W.w.n.d???

[Running Mommy]

We have a very sweet aging great dane named Abby. She's starting to slow down, and I know there are defintely fewer days ahead of her. I just dread the day that I have to put her down. But even worse, I worry that she will die here at home and I'll have to deal with a 110 lb dead dog..
And knowing my luck Tony will be out of town! This happened to my MIL, so it's always in the back of my mind. I mean who do you call??

[Geonz]

Animal control, I suppose... or the ASPCA...
I have a history of being part of handling the final days and moments of prob'ly half a dozen of my friend's cats ... but they say they rely on my Vulcan tendencies ;-)

[Nanci]

My kid's horse died when we dropped her off at a friend's house to be babysat the day before we were leaving for vacation in Mexico. So, here's this 1000 pound horse, way, way out in a pasture, in deep snow. We had to build a sled, roll her onto a tarp, roll the tarp onto the sled, hitch to pregnant mares to the sled (Worried about too much exertion causing miscarriage!!) (But, of course, they were the only two that could drive) help them pull the sled/body, I don't know, a quarter mile through two-three feet of snow, stopping to dig out the front of the sled countless times. Then, leave dead horse by the side of the road, covered with a tarp, for the six days it took the renderer to get there. Luckily she stayed frozen...Decide if we should tell Kelly before the trip, and ruin it, or not tell her and her not be able to say goodbye to Jenny- we voted for tell her. (She really milked it, too, on vacation- told _everyone she came in contact with!) That friend, coincidentally, has always had Danes, and they've always just been buried at her house. But that was on a farm.

Oh, nice- while my same friend was on vacation, a mutual friend of ours, a teenager, was babysitting the farm, and the current Dane bloated- stomach twisted on itself, expensive surgery is the only fix. So babysitter calls me frantically from the vet's car- vet has come to the house, diagnosed the bloat, put the dog in the car with an IV running so they don't lose a second while babysitter tries to reach owner for permission to operate. Can't reach her. Estimate is something like $1200. This is not a rich person- she doesn't even work outside the home- depends on husband's salary. I told the vet to go ahead- luckily, I was positive that's what my friend would have wanted, and I was right. Dane made it through fine.

[Dianyla]

Hey, while we're on the subject of humane dispatching of animals, I have a question for Nanci.

Is it a freezer a humane way to put a bird down? My mom always did this to her canaries when they were too far gone, she'd wrap them in a soft fluffy towel, say goodbye, and tuck them into the freezer. She said they just went to sleep.

[Nanci]

No. I can find out the preferred way if you really want to know. I want to say it involves snapping the head off at the neck, but am not positive.

I've heard freezing is an approved method for aquarium fish, though.

Nanci

[Running Mommy]

Danes and bloat.. yeah... That can be a real problem, and an expensive one. They also tend towards hip problems, but luckily our girl seems pretty healthy. The worst thing she has had is tick fever, but I found it early and got her off to the vet. Thats one thing about being so close to your animals, you just 'know' when somethings not right.
WOW- this thread really has taken on a life of it's own, huh?? Or should I say death.. eee gads!

[Dianyla]

No. I can find out the preferred way if you really want to know. I want to say it involves snapping the head off at the neck, but am not positive.

I've heard freezing is an approved method for aquarium fish, though.

I'd be interested to know, if you do find out.

[Nanci]

Ok, the concensus is there is no approved method of home euthanasia. There is a method called cervical dislocation, but if it goes wrong, and it does, the results are horrible.

Nanci