Animal euthanasia is widely used on the stray animals. Approximately 6 to 8 million animals are handled by animal shelters each year. Even though some are reclaimed or adopted, nearly 4 million unwanted dogs and cats are left with nowhere to go. Animal shelters cannot humanely house and support all these animals until their natural deaths. They would be forced to live in cramped cages or kennels for years, lonely and stressed, and other animals would have to be turned away because there would be no room for them.
The animal euthanasia process
Euthanasia is the act of producing a death in an animal. In order to produce a death, the techniques employed should result in rapid unconsciousness followed by cardiac or respiratory arrest. Also, the technique should minimize any stress and anxiety experienced by the animal prior to unconsciousness.
If the animal appears anxious or distressed when presented for euthanasia, most veterinarians will administer a tranquilizer or sedative prior to the actual euthanasia injection. This ensures that the animal is restful and peaceful prior to the euthanasia.
Most veterinarians use an injectable drug, most commonly pentobarbital, which is given in a vein. This barbiturate depresses the central nervous system beginning with the cerebral cortex, the part of the brain that determines awareness. The animal will lapse into unconsciousness, and then progress to anesthesia. With an overdose of pentobarbital, deep anesthesia is followed by the stopping of breathing and then by cardiac arrest.
