“When humans are taken off of respirators they still die when their hearts naturally stop, their hearts are not stopped with an injection.”

1. It’s not always a respirator that is sustaining them and their death certainly isn’t always as simple as the stoppage of their heart.

2. There is no significant difference between stopping someone’s heart with an injection and stopping someone’s heart by disconnecting their life support.
In both cases a second individual is carrying out an action that is directly stopping the heart of the being and directly killing them.
We could have a discussion about whether or not the particular euthanasia injections currently given to most animals likely cause more pain and suffering than a particular person being removed from a respirator, or a discussion about whether or not it’s more morally right to end the life of a person in a long-term coma or the life of a dog who’s had half of her body severed by a vehicle … but those would be separate, more specific, discussions.

@nomeatnodairynoproblem and thanks for the info on the method itself.

@foxiefox I can understand if the animal is literally at death’s door but if it can live out it’s last days and go when it’s ready then why not? @nomeatnodairynoproblem When humans are taken off of respirators they still die when their hearts naturally stop, their hearts are not stopped with an injection.

i am planning on becoming a vet, and although i respect where your views come from, it just does not work tht way. we cant always help them and we dont always even know what is going on. when they are beyond help, it can be better to let them go instead of lengthen their suffering.
if you dont want to euthanize, dont be a vet.
being a vet just isnt cuddling with puppies. its giving the animals what is best for them. and what is right.

If you dont want to Euthinize animals then dont become a vet, What are you going to do if a dog comes in whos been run over and its Spine is smashed beyond repair are you going to say OHH sorry I know hes in alot of pain but its aginst my beliefs to Euthinize a animal. How utterly Selfish of you

peacelovepie and nomeatnodairynoproblem are right. It’s sometimes a hard thing to do, but sometimes it is the only humane option you have left. Euthanasia is a quick death which is more humane than many other methods.

@DefenderofAnimals I’m pretty certain that’s part of the job. You will also have to handle sick and dying patients, but sometimes you will get to help them instead. It is a serious trade-off, but you have to make it.

Humans are euthanized in certain situations. We call it pulling the plug.
Many other humans wish to be euthanized (see: Jack Kevorkian) but some small-minded people stand in the way.

There are many situations in which euthanasia becomes the best option for an animal.
For example: A life-saving procedure is required but the technology isn’t available to perform the procedure, or there is no doctor willing or able to perform the procedure (possibly because no one is willing to fund the procedure).
In this case, you can either keep the animal anesthetized until she dies or you can euthanize her.
Sometimes no one is willing to pay for the large amount of anesthetic needed to keep the animal free of pain until she dies, or no doctor is willing to provide/administer the amount needed, leaving you with a choice between euthanasia or a slow, painful, horrible death.

The real question is not whether or not euthanasia is sometimes the right thing to do, but rather whether or not the current methods of euthanasia are the best methods.
The claim is that the most popular current method (pentobarbital/sodium thiopental injection) is peaceful and painless but I’ve seen no good evidence to support this.
The claim appears to be primarily based on the fact that the animal’s body quickly goes limp after injection but this says nothing about what’s going on in the animal’s brain after injection.
Also, there have been animals that have come back to life hours after being euthanized (even after their bodies have already been discarded in the trash).
Obviously some serious re-evaluation of the injection method needs to take place.

yes but notice how when humans are euthanized, it’s to punish them but when animals are euthanized it all of a sudden becomes “the right thing to do”.

Humans are “euthanized” when they get the death penalty, which is way more humane than other methods used or are in use.

As a vet tech you most likely would never have to euthanize an animal (though you might have to be there to keep the animal calm, ect.) esp. if you explained that would wished not to do so, however as a vet I believe it is part of the job to be able to euthanize animals.

I wanted to know if it is required to euthanize animals in vet school. I am getting different answers when searching this online. Also, I wanted to know if there has ever been a vet who doesn’t euthanize animals, even if they worked with another vet who would euthanize. Just questions, so please no arguments about how “humane euthanasia is”. Because if it was a fact that euthanasia is the “right” thing to do, than why can’t we do it on humans?
Thanks