"
A IM injection of a sedative and then a direct cardiac stick with the
euthanasia drug would be easiest on an animal that had hydration problems or
other issues with finding a vein. Unfortunately, most pet owners are more
upset by this procedure than repeated attempts to find a vein. A direct
cardiac stick on an already sedated patient is painless and exceedingly
quick. It's just not "pretty". I've participated in probably 200 animal
euthnasias by a veterinarian with me acting as a tech, and on the small
kittens or sick cats, this was the optimal procedure for shelter animals
because it was the most humane. The vet rarely offered this to any but the
most medically knowledgable pet owners however, because of the poor reaction
that most of them had to the image of a needle to the heart.

Thank you.

This is helpful.