceful and she was gone within seconds. I absolutely don't regret that decision.

However, my current horse is a different personality. Despite being 27, she still argues about everything and I just know she'd "fight" the injection. I would prefer her to be heavily sedated (she's headshy) and shot.

Don't have much to add to the earlier replies, just to say that I think it depends on the horse. And most of all, use a vet/knackerman/hunt who you trust implicitly.
 
I have attended two horses being put down by injection.

We first put down a straw/woodchip bed on the yard. The horse was taken out of the stable and sedated by the vet. The horse was then given the lethal injection and in both cases gently dropped down on the ground and peacfully went permanently to sleep.

The horses field friends where then shown the dead horse and allowed to sniff it.

Shortly afterwards the knackerman arrived and winched the deceased horse on to their lorry, covered it up with a taupaulin and took it away for cremation.

A couple of weeks later the casket containing the ashes, one horse shoe and a bit of the tail where delivered by personal courier.

However my friend always has hers put down by the hunt. She takes them there in her lorry. The horse comes off the lorry and hearing the hounds thinks it is going hunting and it is then shot dead as soon as it is off the ramp.

We all do things differently but as long as the whole process is done with dignity and so as to avoid any pain then a good job has been done to dispatch a much loved friend who in many cases has given the owner many years of fun and enjoyment.
 
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