Greetings FML friends, I have had to help some of my rescues to the bridge and I was lucky enough to have accidentally learned the very best way (in my opinion) to do it especially when the vet uses the shot in the heart but even an IV shot would still have to cause pain just because getting stuck with a needle hurts no matter who or what you happen to be! My first baby to need help crossing the bridge was Jack, a wonderful little old man who I rescued from a neglectful home...he and his sissy Jill had been forgotten about by the little girl I think must have been only 5 when momma bought these poor ferrets for her. As with many young children, this one lost interest after only 2 weeks and they spent the next 5-6 years in the small cage, never to see a play time again, until I came! Jack was terribly ill when I went and got him and Jill. I took them to the vet right away and learned Jill was fine but Jack had IBD, Insulinoma and adrenal disease. I was given meds and advice and Jack lived another 2.5 years before his little body could go no longer and he became paralyzed which terrified him. I felt so bad for him and thought if I could get him to go to sleep he wouldn't be afraid anymore so I took apart one of my prescription sleeping pills and mixed it with water to dissolve then mixed it with his turkey baby food and fed it to him. I thought it would be great if it would just send him to the bridge since that's where he needed to go but it didn't. He woke up about 8 hours later and was again terrified so I gave him another dose. Both times I talked to him and loved on him telling him all about the Rainbow Bridge and how he would get wings etc. while he again dozed off and was in such a deep sleep that he couldn't be woken. During this deep sleep this time I went ahead and took him to the vet who used the shot in the heart. I learned that there is convulsing and all kinds of things I never want to see again but I knew that he was asleep and as far as he knew, he had passed away earlier when he went to sleep in my arms with me kissing and loving on him talking sweetly to him in his ear. I think this is the best way to do it for their sake and it also relieves me from having to be there for that horrible heart stick/shot! I think this is the best way to do it and just wanted to share with everybody what I learned so if any of you agree with me and my theory, you could use my method of putting the sick baby to sleep before they have to get the shot that helps them over the bridge. I used Restaril but I think Valium would be even better and may be all that's needed but I can't get that from my doctor, only Restaril. Thank you for reading my thoughts on this uncomfortable subject and if you think I'm right about them not feeling any more pain because they're already in a deep sleep, and you can get something to give them or can get your vet to give you something in some baby food that you bring so you can feed it to your baby and do like I do with my terminally ill ferrets. It's just my thoughts on this. I just want to help end any more suffering of ferrets when it's time for them to cross the bridge if possible. I've told the vets I hired to do this for me what I've done and ask if they agreed with me and no one said I was wrong, in fact the last one told me that it was a good idea and said they will consider offering it as a service to future pet owners! This particular vet wouldn't let me be there when they gave the heart shot and I told them then what I'd done at that time and my baby wasn't quite asleep yet so I made them wait for my baby to fall asleep before I handed them off to get the shot. Micheal Forrest, Ferret Rescue and Adoption of South Texas www.ferretrescueandadoption.com [Posted in FML 7368]