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Best way to PTS (Put to Sleep?) Help!!

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Sherrilynn770

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I have a guinea named Lyla with a golfball sized lump from top if ear around right side of body,she may have to be PTS; I am keeping her comfy, saw vet twice, no operation, as she is too old (7) and the placement of tumor is around viens artieries that go to the brain/and heart, she wouldn't survive the surgery, said my vet.

I have had several BAD experiences with PTS.
Below are examples/My experiences w/ PTS:

1- Petinia was ill, and they used a gas, she struggeled in a mask made for a dog, very scary, I was very upset, as I wanted her to just fall asleep..but she struggled...I mad ethe vet turn up gas as it seemed to take to long.

2-Mr. Sugar's had leg/bone cancer. They had to give him 2 shots of paryaltic, and the vet said he may feel "HOT":-(... well he sqeeked, and it did nothing, but he didn't like.../ and they had to give more ( i am hysterical thinking he is in pain/uncomfortable)...finally he was still, but still awake when they took him back, the vet said they injected into his heart to make it stop, later i found this is supposed to be very painful, I was soooooooooooooo mad/upset as he deserved better,he was such a good boy!

3-THE PROBLEM:: ---Now I have my Lyla, with her lump which is unoperatable,(due to age, she's 7 & placement of tumor) ...I am wondering if I should just PTS when she can't eat anymore? She stopped eating last nite and I have her on Critical Care and 1/2 baby asprin for inflammation.
-Vet said no pain meds/like morphine to keep comfy...her spine and face are all pushed to the right side b/cause of size of tumor too...

QUESTION: >>>>> >if i HAVE to PTS, what is the best and most humane way!? HELP!!!

Please send Lyla comfy vibes as i worry about pain, I don't mind feeding her at all, its the potientail pain that i can't stand to think of!...HOW CAN I TELL IF SHE'S IN PAIN?

We don't know what caused this tumor, though the vet did take a test and said "Its NOT Cancer" this makes me think tooth abcess! OUCH!, Can you imagine the pain?

She doesn't squeel on picking- up, but flinches if I touch the area, and its a HOT to touch...what should i do? I need adivce on PTS, OR advice from people who have experince w/ NOT PTS? Which is best?---Any comfort measures you guys can think of? Please, For my beautiful & innocent Lyla who has shared her whole life w/ me. --Sherrilynn770.
 
Sorry to hear about your piggy.

The generally accepted way to put to sleep is to gas first so they are sleeping, then to inject in the heart. If we have a piggy here who is in pain and dying, then I would take it to be put to sleep.

If they are passing away peacefully and don't appear to be in pain then I keep them warm and comfortable until they pass, usually in my arms.

Sometimes you need to make that decision for your piggy, but a good vet will tell you exactly what will happen, check they will gas them first.

Thinking of you

Sophie
 
So sorry to hear this very sad news .I have had three piggies put to sleep, Nouget was having an op to remove a tumour but it was too entangled around her vital organs so they increased the anesthetic and she went peacefully. Sherbet was suffering from bladder cancer. She was on metacam which didn't improve the pain situation, she was then put onto 'vetagesic' this also didn't improve the pain and it also made her 'spaced-out' not a nice thing to see and I would imagine not a nice experience for Sherbet. After discussions with the vet it was decided the kindest thing was to pts. Me wanting the best for her held her in my arms while she was 'gassed' before having the final injection. She did actually struggle- apparently the gas doesnt smell very nice. The vet did use the correct size mask for her. Lily was pts due to old age problems the vet recommeded that she was 'gassed' first to sedate her then be given the final injection but this time rather than being held she was placed in a large plastic box rather like a child's toy box with the gas pipe being fed through and the gas being delivered that way. That was the most preferable way (out of the 2 ways) for me for a piggie being put to sleep. She just drifted off to sleep and was calm and didn't know anything as the injection was being delivered. I stayed with both of them while the final injection was being given- a very emotional time but felt I owed it to the girls to be there no matter how upsetting it was but because of the vets understanding a very difficult situation was made a little more bearable. Hugs to you and Lyla during this very difficult time. x
 
The best and most humane way of pts is to place the piggie into a gas chamber and gas them with aneasthetic which sends them to sleep. A lethal dose of barbiturate is then injected to either the heart/kidneys/liver. This is painless as the piggie should be asleep by then and will simply pass peacefully away.

I'm so sorry to hear about ** little girl. Good luck. Bless her little heart.

xx.
 
Thank-You Abi Nurse and Sophie for your suggestions and prayers! (Your thoughts are so appreciated!)--Here in the States, vets don't use the CO2 chamber, but you weren't meaning that were you? (the co2 adminstated the same way in air tight box?)

...and I haven't found a vet yet that uses a chamber with a feed for the regular (people like anesthsia?)>>gas inside a box; that's what you meant right?

I think that would be the best way,then i could be assured that Lyla will be asleep!/unlike my Mr. Sugar's,bless his heart, he was so good!) and your advice about using the gas that rather than trying to hold is probably best...(I wish they'd make a mask piggie size!--but so far , no.)

***I also wish I had had this info for Mr. Sugar's who got the paralytic, I think it was cruel but she assured me, still...I would never use her again, it was uncomfortable for him, & she wouldn't let me inside the room where they gave the letahl dose and he wasn't asleep when he left my arms! --I was absoutly unconsolable for weeks, I knew he knew and wasn't ready for what he got...I looked online after and found no comfort there, because I realized too late that they should be asleep before the final shot...& Have you heard of pigs w/ bone cancer, I herad it is rare, that's why i had to PTS, but i know he's in piggie heaven, and we will meet again.

---I have lost several from these aggresive & fast growing tumors!, I wonder if they have had too much fat in diet?, i give fresh vegtables everyday, tomates, carrots, spinach, kale, and Collard greens and >>parsely...

& ...I learned yesterday (here) that parsely wasn't good? do you know why? I hope that isn't it, but I'd like to know?...I have fed parsely for years!

...Hope 1 of you can get back on that, WHAT CAUSES THE FATTY TUMOR?/ & whats up w/ the parsely?...& thank-You again too all who replied, you guys are a great bunch of people!, I cannot believe I have found so many >>adults that love piggies too! --sherrilynn770.
 
Midge&Panda said:
So sorry to hear this very sad news .I have had three piggies put to sleep, Nouget was having an op to remove a tumour but it was too entangled around her vital organs so they increased the anesthetic and she went peacefully. Sherbet was suffering from bladder cancer. She was on metacam which didn't improve the pain situation, she was then put onto 'vetagesic' this also didn't improve the pain and it also made her 'spaced-out' not a nice thing to see and I would imagine not a nice experience for Sherbet. After discussions with the vet it was decided the kindest thing was to pts. Me wanting the best for her held her in my arms while she was 'gassed' before having the final injection. She did actually struggle- apparently the gas doesnt smell very nice. The vet did use the correct size mask for her. Lily was pts due to old age problems the vet recommeded that she was 'gassed' first to sedate her then be given the final injection but this time rather than being held she was placed in a large plastic box rather like a child's toy box with the gas pipe being fed through and the gas being delivered that way. That was the most preferable way (out of the 2 ways) for me for a piggie being put to sleep. She just drifted off to sleep and was calm and didn't know anything as the injection was being delivered. I stayed with both of them while the final injection was being given- a very emotional time but felt I owed it to the girls to be there no matter how upsetting it was but because of the vets understanding a very difficult situation was made a little more bearable. Hugs to you and Lyla during this very difficult time. x
Click to expand...

Thanks to you too for advice and story, it all helps.-sherrilynn770
 
Parsley isn't bad it's just high in calcium and should be fed as a treat, as a high calcuim diet can cause stones.
 
I haven't yet faced having a piggie put to sleep, but did have to have two hedgehogs put to sleep, and they are similar in size to a guinea pig. With one, the vet put a small-animal sized mask over her face to anesthetize her... the vet said she might struggle a bit as the gas smells strange, but she really didn't. Once she was anasthetized, the vet gave her an injection to the heart/lungs... I picked her up and held her and everything was over very quickly. With my second hedgehog, the vet actually gave him an overdose of some kind of oral anasthesia. Apparently it tastes sweet... he lapped it up and was asleep within ten seconds, though it took longer for him to actually pass (maybe about five minutes or so... the vet checked his heart a few times before he was gone.)

((HUGS)) and I'm sorry you're going through this... losing a pet is always hard and having to make the choice to PTS is really hard.
 
Just to add... I'm in Canada, and a lot of vets here use the 'gas box' for inhaled anasthesia for small animals... not just for euthanasia, but for inhaled anasthesia for operations under general anasthesia. If you find a vet who routinely does surgery on small animals they will very likely have this set up... according to our exotics vet it's the safest way to anesthetize small animals for surgery. You can always call and ask if you want to avoid the mask over the face. HTH a bit... and again, so sorry you are going through this.
 
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