How Do Vets Put Down A Gerbil?
Friday, October 30th, 2009 at
10:26 pm
At the risk of getting all the joke answers, I really need to know.. I am sure they don’t start an IV on a gerbil.. Do they give it a shot or just put gas on it’s nose until the end or what? We are going to have to put down our first pet due to a tumor and don’t know what to expect.
Any help would be appreciated.
Tagged with: Down • Gerbil • Vets
Filed under: Other Pocket Pets
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They Gas it.
It varies greatly from place to place, so the only way to know for sure is to call your vet, while I’ve never had a gerbil put down, I’ve had a few rats euthenized. My vet will anaesthetize the animal first using gas (using a mask) and once the animal is unconscious they will make an injection directly into the animal’s heart.
However, as I said, it varies from vet to vet. Some vets will just use the gas–and some vets will not let you stay with your pet when they are gassed due to health concerns. Some vets will not anaesthetize the animal before injecting it into the heart–which is difficult to watch and obviously painful for the animal.
The “unpleasantness” really depends on the health of the animal. If your gerbil is extraordinarily ill, and unable to really move or react–the process is usually very peaceful. Sometimes there are some tremors, but it usually isn’t anything too disturbing. However if it is still able too, it can and will put up a fight, especially when they first smell the gas. It may be disturbing for a child to see his pet “fighting for its life”…
They most likely will put it to sleep with a shot, like they do dogs and cats.
I don’t know about letting the six year old watch…you should ask him/her if they want to see your pet pass away. But if they think they can handle it, I would let them.
Commonly gerbils and other small pets are gassed. But they may be given an injection. It’s quick and painless either way, it just depends on the vet and what they think is best. But be assured your pet will feel no pain and it will happen fast.
Most likely by CO2. The gerbil would be put in a glass tank that would the be filled about half way with CO2 and would fall unconscious and then die. Quick and painless.
It depends on the facility, but in the shelter I work at anything that needs to be put down is given an injection.
gas mask
Ok, with little animals like gerbils, hamsters, rats and things like that, they usually do a needle straight to the heart since their veins are too small. That’s extremely painful. You have to ask in most cases for them to put them under anesthesia and then inject them so there is no pain. This is the way one of my dear rats had to be put to sleep. As for letting your child being there, there shouldn’t be any convulsing or anything like that. There wasn’t with my rat. It was rather peaceful. Maybe you should explain to your child what would happen before hand and then give them the choice. I was 17 when my rat was put to sleep and I was in the room and it really tore me up inside. I don’t know if I would recommend him/her being there. But its your choice.
I really hope everything goes well.
I just dealt with having my daughter’s hamster put down 2 days ago. They asked me if I wanted it done in the exam room or out back. I opted for out back. They give them an injection in the stomach and there can sometimes be a few seizures or tremors. My 14 year old didn’t even wanna be there..she went out with friends to try and keep her mind on other things. It’s really an individual decision on how mature your child is and if he/she can deal with it.
I say just kill the dam thing…it is too expensive to do all that if he has a tumor….
there is a financial hardship goin on right now so please save your $$$
With a shovel out back.