>From:    "S. Jones" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: pellet gun euthanasia
>I once had to have a rat euthanized by the vet (and I was extremely fond of
>this rat!).  The vet, however, refused to let me see or hold him during the
>process, as they inject him in the stomach with an extremely large needle.
>Vet had previously found this was too distressing to the animal's owners.
 
Perhaps you need to find a new vet then.  Animals can be heavily
tranquilized first, without a huge needle, and then the "final" injection
is painless and quick.  Ferrets are often euthanized by injection directly
into the heart.  Been there, done that, and it's very difficult to watch
that happen to MY ferret, but they don't even know.  It beats putting a
pellet gun behind the ear and pulling the trigger.
 
>If the ferret must be put down, the swiftness of a pellet gun (a ferret
>wouldn't even know what the object was!), versus a large painful needle
 
As a member of the male sex, I've had a number of pellet guns in my youth.
I do not believe it would be swift, and therein lies the problem.  Is the
gun strong enough?  Is the user experienced enough to hit the right spot.
Will it miss that spot and just severly injure the ferret, leaving it
screaming in excruciating pain instead of dead?  No thank you.
 
Why are we even talking about this.  It's making me ill.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club & Rescue
* A 501(c)3 not-for-profit corporation
*
* Visit our shelter's web site:  http://www.miamiferret.org
* Visit the Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/FHC
[Posted in FML issue 2572]