We are trying to figure out if my sweet 5 lb tiny Chihuahua could have been spared the distress he had during sedation before euthanasia. We are trying to understand if he knew what was happening and suffered.
My husband and I took our sweet boy to be euthanized. He was almost 13 years old. We explained to the vet tech that he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and mitrol valve disease a year ago and that we did not want to extend his life. We also showed her a video of him having horrible breathing problems while sleeping. She said they would be inserting a catheter into the vein into his arm.
When the vet came in we again said we did not want to extend his life, showed her the video gave her the name of the previous vet and told her about the enlarged heart and mitrol valve diagnosis. She said that we could make him comfortable instead of euthanasia by giving him pills and asked if he could take them. I said he had a tiny mouth and could not. She said she was going to give him sedation and if he needed more she would give him more after 10 minutes.
She gave my Chihuahua a shot in the rump and said she would turn off the lights and for us to say our goodbyes and that the shot would take 10 minutes to sedate him fully.
After a few minutes we noticed our boy start gasping and licking and gurgling sounds coming from him. It was terrifying. He sounded like he was drowning. He was wide awake. We tried to calm him. The vet tech came in after 10 minutes and by then he was aspirating onto our shirts. My husband and I took turns holding him.
We told the vet tech something is wrong and he sounds like when he is sleeping (wheezing, horrible breathing). Although he sounded much worse than that we were panicking. The vet tech looked worried and hurried out.
More time goes by and my husband tells me to ask for help and I go out to the receptionist and tell her I need the vet. Another 7 minutes go by (at least) and the vet and vet tech show up and my boy is still struggling, licking, gurgling, panting, and by that time his tongue was turning blue.
The vet says he is in heart failure and quote - we need to go for it and find a vein. I said his tongue is blue she said it was from lack of oxygen. I was holding my boy while he was panting struggling and he looked into my eyes at least one time. I had to turn him around so they could find a vein because his blood pressure had dropped.
The vet shot more sedation into his vein in his arm and he finally relaxed. She said this is what he was supposed to be like. She said several times if you don’t want to be here you don’t have to because he may have liquid coming out. We refused. Then she administered the final shot. He passed in my arms just seconds later.
My husband and I sobbed. I blamed myself for waiting too long - I said that several times to the vet I waited too long. She said everyone’s circumstances are different. I found no comfort in that.
No apologies, no understanding, she and the vet tech just left the room. We are haunted by what happened.
Please Reddit - he died yesterday and we are devastated. I blame myself that I waited too long! We are haunted that he suffered. Help us to understand why this happened and should we report the vet?
- Why were we not advised that sedation could put him into heart failure, even if that was rare? We told both the vet tech and vet that he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and mitrol valve issue along with showing them a video.
- Was all of the licking and gurgling and aspiration of liquid because my chi was aware and stressed during the sedation and before being euthanized? He was wide awake the entire time.
- Why didn’t the vet have a second sedative ready plus the euthanasia drug ready?
- Why wasn’t the vet checking in and standing by?
- Could the sedative been given in the vein in the arm originally and it would have caused my boy to relax instead of being distressed? Why did the second sedation cause him to relax and stop gurgling, panting, etc?
- Was there anything that could have been done differently to avoid him going into heart failure?