I need to put my dog to sleep, and would prefer he die at home. Will sleeping pills work without causing trama

Question

We fed him Beneful Dog Food and he first lost the use of his back legs, and was getting better on steroids, but the steroids caused other problems, and now he has a skin infection that would be treated with MORE steroids. He is 12 years old, my "only child" and I cannot describe my pain. I don't want his and my last memories together be of me dragging him into the vets office AGAIN. We have spent almost $1000 in vet bills since he became ill. DO NOT FEED YOUR DOG BENEFUL because Purina is NOT taking responsibility for this. Read about it at www.snopes.com.

Answer 1

Do NOT give your dog sleeping pills. If you want him to die at home, make him comfortable and wait for it to happen, if you want him put down, take him to the vet, bring his body home and put him in the ground at home or make arrangements to have him cremated and then scatter his ashes at your home.

Answer 2

No! Animal drugs are very different to human drugs! You would more than likey cause the dog a great deal of distress and not kill it. Bite the financial bullet and get a vet to come do it, you will forever torture youself by botching an attempted home euthanaesia.

Every animal I have had euthanaesed, I have taken to the vet and cuddled while talking in positive tones, telling them how much I love them and just how special they are to me while the needle is administered, euthanaesia is stunningly quick when done right. The vet is a friend in a time like this and you will be able to talk about all the wonderful times you and your pet have had together. Please don't do a thing you will forever regret.

Answer 3

Do not give your pet sleeping pills, they will only make him sick.

Vets are very good at helping animals pass in the most peaceful way possible. They can come to your home to do this. It is common for people to want their pets to die at home.

The actual injection given for euthanasia is quick, peaceful and does not sting. It is an anaesthetic overdose which is injected directly into the vein, so the animal just literally falls asleep. If your dog is particularly agitated before the event, the vet can sedate him first - a quick injection into the muscle will send him right to sleep within ten minutes.

I have attended many home euthanasias, and can honestly say they are the most pleasant way for animals to go. Vets are well trained to make this moment as painless and peaceful for an animal as possible - it cannot be replicated with home medicines.

Love to you and your dog,
Chalice

Answer 4

Sorry to hear about your dog but i don't think it has to do with Beneful.
http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/beneful.asp
You're on an Urban Legend site. Also don't give him any pills. I'm sure the others who have answer your questions have given you enough reasons not to do it. Steriods is not the answer to all dog problems - bring your "only child" to another vet and try to fight for his life. I understand it might cost a pretty penny but the love your dog has given you these past 12 years is worth every dollar.

Answer 5

Was Beneful the cause for this problem? I would not give my dog sleeping pills. I just recently had to have two of my dogs put to sleep. It was one of the hardest things I had to Ever do!! They were just like my children. I could not stand to see them suffer. I could not trust myself to try and put them to sleep. I would be so worried that they were not dead yet before I buried it. I even had that problem when I knew the doctor was doing it. I would dream that my dog was alive and was in the ground! (I know weird!) The Vet will give you a place where you can say your good-bye. I cried and cried but I know I did the right thing. I am crying as I am writting this note. The hurt is always there. Please let the Vet. do it!!
Good Luck!
P.S. I am so sorry!!!

Answer 6

I am so sorry to hear your story. It is gut-wrenching to hear all the stories of cat and dog suffering, because of careless human error. I can't even imagine the pain you must be feeling right now. These poor animals that are suffering needlessly.

I can understand why you wouldn't want to go into the vet's office to have him euthanized. That is one of the hardest decisions to have to make. See if your vet will come out to your house, or call around and see if you can find a vet who will. Please do not try to take matters into your own hands. If you miscalculate, he could end up suffering more. My heart goes out to you. May you find strength to do what you need to do. Hopefully knowing that there are people out there that do care about what you and your baby are going through, will be of some comfort to you. God Bless, and good luck.

Answer 7

If you're comfortable with the idea of having a vet euthanize but would prefer it happen in your home, there are vets that will gladly do this service. You might have to call around, but I'm sure there are many kind people in your local clinic(s) that can come out and perform the procedure. Check out the link for detailed answers to some questions you might have. Hope it all turns out OK.

Answer 8

I'm very sorry to hear about you dog as well. I also had a dog recently die, due to what I believe was her also having eaten Beneful. Despite the fact that Snopes IS an urban legends website, the status on the Beneful item is an "Undetermined"... and I honestly believe there is something wrong with Beneful dog food, being that my dog died completely out of the blue at the end of January. (Note: I personally feel there is a considerable amount of evidence to support the theory that her death was NOT some random fluke, part of it being that I hadn't been suspicious about my dog's death until I came across the Snopes article and discovered that she had exhibited the exact same symptoms as those 2 dogs who died in Texas.) Lately, I've been anxiously waiting for either the FDA or Purina to recall the food, because I believe that there is enough evidence out there to justify the food being pulled (nevertheless, it's apparently incredibly unhealthy for dogs, anyway, although that in itself wouldn't warrant a recall). So a lot of what I've been doing to keep myself sane is to try and tell people on Yahoo! Answers about Beneful. Because I do not want more dogs to die.

Anyway, on the subject of euthanasia, it is probably not a good idea to attempt to put your dog to sleep yourself, in my very unexpert opinion (though I'm pretty many people would agree with me on that one). I did look up information on in home euthanasia, and there is this one article on it if you do consider doing it. Here is the information:

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IN HOME EUTHANASIA

All pet owners want their pet's last moments to be as comfortable as possible and as stress free for themselves and their pet as the situation can be. The natural question is "Can the veterinarian come to our home to administer the euthanasia solution?" The answer is Yes. However, there are a number of things for you to consider.

First: What will you do with your pet after euthanasia?
Second: Will your pet require restraint so that the needle can be carefully placed into a vein? In the animal hospital, the staff is trained in gentle restraint procedures which allows for proper administration of the euthanasia solution.
Third: The veterinarian will most likely have to schedule the home visit after regular office hours. Are you willing to pay for an after-hours in-home visit?
Fourth: Do you understand that often, as the pet is euthanized, there will be an emptying of the bowels and bladder? In an animal hospital setting this is not a problem.
Fifth: Understand that in the animal hospital most animals are willing to accept that they are not in their own territory and they become less defensive than they would be in their own home. This realization by the pet actually allows for easier handling of the pet in the hospital than the same handling as taking place in the pet's home.
Sixth: Are you willing to have your pet sedated prior to attempts to place the needle for euthanasia? Sometimes the process goes much more smoothly if sedation is given prior to the visit. Sedation is a good topic to discuss with your veterinarian to lessen any stress on your pet prior to an in-hospital or in-home procedure.

There are veterinarians who have made it a policy never to euthanize a pet outside of the animal hospital setting. They have some very good reasons for this policy. However, if you must have your pet euthanized at home, don't be reluctant to make some phone calls and you will be able to find a veterinarian who will accommodate your wishes.
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Again, I'm really sorry to hear about your dog... there are really no words that can assuage this type of thing, especially in cases where a pet died unnecessarily. I wish you the best of luck, and if you do put your dog to sleep, just know he'll have another doggie friend who is already up there to frolic around with.

Answer 9

Call your vet and tell them what you want. In my area, there are vets that will come to the home to do this. I would not try to do it yourself without a vets recomendation. I'm very sorry that you are going through this. I know what it's like to loose a pet. They are part of the family and thier loss is very real.

Answer 10

We had to put our border collie to sleep last year.Our vet came to our home and we were sitting on a blanket in the grass.Casey actually got up wagging his tail greeting the vet.
the vet gave him something to relax,i was holding and talking to him ,trying not to cry,he gave him the drug and he went very peacefully.The vet gave us some time with him and carried him away on his blanket,we had him creamented and scattered his ashes to places he loved.The rest of his ashes are under my bed.Please have the vet come to your house.
I rescued 2 more dogs in his honor,we now have 3.
I feel very bad for you but in time the pain lessens.
God bless you.