Put to sleep redirects here. Put to sleep redirects here For its literal meaning see Sleep or Anaesthetic. For its literal meaning, see sleep or anaesthetic. Sleep is a Natural state of bodily rest observed throughout the animal kingdom Anesthesia, or anaesthesia (see spelling differences; from Greek grc αν- an-, "without" and grc αἲσθησις

Animal euthanasia (Greek, "good death") is the act of inducing humane death in an animal. Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific ^[1] Euthanasia methods are designed to cause minimal pain and distress.

In pet animals, this process is commonly referred to by the euphemisms "put to sleep", "put down", or "sent away to the farm". A euphemism is a substitution of an agreeable or less offensive expression in place of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant to the listener or in the case of doublespeak Horses are euthanized if there is an intractable illness, or the horse has suffered a complicated injury.

Methods

Intravenous anesthetic

Pets are almost always euthanized via intravenous injection, typically a very high dose of a barbiturate such as pentobarbital. Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system Depressants and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects from mild Sedation Pentobarbital is a short-acting Barbiturate that is available as both a Free acid and a Sodium salt, the former of which is only slightly soluble in water Unconsciousness, respiratory then cardiac arrest follow rapidly, usually within 30 seconds^[2]. Respiratory arrest is the cessation of Breathing. It is a Medical emergency and it usually is related to or coincides with a Cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest, also known as cardiorespiratory arrest, cardiopulmonary arrest or circulatory arrest, is the abrupt cessation of normal circulation of Observers generally describe it as a quick and peaceful death. Sometimes the animal makes a gasping sound after the death, which is air being exhaled by the lungs. The animal may twitch for a moment or urinate.

Some veterinarians perform a two-stage process: An initial injection that simply renders the pet unconscious and a second shot that induces death. This allows the owner the chance to say goodbye to a live pet without their emotions stressing the pet.

For large animals, the volumes of barbiturates required are frequently impractical. In such cases, shooting (see below) may be more appropriate. Alternatively, for horses and cattle, other drugs may be available. In some countries (e. g. the UK) a cocktail of Secobarbital (a high-potency barbiturate) and Cinchocaine is available, providing deep unconsciousness and cardiac arrest independently, with a lower volume of injection, thus making the process faster, safer and more effective. Secobarbital (marketed by Eli Lilly and Company under the brand name Seconal) is a Barbiturate derivative drug Cinchocaine (or Dibucaine) is an Amide Local anesthetic. It is the active ingredient in some topical hemorrhoid creams Occasionally a horse injected with this mixture displays apparent seizure activity prior to death, this may be due to premature cardiac arrest. An epileptic seizure is caused by excessive and/or hypersynchronous electrical Neuronal activity and is usually self-limiting However, if normal precautions (e. g. sedation with detomidine) are taken, this is a rare problem^[3]. Sedation is a Medical procedure involving the administration of Sedative drugs generally to facilitate a medical procedure with Local anaesthesia. Detomidine is an Imidazole derivative and alpha2-adrenergic Agonist, used as a large animal Sedative,primarily used in Horses. Anecdotal reports that long term use of phenylbutazone increase the risk of this reaction are unverified. Phenylbutazone, often referred to as bute, is a Crystalline substance having the structure shown at right

Inhalant (gas) anesthetic

Gas anesthetics such as isoflurane and sevoflurane can be used for euthanasia in very small animals (rodents, small birds, etc. Isoflurane (2-chloro-2-(difluoromethoxy-111-trifluoro-ethane is a Halogenated ether used for inhalational Anesthesia. Sevoflurane (222-trifluoro-1-ethyl fluoromethyl ether also called fluoromethyl hexafluoroisopropyl ether, is a sweet-smelling non-flammable highly fluorinated methyl isopropyl ). Animals are placed in sealed chambers where high levels of anesthetic gas are introduced. Death may also be induced by carbon dioxide once unconsciousness has been achieved by inhaled anaesthetic. Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single ^[4]

Cervical dislocation

Cervical dislocation, or snapping of the neck, is a simple and common method of killing small rodents such as mice, and may be used on other small vertebrates such as rabbits. Cervical Dislocation, "breaking the neck" or "snapping the spine" are terms used to describe this killing method intended to be quick and painless Performed properly it causes instant death, and it requires no equipment other than a pair of gloves for protection while handling the animal. With mice it involves holding the back of the head firmly and pulling on the hindquarters or tail until the neck snaps. This is the most common way of killing experimental lab mice. It is also recommended to household residents as a humane way of killing pest mice captured in nonlethal traps.

Intracardiac or intraperitoneal injection

When intravenous injection is not possible, euthanasia drugs such as pentobarbital can be injected directly into a heart chamber or body cavity. In Pharmacology and Toxicology, a route Pentobarbital is a short-acting Barbiturate that is available as both a Free acid and a Sodium salt, the former of which is only slightly soluble in water

While intraperitoneal injection is fully acceptable (although it may take up to 15 minutes in dogs and cats^[4]), an intracardiac (IC) injection may only be performed on an unconscious or deeply sedated animal. Intraperitoneal injection or IP injection is the injection of a substance into the Peritoneum (body cavity Intracardiac injections are injections which are given directly into the heart muscles or ventricles In California, IC injection on a fully conscious animal is a crime. ^[5]

Shooting

Often the most appropriate means of euthanasia for large animals (e. g. horses, cattle). This may be by means of:

Free bullet 

Traditionally used for shooting horses. The horse is shot in the forehead, with the bullet directed down the spine through the medulla oblongata, resulting in instant death^[6]. The medulla oblongata is the lower portion of the Brainstem. It deals with autonomic functions such as breathing and blood pressure The risks are minimal if carried out by skilled personnel in a suitable location.

Captive bolt 

Commonly used for cattle and other livestock. A captive bolt pistol (also variously known as a cattle gun, stunbolt gun, bolt gun, or stunner) is a device used for Stunning animals The bolt is fired through the forehead causing massive disruption of the cerebral cortex. The cerebral cortex is a structure within the Brain that plays a key role in Memory, Attention, perceptual Awareness, Thought, In cattle this merely stuns the animal, and death must be brought about by pithing or exsanguination. Pithing is a slaughtering technique in which the Brain of the animal is scrambled with a tool inserted through the hole in the skull created by captive bolt Exsanguination (also known colloquially as bleeding out) is the fatal process of total Hypovolemia (blood loss Horses are killed outright by the captive bolt, making pithing or exsanguination unnecessary^[7]).

Reasons for euthanasia

• Terminal illness - e. Terminal illness is a medical term popularized in the 20th century to describe an active and Malignant Disease that cannot be cured or adequately treated g. cancer
• Behavioral problems - e. g. aggression
• Illness or broken limbs that would cause suffering for the animal to live with, or when the owner has insufficient financial reserves to pay for (or a moral objection to) treatment. A moral is a message conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event
• Old age - Deterioration to loss of major bodily functions. Severe impairment of the quality of life.

Small animal euthanasia is typically performed in a veterinary clinic or hospital, or in an animal shelter, and is usually carried out by a veterinarian, or a veterinary technician working under the vet's supervision. A veterinarian ( American English) or a Veterinary surgeon ( British English) often shortened to vet, is a Physician A veterinary technician, (also called a vet tech, veterinary nurse or vet nurse) is a person trained and licensed to assist Veterinarians Often animal shelter workers are trained to do euthanasia as well. Some veterinarians will perform the euthanasia at the pet owner's home - this is virtually mandatory in the case of large animal euthanasia; except in the case of horse racing, where the injured animal is sometimes put down on the track.

Animal shelters

Main articles: Animal shelter and no-kill shelter

According to the American Humane Association, an estimated 9. An animal shelter is a facility that houses homeless lost or abandoned animals primarily a large variety of Dogs and Cats The animal is kept at the shelter A no-kill shelter is an Animal shelter where animals are only euthanized if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be suitable for adoption The American Humane Association is an organization founded in 1877 dedicated to the welfare of animals and children 6 million animals are euthanized in the United States every year. Out of 1,000 shelters responding to a survey, 2. 7 million of 4. 3 million animals or 64% were euthanized. 56% of dogs and 71% of cats that enter shelters were euthanized. 15% of dogs and 2% of cats were reunited with their owners; 25% of dogs and 24% of cats were adopted. The majority of these are euthanized at animal shelters, typically after a standard period of time (ranging from several days to several weeks for unclaimed stray animals).

"No kill" shelters exist, some run by private animal welfare organizations, while others are subsidized wholly or in part by local government agencies or private donations. A no-kill shelter is an Animal shelter where animals are only euthanized if they are too sick to be treated or too aggressive to be suitable for adoption These shelters make it official policy never to euthanize animals for non-medical reasons.

Remains

Many pet owners choose to have their pet cremated or buried after they are euthanized, ^[8] and there are even pet funeral homes that specialize in animal burial or cremation. A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and Funeral services for the deceased and their families ^[9]

Many animals euthanized at shelters or animal control agencies are sent to meat rendering facilities, ^[10] to be processed for use in cosmetics, fertilizer, gelatin, poultry feed, pharmaceuticals and pet food. An animal control officer may be an Employee of or a contractor to a Municipality, is charged with the responsibility of responding to calls for service Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Gelatin (also gelatine, from French gélatine) is a translucent colourless brittle nearly tasteless solid substance, extracted from the In Agriculture, fodder or animal feed is any Foodstuff that is used specifically to feed Domesticated Livestock, such as A drug, broadly speaking is any chemical substance that when absorbed into the body Pet food is typically sold in Pet stores and Supermarkets It is usually specific to the type of Pet (such as Dog food or Cat food) ^[11]

See also

• Animal chaplains
• Animal loss
• Animal welfare
• Rainbow Bridge (pets)

References

External links

• 2007 AVMA Guidelines on Euthanasia
• Euthanasia of Animals Used for Scientific Purposes at The University of Adelaide
• World Internet News WIN chronicles what happens to abandoned dogs. The University of Adelaide (colloquially Adelaide University or Adelaide Uni) is a Public university located in Adelaide, South Australia
• National Agricultural Library, United States Department of Agriculture
• No Kill Advocacy Center - "no kill" shelter advocacy organization
• Horse euthanasia information for the UK
• Recommendations for euthanasia of experimental animals: Part1 (lal.org.uk)
• Recommendations for euthanasia of experimental animals: Part2 (lal.org.uk)
• Pet Euthanasia Knowing when it's time for pet euthanasia.