Putting Animals to Sleep

[LibbyR]

I'm in the uk and my question is to anyone else in the uk who may know. Would a vet be willing to put my cat and dog to sleep without a reason? I have no one who would look after them for me when I'm gone. My dog particularly would struggle without me. My plan would be to have them put to sleep and then cremated so that they can be with me. They are aged 11 and 13 years but both could live for years yet, my old cat died at a few months shy of 20. I can't do any more years of living like this.

 

[Hvergelmir]

I'm in the uk and my question is to anyone else in the uk who may know. Would a vet be willing to put my cat and dog to sleep without a reason? I have no one who would look after them for me when I'm gone. My dog particularly would struggle without me. My plan would be to have them put to sleep and then cremated so that they can be with me. They are aged 11 and 13 years but both could live for years yet, my old cat died at a few months shy of 20. I can't do any more years of living like this.

I'm not from the UK, but I'd assume our countries are similar in this regard.
A vet who cares about animals is likely to prefer other solutions, and may refuse. There are definitely vets who don't care, though. There are also hunters who can do this.

I'd very much like to encourage you to put them up for adoption, though. While you could argue that death is merciful, that line of thought can justify killing just about anyone who cares about you. At least give them a chance at a happy life.

 

[Ash]

If you have a good relationship with your vet, I'd discuss it with them. Not in terms of planning a suicide but, for example, a big move or something to a job with a lot of traveling, that you think that at their age you they wouldn't be able to cope with. Just to test the waters. It's something I've considered with my young dog, but she has behavioural and anxiety problems and I genuinely don't think she would cope in an adoption centre. It *is* a difficult and extremely emotive subject but sometimes our pets are best off never having to deal with the grief and anxiety of that parting. Obviously you know them better than anyone else but you need to be able to make an objective decision before you start approaching any vets. (And don't get bogged down in anyone else's emotions about animals that they've never met and presumably aren't offering to rehome.)

 

[ramon]

Sure I can tell you to contact local authorities or any animal protection NGO to let them take care of your furry friends, and I'm pretty sure you'll tell me they run the risk of being abused by staff or being given in adoption to potencially abusive new owners.

In any case, I would insist on doing a REALLY thorough search on the quality of the procedures of the institutions I already mentioned. Should you find out their standards are good enough for your 4-legged buddies, then it seems you found a solution to your challenge.

On the other hand, if giving them to those institutions is simply not an option, then is it worthwhile for you to wait (several years) for your cat and dog to pass away naturally, then CTB?

I apologize if my opinion is useless. Just trying to give you ideas.

 

[Myforevercharlie]

I don't think a vet is allowed to put a healthy animal to sleep.

I'm actually glad about that. Please try to get them adopted..

Just checked Google, it says that nearly no vet will because of ethical reasons.

 

[SilentSadness]

I understand you are suffering but that is very cruel, I don't think anyone responsible for an animal should have them killed so they can ctb alone. I also have such a situation and won't do that. You should definitely make sure they are cared for until they die, please.

 

[ThisIsMe1357]

I think putting an animal to sleep without a genuinely good reason would go against the Hippocratic oath, which, if I remember correctly, veterinarians also have to undertake.

If an owner cannot take care of their animal, the animal would likely end up in a shelter after a discussion with a vet. And that is the best solution in a situation where you are not able to take care of your pet, is it not?

 

[dimgobaith]

They have done for me where I explained to horses wouldn't cope well with being rehomed and it was in the best interests of their welfare. Shelters and rescues are crammed in the UK at the moment and for especially older animals they aren't always able to find space. Or some accept then pts themselves

 

[benjamind2020]

I'd kill myself with a hot rusty knife before I'd ever do that to my little dachshunds. There's just no way I'd be able to cope with doing that. I'd probably set myself on fire and reduce myself to a charred husk if I ever did something as atrocious as that, the guilt would make me truly psychotic and with my existing problems I'd just see it is an excuse to inflict even more serious and more painful harm to myself. But this time it would be something involving fire or something that would cause intense excruciating pain. Maybe I would tie a few bricks to my head and put my face into a bull ant nest, judging by how painful their stings are, that would be a good way to die too since their venom is super toxic.

Much better to just rehome them, find someone who cares about them, and will look after them. The problem is, because of what happened to those dogs up in the NT where they were tortured and mutilated then killed, I feel a terrible sense of dread as to what will happen to them. I'd want them to go to someone who I trust will not hurt them. I have a breeder's contact who knows people who want dachshunds and would take them if I ever had to do the final deed.

But because the doctor plainly refuses to treat my problem with blood thinners, you know, the most likely cause of all this sudden shit that leaves permanent damage every time a major episode happens, microclots yeah can't be anything else and yes, I'll kill myself if it happens again, if it EVER happens again. That's a serious threat mind you, there is no joking here, this is as real as it gets. I'd love it if a MACROclot would just lodge itself in my brainstem or one of the posterior arteries in my heart and just trigger a cardiac arrest. Then I wouldn't have to kill myself. A MACROclot would take care of that for me. F*** these silly microclots, they don't kill you they just f*** you up. Slowly.

 

[lament.]

This might not be the response you are looking for but as someone who knows multiple people with adopted pets, as in they had previous owners who passed away or gave them up to adoption because they couldn't care for them anymore, I know for a fact that pets that do get adopted can end up adjusting really well and live fruitful lives with new loving owners. Yes, there is the risk that they don't end up getting adopted and end up living the rest of their lives in a shelter, however I honestly believe that is a greater kindness than ending their lives prematurely, as unlike humans they have no way of telling you if they "want to go with you".

 

[2messdup]

I'm in the uk and my question is to anyone else in the uk who may know. Would a vet be willing to put my cat and dog to sleep without a reason? I have no one who would look after them for me when I'm gone. My dog particularly would struggle without me. My plan would be to have them put to sleep and then cremated so that they can be with me. They are aged 11 and 13 years but both could live for years yet, my old cat died at a few months shy of 20. I can't do any more years of living like this.

UK ex-vet here. A vet is allowed to do this but most would refuse because for most vets the welfare of animals, before people, is their priority. There would have to be a solid reason that an animal would otherwise suffer, and no alternative (apart from dangerous dogs) for almost all vets to put an animal to sleep. And as vets we have seen so many elderly animals successfully adopted into a new loving homes, that we would never rule it out just because you think it might not work. Think about what you are saying - that your pets could have many years left. You shouldn't take those years from them, sorry. I'm afraid my view is that you must try to re-home them to a loving home, or delay your ctb until they are gone.