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-   -   Lethal dose of morphine for a cat (http://www.catbanter.com/showthread.php?t=19584)

A.J. Rivett September 16th 04 05:44 PM

Lethal dose of morphine for a cat
 
When the time comes and I have to euthanize my cat, I would like to do
it in the kindest way. I think this would be a nice meal of tuna
juice and tuna with some morphine in the tuna juice.

I have been told that 5 mg of morphine should be enough and that my
cat would just fall asleep after eating her last meal. She wouldn't
be traumatized at all and her last thoughts would be how nice the tuna
tasted and now just a long nap until her next life.

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.

Kathryn Stein September 16th 04 06:54 PM

On 16 Sep 2004 09:44:25 -0700, (A.J. Rivett)
wrote:

When the time comes and I have to euthanize my cat, I would like to do
it in the kindest way. I think this would be a nice meal of tuna
juice and tuna with some morphine in the tuna juice.

I have been told that 5 mg of morphine should be enough and that my
cat would just fall asleep after eating her last meal. She wouldn't
be traumatized at all and her last thoughts would be how nice the tuna
tasted and now just a long nap until her next life.

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.


The most humane euthanization, imho, would be to have the vet make a
house visit. I've had that done and it was very peaceful.

Kathryn Stein September 16th 04 06:54 PM

On 16 Sep 2004 09:44:25 -0700, (A.J. Rivett)
wrote:

When the time comes and I have to euthanize my cat, I would like to do
it in the kindest way. I think this would be a nice meal of tuna
juice and tuna with some morphine in the tuna juice.

I have been told that 5 mg of morphine should be enough and that my
cat would just fall asleep after eating her last meal. She wouldn't
be traumatized at all and her last thoughts would be how nice the tuna
tasted and now just a long nap until her next life.

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.


The most humane euthanization, imho, would be to have the vet make a
house visit. I've had that done and it was very peaceful.

Mary September 16th 04 07:46 PM

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.

One thing to consider is that morphine is a controlled substance. You won't be
able to get it yourself. You will probably have to ask your vet to get it and
come to the house to administer it legally. I've been told that morphine
overdose is a good way to go if administered properly. They get very high and
feel great, then get unconscious then their organs stop. You just don't want
the organs to stop while they're conscious. That might be scary and painful.
Generally the vet gives valium to calm the animal, sets up an IV then gives
pheno to stop all organs. It's almost instant. I think they should give enough
valium to get the cat unconscious first, then the pheno.

Mary September 16th 04 07:46 PM

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.

One thing to consider is that morphine is a controlled substance. You won't be
able to get it yourself. You will probably have to ask your vet to get it and
come to the house to administer it legally. I've been told that morphine
overdose is a good way to go if administered properly. They get very high and
feel great, then get unconscious then their organs stop. You just don't want
the organs to stop while they're conscious. That might be scary and painful.
Generally the vet gives valium to calm the animal, sets up an IV then gives
pheno to stop all organs. It's almost instant. I think they should give enough
valium to get the cat unconscious first, then the pheno.

jamie September 16th 04 09:05 PM

Kathryn Stein wrote:
(A.J. Rivett) wrote:

When the time comes and I have to euthanize my cat, I would like to do
it in the kindest way. I think this would be a nice meal of tuna
juice and tuna with some morphine in the tuna juice.

I have been told that 5 mg of morphine should be enough and that my
cat would just fall asleep after eating her last meal. She wouldn't
be traumatized at all and her last thoughts would be how nice the tuna
tasted and now just a long nap until her next life.

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.


The most humane euthanization, imho, would be to have the vet make a
house visit. I've had that done and it was very peaceful.


Agreed. In the drugged-tuna scenario, there's no way to be sure the
cat wouldn't vomit the drug, or if he would eat enough of it mixed
in food in the first place. Opiates cause vomiting in a percentage
of humans, I would expect the same in cats. A semi-conscious cat
aspirating vomit could turn this idealized scenario into a nightmare.

--
jamie )

"There's a seeker born every minute."


jamie September 16th 04 09:05 PM

Kathryn Stein wrote:
(A.J. Rivett) wrote:

When the time comes and I have to euthanize my cat, I would like to do
it in the kindest way. I think this would be a nice meal of tuna
juice and tuna with some morphine in the tuna juice.

I have been told that 5 mg of morphine should be enough and that my
cat would just fall asleep after eating her last meal. She wouldn't
be traumatized at all and her last thoughts would be how nice the tuna
tasted and now just a long nap until her next life.

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.


The most humane euthanization, imho, would be to have the vet make a
house visit. I've had that done and it was very peaceful.


Agreed. In the drugged-tuna scenario, there's no way to be sure the
cat wouldn't vomit the drug, or if he would eat enough of it mixed
in food in the first place. Opiates cause vomiting in a percentage
of humans, I would expect the same in cats. A semi-conscious cat
aspirating vomit could turn this idealized scenario into a nightmare.

--
jamie )

"There's a seeker born every minute."


Sunflower September 16th 04 09:13 PM


"A.J. Rivett" wrote in message
om...
When the time comes and I have to euthanize my cat, I would like to do
it in the kindest way. I think this would be a nice meal of tuna
juice and tuna with some morphine in the tuna juice.

I have been told that 5 mg of morphine should be enough and that my
cat would just fall asleep after eating her last meal. She wouldn't
be traumatized at all and her last thoughts would be how nice the tuna
tasted and now just a long nap until her next life.

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.


The problem with administering it orally is that it slows the sytem down and
by the time you get a fatal dose in them, the organs don't work enough to
process it, leaving the animal more or less in a coma situation for hours or
days on end. (You don't even want to know why I know this.) Depending on
your animal's underlying health issues that make this a necessary decision,
some organs might not even work enough to get even a sedative dose of a drug
into the system and certainly won't process it enough for death to occur.
That's not humane. There's also the issue of regurgitation, which can
happen, and with the cat sedated enough that the gag reflex is disabled, the
cat could choke to death on the vomit. Also not humane.


Really, the only effective way to euthanize an animal is through injection.
Most vets will come to your home and do this for you and it's much less
stressful than you packaging up and going to their office. It's far more
peaceful than you may think, and you can be there at the end after their
last supper and hold them while they pass. It's quick, and painless, which
an oral dose of any drug is NOT. If you love your cat, give her the final
best gift any owner can give, which is a quick and painless death--from your
veterinarian.



Sunflower September 16th 04 09:13 PM


"A.J. Rivett" wrote in message
om...
When the time comes and I have to euthanize my cat, I would like to do
it in the kindest way. I think this would be a nice meal of tuna
juice and tuna with some morphine in the tuna juice.

I have been told that 5 mg of morphine should be enough and that my
cat would just fall asleep after eating her last meal. She wouldn't
be traumatized at all and her last thoughts would be how nice the tuna
tasted and now just a long nap until her next life.

My question is whether 5 mg of morphine is about right. I don't want
to traumatize the cat by having someone give her a needle or by having
to take her to the vet (she hates the vet). I know that they don't
give morphine, they give potassium chloride or something like that and
I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.


The problem with administering it orally is that it slows the sytem down and
by the time you get a fatal dose in them, the organs don't work enough to
process it, leaving the animal more or less in a coma situation for hours or
days on end. (You don't even want to know why I know this.) Depending on
your animal's underlying health issues that make this a necessary decision,
some organs might not even work enough to get even a sedative dose of a drug
into the system and certainly won't process it enough for death to occur.
That's not humane. There's also the issue of regurgitation, which can
happen, and with the cat sedated enough that the gag reflex is disabled, the
cat could choke to death on the vomit. Also not humane.


Really, the only effective way to euthanize an animal is through injection.
Most vets will come to your home and do this for you and it's much less
stressful than you packaging up and going to their office. It's far more
peaceful than you may think, and you can be there at the end after their
last supper and hold them while they pass. It's quick, and painless, which
an oral dose of any drug is NOT. If you love your cat, give her the final
best gift any owner can give, which is a quick and painless death--from your
veterinarian.



Annie Wxill September 16th 04 09:41 PM


"A.J. Rivett" wrote in message
om...
.... I think morphine may be more expensive but it's a nicer way to go.

Normally, I just killfile these types of posts, but I'm curious how you know
1. that morphine may be more expensive, and
2. that it's a nicer way to go.










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