Euthanizing Geckos

I've got a gecko that is very very sick. He's about 8 years old, refusing food and water, and will spit up any medicine or food that I try to force feed him. I called around and discovered that to euthanize a gecko it costs 40 dollars to 80 dollars! I can't spend that much money, I've been trying to get my snake Shilo parasite free and that's costed me over 200 as is.

He won't stay on his heating pad and every time I pick him up he's freezing. It's almost like he's trying to die. I'm so upset I can't stop crying, I don't want him to die but what do I do? I don't want him to starve himself to death, he's so thin and I can't do anything about it!
The doctor we used to take him too said he couldn't do anything but euthanize him for 50$.He's had eye infections almost all his life and is blind, he gets large cysts on his head and neck and has had surgery about 3 times in his life.

Just today I tried to force feed him some mealworms and I cut them up into mash and tried to syringe-feed them down his throat, then I chased it down with some water. He ended up spitting it up all over me.

Again his vet said the only thing we could do is euthanize him, but I can't pay 50$ to kill my baby...
Is there a way that he can die gently without hurting him? Or should I just let nature take its course?

Sweetie, I think your best bet would be to pay for veterinary euthanization. All of the ways that I can think of of home euth for reptiles are either too slow or painful to be effective, and the only quick painless way of I can thinkis also the most violent on the part of the handler. Not for the weak of heart or stomach. I'd research your vet's methods of euthanization before confirming though. You love him so much, he deserves the best possible way to go.
:hug: Let us know what you decide.

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Originally Posted by Archimedes

Sweetie, I think your best bet would be to pay for veterinary euthanization. All of the ways that I can think of of home euth for reptiles are either too slow or painful to be effective, and the only quick painless way of I can thinkis also the most violent on the part of the handler. Not for the weak of heart or stomach. I'd research your vet's methods of euthanization before confirming though. You love him so much, he deserves the best possible way to go.
:hug: Let us know what you decide.

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I agree with this^ the only other thing I know of would be to ask a close friend to refridgerate him for 2 hours and then into the freezer. I don't like this method but its the least violent method I can think of. I am truly sorry for your heart ache. But paying the vet would probably be the best for him and you.

Refridgerating animals is not a humane way of euthanasia at all. Its incredibly painful and slow for the animal.

Do not refrigerate or freeze them. Thats not humane. If you really don't want to pay for the vet euth then decapitation followed by pithing would be a humane home euth.

This is going off of what i've read about bps. I could be wrong, but i think it would be the same.

Yes, never ever use cold as a euthanasia tactic for reptiles (or any anomal, really, but it is particularly cruel for animal who use outside temperature to thermoregulate).They can feel their bodies freeze and their cells self-destruct, even if they appear peaceful. It's the equivalent of burning a human to death, but much muck slower.

Pithing was the violent method I mentioned in my first response. It's not a pretty sight, but it is virtually painless for the animal when done correctly and is quick. Like I said though, not a procedure for the weak of heart or stomach to witness.

Hate to say it but, smash his head with a spoon.

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Originally Posted by EricWright

Hate to say it but, smash his head with a spoon.

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Hey, look who's back.

If you have the stomach, smash his head with a hammer. The only humane at home euthanasia method is instantaneous brain destruction. Otherwise, take him to the vet....

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

Guys, I'm not trying to call the OP 'soft' or mentally weak but if the thought of an animal dying results in uncontrollable crying then they PROBABLY won't be capable of pithing the animal in question. Just my $.02

OP, it may be best to bite the bullet and pay for the 'professional' euthanization (do yourself a favor and don't ask the vet what his/her methods are).

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Originally Posted by DooLittle

Hey, look who's back.

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Honestly, he's not wrong. Like Mike said above, pithing or any sudden destruction of brain matter is probably the least painful way to go. Much faster, less painful and less stressful than freezing or CO2.

But I'm sense OP isn't one who would be okay with doing something like that, the vet is probably the best option. I hate situations like these because as people we want our little buddy to hang around longer but we shouldn't do that at the expense of our little friends suffering. I feel for you, it's not a nice place to be in.

Best of luck.

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Originally Posted by OctagonGecko729

Refridgerating animals is not a humane way of euthanasia at all. Its incredibly painful and slow for the animal.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Do not refrigerate or freeze them. Thats not humane. If you really don't want to pay for the vet euth then decapitation followed by pithing would be a humane home euth.

This is going off of what i've read about bps. I could be wrong, but i think it would be the same.

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I've been putting various species of colubrids in the refrigerator for years to brumate them..............about 44 to 45 degrees.

I realize we are talking about geckoes here, but.........

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

I've been putting various species of colubrids in the refrigerator for years to brumate them..............about 44 to 45 degrees.

I realize we are talking about geckoes here, but.........

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I meant freezing to kill them. What you do is different. I used the word "refrigerate" because someone before me said "refrigerate to cool, then freeze them".

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I meant freezing to kill them. What you do is different. I used the word "refrigerate" because someone before me said "refrigerate to cool, then freeze them".

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Refrigerate to cool, then scramble the brain.

It's difficult to euthanize a snake, and even a well-trained herp vet will have a hell of a time. Euthanization is done via injection directly into the heart and it can take almost an hour on some animals to do with the snake sometimes thrashing and what not the whole time.

Likewise due to their low respiration rates, using CO2 is not an easy way to go either.

The science is sound on what Skip said (as usual). The actual refrigeration wouldn't make the nervous system go ballistic the way freezing would. The reason freezing is bad is due to the phase change of the water in the cells to ice. This doesn't happen with refrigeration. I guess the refrigeration would help make sure the animal sits still while you pith it, which makes the whole thing faster and more surefire.


I agree that based on the OPs post they might not have the stomach for this.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Likewise due to their low respiration rates, using CO2 is not an easy way to go either.

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Not to mention the panic of suffocation before passing out.


I am curious, with pythons, boids or other species that don't really have a period of dormancy would refrigeration then brain destruction still be viable? Or would it just cause more suffering.

Kudos to everyone for talking about something super sensitive, and doing it in a respectful and educational manner!!!!

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Refrigerate to cool, then scramble the brain.

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I see. So how would you determine how long to refrigerate? I wouldn't think that a 60g hatchling bp wouldn't require as long as a 2kg adults.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I see. So how would you determine how long to refrigerate? I wouldn't think that a 60g hatchling bp wouldn't require as long as a 2kg adults.

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You are thinking too hard.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

You are thinking too hard.

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Wouldn't a bigger body hold heat longer?

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

Wouldn't a bigger body hold heat longer?

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Would a man with large hands and feet require more material for his gloves and shoes?

Your not cooking a roast, you're inducing a state of torpor into an animal prior to killing it.

Check on it every so often until you can see that it's responses to stimuli are nil.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Would a man with large hands and feet require more material for his gloves and shoes?

Your not cooking a roast, you're inducing a state of torpor into an animal prior to killing it.

Check on it every so often until you can see that it's responses to stimuli are nil.

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Is the purpose just to keep them from panicking or moving during pithing? I'm curious because I have always felt that instant destruction of brain matter would be the most painless way to go.

Its a grisly way to do it and I'm not sure I could myself, it's selfish of me.

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Is the purpose just to keep them from panicking or moving during pithing? I'm curious because I have always felt that instant destruction of brain matter would be the most painless way to go.

Its a grisly way to do it and I'm not sure I could myself, it's selfish of me.

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I agree with what you're thinking.
The best way to go (to me) would be instantly, painlessly, with ignorance. I don't want to know I'm dying.
Freezing and CO2 and definitely out of the question. Refrigeration to me is a possibility but only if you can't handle doing it otherwise.
I'm just thinking of what I would want. I wouldn't want to slowly die. I would want it over before I knew that it was happening

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Originally Posted by mackynz

Is the purpose just to keep them from panicking or moving during pithing? I'm curious because I have always felt that instant destruction of brain matter would be the most painless way to go.

Its a grisly way to do it and I'm not sure I could myself, it's selfish of me.

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Both.

Think of cooling them down as sedating them.

The destruction of the brain is painless if you hit the brain - a big "if" with some people.

I get it now lol.

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Originally Posted by Mike41793

I get it now lol.

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:)

This is just an opinion, but i would think that refrigerating, decapitation and/or pithing all done by the owner would be a lot less stressful/painful than taking it to the vet for euthanization.

I had to have a vet euthanize a gecko once. It was actually an injection into the main body cavity (sorry, I don't recall what substance was used), and in the case of an underweight, severely sick leopard gecko, at least, it worked almost instantaneously. If there was any pain, it didn't show; there was no reaction except that he had obviously changed states from alive to dead. I was emotionally messed up about it for quite a while, but I can say with certainty that my little guy didn't suffer in that moment. In point of fact, his suffering was over; his health had been declining for some time, and the prescribed treatments weren't bringing him back to health.

IMO, long term, at least, you won't be worried about the $50; you'll feel better that you gave your scaly friend an easier end.

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Originally Posted by olstyn

I had to have a vet euthanize a gecko once. It was actually an injection into the main body cavity (sorry, I don't recall what substance was used), and in the case of an underweight, severely sick leopard gecko, at least, it worked almost instantaneously. If there was any pain, it didn't show; there was no reaction except that he had obviously changed states from alive to dead. I was emotionally messed up about it for quite a while, but I can say with certainty that my little guy didn't suffer in that moment. In point of fact, his suffering was over; his health had been declining for some time, and the prescribed treatments weren't bringing him back to health.

IMO, long term, at least, you won't be worried about the $50; you'll feel better that you gave your scaly friend an easier end.

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The market name for at least one of the veterinary solutions used is Beauthanasia-D. It's a bright pink liquid. It stops the heart and brain activity within seconds. Sadly we use it an average of three times a week on elderly or seriously ill patients. I can tell you its the most peaceful death I could ever imagine. Even when we do heart sticks on cats, they rarely fuss. Many times if we have concerns about the patient getting fidgety we'll give a dose of surgical anesthetic and let that take effect first. I doubt many vets approach it differently, even for reptiles. My preference if I had a very sick animal that for whatever reason I could not treat would definitely be euthanasia by injection. It never gets easier to see but it's the one of the most humane deaths.

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Originally Posted by SaintTawny

The market name for at least one of the veterinary solutions used is Beauthanasia-D. It's a bright pink liquid. It stops the heart and brain activity within seconds. Sadly we use it an average of three times a week on elderly or seriously ill patients. I can tell you its the most peaceful death I could ever imagine. Even when we do heart sticks on cats, they rarely fuss. Many times if we have concerns about the patient getting fidgety we'll give a dose of surgical anesthetic and let that take effect first. I doubt many vets approach it differently, even for reptiles. My preference if I had a very sick animal that for whatever reason I could not treat would definitely be euthanasia by injection. It never gets easier to see but it's the one of the most humane deaths.

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When our 21-year-old cat finally had to be coaxed from the world, this was what the vet used-- I remember the pink color of the injection. It was put into a vein into his front leg, not directly into the heart, but it took affect within seconds, and he experienced zero outward pain. I couldn't imagine a more peaceful death for a cat that had been our unwavering companion. He deserved that procedure as the best possible way for him to go.

this thread has been remarkably informative and sensitive, and thanks to all who've provided insight in the unfortunate event that we need to help our beloved creatures from this world.

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Originally Posted by SaintTawny

The market name for at least one of the veterinary solutions used is Beauthanasia-D. It's a bright pink liquid. It stops the heart and brain activity within seconds. Sadly we use it an average of three times a week on elderly or seriously ill patients. I can tell you its the most peaceful death I could ever imagine. Even when we do heart sticks on cats, they rarely fuss. Many times if we have concerns about the patient getting fidgety we'll give a dose of surgical anesthetic and let that take effect first. I doubt many vets approach it differently, even for reptiles. My preference if I had a very sick animal that for whatever reason I could not treat would definitely be euthanasia by injection. It never gets easier to see but it's the one of the most humane deaths.

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Snakes go much, much slower and often fight it. I agree, euthanization in small mammals, dog, cats and lizards is almost instantaneous.

Unfortunately in snakes, it is not.

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Originally Posted by Skiploder

Snakes go much, much slower and often fight it. I agree, euthanization in small mammals, dog, cats and lizards is almost instantaneous.

Unfortunately in snakes, it is not.

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While I do think that pithing or other rapid brain destruction may be ideal for reptiles, chemical euthanasia is sometimes more appropriate, especially in the case of a beloved pet. In the case of a properly administered injection of the appropriate chemical(s), the difference is minimized to the prick of a needle. You're not mistaken though, the chemicals commonly used for mammals are not appropriate for snakes because of the time to action. Also, regardless of drug used, the ideal situation for snakes seems to be the use of a surgical anesthetic prior to euthanasia.

I found this study, for reference on chemical euthanasia of reptiles.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2694699/

Edit: To clarify, Beuthanasia-D is pentobarbital sodium, which is the type of injection it sounds like you're familiar with, used commonly for mammals (what I work with), and is the drug they discuss in the beginning of that study as something they were looking for an alternative to for use in reptiles. Tricaine methanesulfonate is shown to be different.

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Originally Posted by SaintTawny

While I do think that pithing or other rapid brain destruction may be ideal for reptiles, chemical euthanasia is sometimes more appropriate, especially in the case of a beloved pet. In the case of a properly administered injection of the appropriate chemical(s), the difference is minimized to the prick of a needle. You're not mistaken though, the chemicals commonly used for mammals are not appropriate for snakes because of the time to action. Also, regardless of drug used, the ideal situation for snakes seems to be the use of a surgical anesthetic prior to euthanasia.

I found this study, for reference on chemical euthanasia of reptiles.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2694699/

Edit: To clarify, Beuthanasia-D is pentobarbital sodium, which is the type of injection it sounds like you're familiar with, used commonly for mammals (what I work with), and is the drug they discuss in the beginning of that study as something they were looking for an alternative to for use in reptiles. Tricaine methanesulfonate is shown to be different.

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I've got a vet who will gladly forego the $80 to euthanize a snake in her office if the owner knows how to do it quicker. I've seen TMS take upwards of an hour to kill a large boa - with the snake writhing, stressed and scared for a goodly part of that time. I've also seen varanids put down much quicker. Again, snakes are a whole different story.

MS222 still results in prolonged death in snakes. A study on a 300 gram garter snake - which has a fairly low body weight and a fast metabolism - still shows up to 12 minutes to kill.

Ask any vet who has to regularly euthanize large snakes as part of their practice and they will tell you that using MS222 is so prolonged and the reactions of most snakes are so drawn out, that it is a traumatic and distressing experience for most owners.

I've been dealing with a rescued bull snake with several health issues that I had to euthanize on Sunday. Snake weighs about 1600 grams. Put her into brumation and pithed her on Sunday night. Took all of about 30 seconds from the removal of the fridge to death.

Sorry to not have gotten back to you. Right now Sam is still holding on but refusing to eat. I've called the vet and he won't lower his price, and right now my budget is at 120$ with dependency from parents paying the cost of food. That is all the money I have for vets is 120$. I have a snake that I'm sure has a parasite and I'm patiently waiting for a fecal sample from him, a fecal sample is 35$ and to actually take him in for an exam is 55$, so that's 90$ and the cost of medicine will be around 20$ to 50$. As much as I love Sammy, I really can't have him injected, I'm out of money and I can't ask for a loan from my parents. I'm going to call around more vets, but I don't think that injection is a choice. What about some sort of over-the-counter medicine that would be similar to beuthanasia? Does anyone know?

Also thank you all for being so understanding and debating this peacefully. He is a pet and he's about 8-10 years old, I don't think stomping on his head would settle right with me.

Have you tried reaching out to your local Herp club or Herp Society?
They may have connections to certain vets that could help you out.

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Originally Posted by satomi325

Have you tried reaching out to your local Herp club or Herp Society?
They may have connections to certain vets that could help you out.

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I don't know if Olathe has a herp club or herp society, however I'll definitely look into that! Thanks!

I'm actually afraid to inform you guys that Sam is no longer with me. He died of natural causes just shortly prior to this post. He was having trouble breathing and his mouth was bubbling, I attempted to wash his mouth with some water and saline. His body temperature quickly dropped and he was defecating all over himself, I panicked and placed him in some warm water to wash him off and tried to clear his airways with a bulb syringe... He died quietly and fairly quickly with minimal suffering, but I'm still so upset. I'm sorry that I waited so long, but I simply couldn't afford the vet and I couldn't do anything else. I feel so horrible.

Thank you to all of you who offered your help...

I am really sorry for your loss.
My sincere condolences.

Sorry for your loss. Hopefully the conversation here has at least been educational for those who might experience a similar situation in the future.