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Way OT -- Can I use oxycontin to humanely euthanize a cat?

M

mexicodreaming

Plastic
Joined
Jun 7, 2018
Our 19-year-old diabetic, cancer-laden kitty is in quite a bit of pain and not enjoying life anymore. I've done vet-euthanasia before, and I know it's as "good" of a process as could be done for this sort of thing, but it is also $300. I have a whole bottle of unexpired, unused oxycontin sitting in my cabinet. Would giving him an OD dose just put him to sleep?

Humans who OD on opiates develop suppressed breathing and reportedly just "fall asleep" (or so I have read.) Humans being euthanized are given an OD of heroin (a nearly identical drug to oxycontin). So I would think this would work. I asked the vet, though, and all she would say is: "Ohhh, I can't really recommend that" but I also think she kind of HAD to say that.

I would appreciate any advice from someone who may have done this, or who understands oxycontin ODing enough to share whether it would likely cause any traumatic or horrible side effects like seizures, vomiting, or any other suffering we obviously wouldn't want.
 
No way to predict the reaction, but reactions should not last long. How are planning to administer the dose? The cat will want to die in peace and alone. (don't watch)
 
Former Paramedic here.

Opioid overdoses can be wildly unpredictable (at best) in humans. While it's true that most opioid ODs shuffle off this mortal coil through gentle rheespratory suppression, that is absolutely not always the case. Especially (almost 100% of the time) in those who aren't regular users with high tolerance buildups. To say nothing of the fact that Oxycontin has some features to prevent direct overdoses. The chances that your cat falls peacefully asleep are roughly 50/50 with your cat going into respiratory convulsions and cardiac arrhythmia for a long period of time leading to a prolonged, and relatively traumatic, death.

Our relationship with pets is, in my mind, predicated on one simple rule - that they will not suffer. In exchange, we receive all the benefits of their love, affection, and entertainment. You absolutely have a debt to this animal to let it go in as calm, reliable, and gentle a fashion as is possible. That would be at either the end of a veterinary needle or a large caliber firearm. I can't blame you if you aren't prepared to stomach the latter, but you absolutely need to pony up the $300 and have this done properly.
 
Do you tig? At work, we came close to losing folks on several occasions with nitrogen inertion. They wake up and have no idea what happened, one moment they are wide awake and working, and the next moment(to them) they are lying on the floor with a lot of panicked people gathered around. I assume argon would work similarly (NOT 80/20, CO2 is nasty).

From wikipedia:

According to the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board, in humans, "breathing an oxygen deficient atmosphere can have serious and immediate effects, including unconsciousness after only one or two breaths. The exposed person has no warning and cannot sense that the oxygen level is too low." In the US, at least 80 people died due to accidental nitrogen asphyxiation between 1992 and 2002.[3] Hazards with inert gases and the risks of asphyxiation are well established.[4]

Be careful though, as some jurisdictions have really stupid laws surrounding euthanizing your own pets.
 
Please check the archives huh ?

takes all of 5 minutes, has been discussed in a very long, rambling thread
(Imagine that)

BTW professionals use CO gas around here.

I am disgusted by your thread, your a cheap ass, and you don't want a painless
end to your friends life ?

Remember, Hitler experimented on cheaper ways to kill Jews......
 
Milland said:
I'm with you - an out of the blue newb, specifically mentioning an unexpired controlled substance? Stinks really hard...
Click to expand...

That and why come to a machinists forum, do they think most are prone to DIY euthanasia of our pets?
 
Don’t let Trump know your going to opioid od your cat, might get a life sentence. When I put my dogs down the vet did it, 140lb Rottweilers $75.00 a pop. She came to the house,I already had the graves dug, sad days,
 
$300.00? I'd check around. Guy I work with just put his cat down and had it cremated ( wife insisted) for $ 150. 00.

Don't take the chance of something going wrong. My last college apartment was unfortunately known as the apartment where the cat went beserk and dropped dead after the previous a-hole tenant gave it cocaine.

Oh and Yes, why ask here in first place???
 
This was asked in the past year. Any gas other then O2 or CO2 will cause slow painless death. Safest is an innert gas like argon or nitrogen. need not be an air tight chamber. just a cardboard box with a lid that sits on top. slowly flow the gas in and let it displace the air and its O2. Animal bodies only feel co2 buildup in the tissues not lack of O2.
Bill D
 
Dualkit said:
That and why come to a machinists forum, do they think most are prone to DIY euthanasia of our pets?
Click to expand...

It's not, for our "pets", it might be tempting some days for ourselves though.

This is obvious, trust me. There is no criminal implication in the post, there is a message that this person has unexpired Oxy, his username is Mexicodreaming, first time poster, just joined the club, sized text, plus he located in Pennsylvania, we all know that no one actually lives there. I mean, I can't even think of ways to make it more obvious.

Question OP how would you administer OD amounts of Oxy to a Cat? You can only feed it so much Oxy/Tuna.

R
 
It's incredible what this world has come to. $350 to 'euthanize' a cat?
WTF?

A .22 would do the job faster, more humanely, and for a couple pennies.
 
litlerob1 said:
It's not, for our "pets", it might be tempting some days for ourselves though.

This is obvious, trust me. There is no criminal implication in the post, there is a message that this person has unexpired Oxy, his username is Mexicodreaming, first time poster, just joined the club, sized text, plus he located in Pennsylvania, we all know that no one actually lives there. I mean, I can't even think of ways to make it more obvious.
Click to expand...

You missed one. He even suggested a sale price. Anyone with a former pet knows it doesn't cost that to put a small animal down.
 
mexicodreaming said:

I would appreciate any advice from someone who may have done this, or who understands oxycontin ODing enough to share whether it would likely cause any traumatic or horrible side effects like seizures, vomiting, or any other suffering we obviously wouldn't want.
Click to expand...

So you needed advice on OD'ing on oxy, so you decided to ask machinists? Really? Have we sunken that low in the eyes of the average person?

I think you might be looking for the Practical Pharmacists forum:confused:
 
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