Vet didn't allow me to be present for chicken euthanasia. Valid or cause for complaint?

[Chickeria]

Awful bedside manner!! So sorry that happened to you.

Thank you. Posting this, I didn't think anyone would understand why I was so upset to let her go. I imagined people thinking "it's just a chicken." It's quite validating to hear people say things like this, and it definitely makes it a little bit easier.

Anyway, I've attached a photo of her when I got her, and the most recent photo of her stealing my drink. She has been a pleasure to own. She was part of my first ever group of chickens and I will always remember her as the one that inspired me to do this forever.

Thank you everyone for your lovely replies. I'm not going to complain, the vet thought she was doing the right thing. I just won't let it happen again.

What a sweetie How wonderful that you gave her such a loving and caring home where she could enjoy being outside in the sun on soil and grass, under trees, loved and treated as a 'pet chicken' after her time in the battery That is what matters most - that she did have this wonderful time with you and because of you. Nothing can take this wonderful experience away - even not the way you two had to say goodbye to each other

 

[Isabel Allen]

"the anaesthetic is dangerous" sounds like a bald face lie. Vets should put them under with gas or an anesthetic injection and then inject the euthanol, but not all do it that way. I know with small animals (pet rats etc...) vets that don't have small anesthetic chambers will give a direct heart shot which is very traumatic.

I don't think you have any grounds for a complaint because you could have simply refused and retrieved your bird. No veterinarian can hold an animal against the owners will (unless there is an outstanding bill). I once had to demand they hand a dog over after a spay and the tech got really pissy (the clinic did not have staff there at night and she would have been better off at home). They may not like it but they don't have a choice. The same applies to human hospitals.

I knew I could refuse, but I was not in a position to ethically refuse. My chicken needed euthanasia, and the vet used her position as a professional - whose status inherently invokes trust, much like a doctor - to influence my decision. I wasn't given a choice where I should have had one. I asked for a service which is allowed by the vet practice (stated on their website), and she declined saying it was not possible. She mentioned nothing about her professional opinion, or anything distressing. She used the word "dangerous" where it was incorrect. Informed consent is a pillar of medical ethics. I think even literally - they have the four pillars of medical ethics. She left out a vital piece of information that completely changed my decision. My consent was uninformed, therefore it was not consent. I think that the fact I could have revoked my consent is irrelevant, given that she lied. It's like a doctor saying to you that if you leave the hospital now, you will die. You won't die, but it's not medically advisable to leave in your current condition. Therefore the consent is uninformed, and the doctor has abused his position of trust to lie to a patient in order to influence their decision. As the patient, you could have left but you thought you'd die if you did. You would not have died. See where I'm coming from?

 

[L0rraine]

I worked for several months in a vet hospital (many many years ago) and they used terrible euthanizing drugs and most of the animals appeared to suffer as they were dying. Only the guy who ran the organization was unfeeling and i heard the other three vets complain about the drugs he purchased. But I did not last long working for that horrible man.

I have always paid my bill and walked away in any situation where they said I couldn’t be with my pets. I’ve had three chickens put down by our local vet who does birds and other unusual pets. It’s been awhile, but I can maybe remember them flopping a bit - but I remember it as more like a last gasp relief flopping. They were wrapped in towels and treated gently.

I did know a vet once who said he knew a few vets who thought the owners suffered too much being there with their pets in the end, so I try to give a bit of room for the excuses they provide to keep owners out of the room, but I mostly don’t trust it.

ps The vets mentioned above eventually split away from the heartless vet and started a new clinic.

 

[CHlCKEN]

The way birds are euthanized is different from the way it is done to mammals (dogs and cats). I know it is upsetting but I promise you don’t want to watch it if you are the sort of person who isn’t comfortable culling the bird yourself. It’s been a while but I believe that the way they do it is heart shock euthanasia but this may not be correct since last I had one euthanized was at 2:00 AM and I wasn’t really paying much attention to what they told me. Some places do it differently but I think that is the norm.

My vet allows me to take feathers and I get to sit with my birds for up to an hour before I say goodbye. I feel like this is the sort of last-moments with my baby that I want, It’s peaceful, quiet, and someone killing her won’t be our last moment together.

I’m sorry for your loss

 

[MissE]

Previous to COVID, I was able to be with my dogs inside the office when they needed to be put down.

Last May, our old girl what at the end. We couldn't go inside due to state regulations, but the vet came out to our vehicle to do it.

When my son's cat had kidney failure, they (different vet in different part of the state) made him wait outside and brought his cat to him afterwards.

 

[Sonya9]

I work at a vet clinic. A few possible guesses, but I can't say for sure.
Assuming it wasn't COVID protocol, perhaps their only route of euthanasia may have been intracardiac euthanasia which can be distressing for some owners. That is how we have to euthanize most rodents since their veins are so tiny.

Uhhh...I imagine having a giant needle stabbed through your chest into your heart would be rather traumatic for the animal too. Exotic vets should have anesthetic chambers to put small animals to sleep before giving a heart shot. I asked my vet if he had a small chamber and he didn't so heart shot is the only option at his practice (which means I would find another vet or discuss oral sedation).

If folks google "avian medicine euthanasia" several hospitals say they use injectable or gas anesthetic to induce unconsciousness before injecting the euthanasia drug.

On a side note if I have to euthanize one of my beloved dogs I always ask the vet for a heavy dose of Torbutrol before the procedure. It is a strong opiate that induces near unconsciousness. They take that at home and within 30 minutes they are so high/out of it they don't care about anything (plus it is much less stressful for me and the vet since neither of us have to worry about the animal being frightened or upset).

 

[Sonya9]

I knew I could refuse, but I was not in a position to ethically refuse. My chicken needed euthanasia, and the vet used her position as a professional - whose status inherently invokes trust, much like a doctor - to influence my decision. I wasn't given a choice where I should have had one. I asked for a service which is allowed by the vet practice (stated on their website), and she declined saying it was not possible. She mentioned nothing about her professional opinion, or anything distressing. She used the word "dangerous" where it was incorrect. Informed consent is a pillar of medical ethics. I think even literally - they have the four pillars of medical ethics. She left out a vital piece of information that completely changed my decision. My consent was uninformed, therefore it was not consent. I think that the fact I could have revoked my consent is irrelevant, given that she lied. It's like a doctor saying to you that if you leave the hospital now, you will die. You won't die, but it's not medically advisable to leave in your current condition. Therefore the consent is uninformed, and the doctor has abused his position of trust to lie to a patient in order to influence their decision. As the patient, you could have left but you thought you'd die if you did. You would not have died. See where I'm coming from?

You could file a complaint for lying, and unless she wants to cite Covid protocols what she said was most certainly a lie.

Do you know exactly how it was done? I would have to assume she used a traumatic procedure that she did NOT want you to see which would be my biggest concern.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

There are a number of legitimate, and plausible reasons why a vet would not want an owner in the procedure room for a euthanasia. From Insurance to COVID to a desire to minimize trauma (whether for the vet or the owner is always open to some debate - I've seen some very emotional owners).

There is no responsible reason I can imagine for a vet to say "the anaesthetic is dangerous" as reason for excluding you from the procedure room. The whole room isn't being gassed. and frankly, if it wasn't dangerous, it wouldn't be very useful for euthanasia.

Find another vet. Your trust has been abused.

 

[Namentuppen]

I have been present for nearly all the pets I've had euthanized. It isn't like you are imagining it. I have held all my babies. They are given an injection to relax them, and they fall asleep peacefully. Then when you are ready they give a second injection to stop the heart. I'm sure different vets may do things a little differently, but a caring vet makes the experience as peaceful as possible. I even had a vet come to the house to end the suffering of my wife's 21 year old cat. My wife was on hospice and unable to go to the clinic. Sometimes there are no options where we live, but if there are several vets call around and ask questions.

Yes, agreed. A pet shouldn’t be pounding its head against the table during euthanasia.
If they are sedating the pet first (which they should if at all possible) there shouldn’t commonly be anything crazy unless the catheter wasn’t placed correctly. And in that case, unless the animal was fractious and flung its catheter out, they likely didn’t test it with flush before injecting the Euthasol or whatever that clinic uses. It’s easy to test with flush on a cephalic catheter placement. You probably could request anesthesia before the final injection if you’re very concerned, though it’d be more expensive.

Uhhh...I imagine having a giant needle stabbed through your chest into your heart would be rather traumatic for the animal too. Exotic vets should have anesthetic chambers to put small animals to sleep before giving a heart shot. I asked my vet if he had a small chamber and he didn't so heart shot is the only option at his practice (which means I would find another vet or discuss oral sedation).

If folks google "avian medicine euthanasia" several hospitals say they use injectable or gas anesthetic to induce unconsciousness before injecting the euthanasia drug.

On a side note if I have to euthanize one of my beloved dogs I always ask the vet for a heavy dose of Torbutrol before the procedure. It is a strong opiate that induces near unconsciousness. They take that at home and within 30 minutes they are so high/out of it they don't care about anything (plus it is much less stressful for me and the vet since neither of us have to worry about the animal being frightened or upset).

We do anesthetize them first with gas anesthesia. They’ll be in a surgical plane of anesthesia before we do anything and are not aware at all. I wrote about it at the bottom of the post you quoted. It would be cruel to do intracardiac euthanasia without it.

 

[Isabel Allen]

You could file a complaint for lying, and unless she wants to cite Covid protocols what she said was most certainly a lie.

Do you know exactly how it was done? I would have to assume she used a traumatic procedure that she did NOT want you to see which would be my biggest concern.

She said anaesthetic. That is all I remember. I'll ask for an itemised bill but I hear that they don't do that for euthanasia - it's one charge for the whole service, no detail. Ironically it's supposed to be comforting.