I'm sorry if this is the wrong place to ask, and it may be disturbing to some but really need to know if this is normal. I just had my guinea pig put to sleep at home and I feel a bit off about it. The first injection of anesthesia was a bit difficult as he was struggling a bit, so the vet had to try again after a few minutes. She said she got enough in, so we waited a while for him to relax. It seemed as if it was enough, so she proceeded with the second injection into his stomach and said he wouldn't feel it, but he was kicking and struggling while she did. Could that be from a reflex and he was peacefully asleep? Or was he feeling it and in pain? Has anyone have something similar happen? Again I'm sorry if this is a bad place to ask
Hi and welcome
I am ever so sorry for your loss and that you had to make the heart-breaking decisionto let your boy make his journey to the Rainbow Bridge.
Unfortunately, not having been there myself, I cannot give you a definite answer. But going back long enough to have piggies put to sleep with a lethal injection without GA decades ago, there is a very short but jerky reaction to the drug when it hits a vital organ for a very quick death. It was rather upsetting to watch even though it was over mercifully in a moment or two.
Comparing that to having two of my piggies euthanized in more recent years with an anaesthetic injection (or two in one case where the vet thought she wasn't under enough) first before the lethal one, there was no reaction when the lethal injection was applied in my presence by the one vet at my local clinic who prefers this method because they feel that it gives them better control over the process - but only with the owner's express consent because it is not everybody's cup of tea as there can be reactions to the various injections. The other vets or qualified nurses that have euthanized piggies of mine usually take the guinea pigs to the pre-op area at the back.
Your boy was possibly not quite fully under but what nobody will ever be able to answer just how conscious he still was; it was however much more likely an instinctive than a conscious reaction since the vet would surely have checked his reflexes before handling him.
What I would like you to try is to remember that these were just very short moments in a hopefully long and happy life. I have had similar reactions with some of my own piggies dying a natural death at home in their very last minutes when oxygen deprivation had set in but they were clearly no longer fully with it nor necessarily fully in control of their movements. It can be very distressing to any owner, especially the first time they are confronted with it. Death, whether natural or by euthanasia is a much more physical process than generally expected. It is only the very lucky few that gently drift away in their sleep or a coma.
Anyway, I would like to point out that this is always also a very stressful situation for any vet; especially if things are not going quite as smoothly as they hope - which can and does happen. Anaesthesia is quite a complex thing since the reaction to it can actually vary quite a bit and it can take longer or take more than expected.
However, any vet will always aim to minimise/cut short any suffering and distress for the animal first and foremost in a situation like that, which your vet seems to have done, aiming for a vital organ, which they can only access from the belly side. Smaller animals are not necessarily easier to control with drugs compared to a cat or dog, to be honest.
I hope that this does help you a bit? If you ever find yourself in a comparable situation again with a pet of yours I would recommend that you ask the treating vet whether they would rather conduct the euthanasia in your absence behind the scenes if you feel too traumatised or stressed out by your experience. Here in the UK many vets prefer to euthanize at the back in case things do not run quite smoothly but it means that you cannot be with them in their last moments.
Please accept that I can only reflect on my own experiences as a long term owner and that I do not have the medical training to answer your question from a medical perspective; we are an owners' forum and not a medical one.
A Practical and Sensitive Guide to Dying, Terminal Illness and Euthanasia in Guinea Pigs
Human Bereavement: Grieving, Processing and Support Links for Guinea Pig Owners and Their Children
