#not All of it since there Are a handful of things ive blacklisted simply because I Cannot Keep Up. but most.

[beatcroc]

hey yo this is kinda silly but, i've been having a stressful last few days and seeing you commenting about my art actually helped a lot. so just wanted to pop in and say thanks, and i drew the funny little man for you

hope i got the shapes right hehe

ouughbnghbhndbhgngbdgh i

the silly so real....thank u... an honor to help

[pixzie-writes]

DMC: Anxiety/Insomniac Nights

A/N: I couldn’t sleep last night at all and thought I should write out a short fic for each of the DMC5 boys’ (Dante, Nero, V) reactions to their s/o having an anxiety attack and couldn’t sleep. x.x

Warning: Anxiety / depression themes in this work. It will be under the tags: trigger, anxiety trigger, and/or anxiety if you wish to blacklist it.

Dante

You thought you were just feeling under pressure from all the work you’ve been doing and yet still have some left to do. It almost feels like you have been taking one step forward and been pushed back four. It’s difficult trying not to let it bother you, but the voices in your head just keep coming, back to back. Breathing in and out, you shut your eyes tightly, Dante lying down next to you sleeping soundly. His snores, at first bothering you, are usually your comfort, lulling you to sleep, isn’t working this time. You wanted to wake him up and comfort you to sleep, but he has been so busy with demon hunting that you didn’t want to disturb his slumber, which has been days since he last slept.

Frustrated, you look at the time and saw it is 5:08 in the morning. There’s no way you’ll get any sleep anytime soon. Carefully slipping out of bed, you put on your robe that was hanging off the chair and wrap yourself in it. You eventually found your slippers in the dark and start to climb downstairs, deciding that perhaps some fresh air will help you meditate. You sit on the steps in front of the Devil May Cry headquarters, elbows on your legs and face buried in your hands, trying to take deep breaths. So many negative thoughts going through your head that you’re trying to counter it with positive thoughts. Eventually you look up at the moon, beautifully displayed up in the sky, and trying to focus on how the night seems to be quite peaceful besides knowing that demons lurk the most when darkness comes out to play.

“Mmm, can’t sleep?” a voice call out from behind you, doors quickly opening and closing. You hear footsteps shuffling lazily and, out of the corner of your eye, plopping down on the steps next to you. You shift your body so you can face him, smiling to try to reassure him only for your eyes to betray you. You sigh shakily, wrapping your arms around yourself to try to hold yourself together. Dante quickly wraps his arm around you, trying to help calm you down, knowing that you usually don’t like to talk about it. He’s a man that always joke around, but when he knows you’re not in your best, he gets into his serious stance until he knows you’re okay emotionally, mentally, and physically. You start blinking back tears to no avail and decide to fall apart with Dante trying to hold you together. He places his chin on top of your head, holding you tighter as he whispers, “Let it all out.”

Eventually, you calm down and you start to shiver. Dante takes off his red coat and hangs them on your shoulders, taking your hand to hold them. One free hand tilts your head upward from your chin until you make eye contact with him. His baby blue eyes staring right back at you and starts crinkling as he smiles. “Want to talk about it?” he wondered, his thumb caressing your cheek. You lean into his hand, shaking your head, and manage to croak out, “N-no... Just want you to hold me.” Dante nods in reply, one arm snaking under your legs and the other holding your upper body as he lifts you up. You lean your head into his chest, letting him carry you all the way back to the bedroom upstairs. He lays you back down on the bed, stripping down to his boxers again and cuddles with you, being the big spoon. He uses his fingers to softly caress your arms, occasionally stroking your hair until you’re sound asleep. Even then, he doesn’t stop, using one arm to prop himself up so he could watch you sleep. Whatever demons haunt you at night, he tries his hardest to keep them at bay.

Nero

You are out in the garage, lending a hand on repairing the mobile home. Nico is working the car from under while Nero is working from the hood. Not knowing much about cars or the mechanics of one, you were simply handing out tools, holding flashlight when needed, and learning a thing or two about the repair from Nero’s guidance. The mobile home often needs repairing and you need to at least know the basics. Kyrie is nice enough to lend her home as a “headquarter” of sorts for the mobile Devil May Cry while the real one is under the care of Dante. After the events at Fortuna, Nero decided to join in the franchise, taking care of missions on the road while Dante handles bigger jobs.

Eventually, you could smell the cooking coming from inside the house. Your stomach grumbles, your hands immediately flying to your tummy, embarrassed. Nero hears the grumbles, looks at you with a smirk, and chuckles. “Hey you three!” Kyrie calls out from the kitchen, “Dinner’s ready!” You smile, clapping Nero on the back, and said, “Well, I’m going to go help set up the table!” You’re not much use out here anyways. Nero nods and motions for you to go ahead, “I’ll catch up to you.” You go inside, Nico eventually following suit after making a comment of not saving a plate for Nero. You chuckle at their banter, helping Kyrie set up the table and with the plating. “Tell Nero to come in, you know how he gets lost in the repairs,” Kyrie requested, still working on the plating. You nod, turning on your heels and call out once more, “Come on, the food is getting co-”

“[Y/N], get back inside! Don’t come ou-”

You heard a crash and then the next a scream, making you bolt for the garage door. Your heart is racing as you open the door, see your boyfriend laying in the pool of blood face down. You ran to him, turning him over to face you, clutching onto him. He’s unconscious and still bleeding out, Nico coming out a few seconds later, “I leave you alone for 10 minu-”

“Not now Nico! Help me stop the bleeding!” You demand, trying to stay calm. Breathing in and out, trying to steady your breaths, you put all your focus on trying to make sure he survives.

--

A few days later, Nero awakes to find himself in a hospital bed. He groans in pain, taking in the surrounding. Beeping can be heard from the heart monitor next to him and an IV drip attached to him. He sits himself up, wanting to get out of bed until his eyes eventually lands on you, sleeping soundly in the chair. His expression softens, now trying to quiet down to avoid waking you up. Footsteps can be heard coming into his room and he looks up at the door to see Kyrie coming in with some flowers and a “Get Well” balloon. She sees that he is awake and smiles, “Nero, you’re up,” she whispers. “Yeah... how long was I out?” he asks.

“A couple days... she never left your side...”

Several seconds passes by and you begin to stir, awakening to find Nero already up. You leap out of your chair, leaning over him and caress his face, “Nero!” Kyrie clears her throat, sets down the flowers, and informs, “I’ll give you two some privacy.” She walks out with you watching her then looks back at Nero, tears forming. “I was so scared Nero.... I thought I’d lose you,” you admit. You don’t like being vulnerable often, but with him, you’re comfortable enough to express exactly how you feel. Nero shushes you, using his hand to bring your face closer and presses his forehead against yours. “It takes more than that to take me,” he jokes, trying to enlighten the mood. You sob, pushing him away playfully to try to go along, but your sob is real.

“Don’t scare me like that... Gosh, I feel so selfish... I was so scared. I kept dreaming that I lose you for real an-”

You start to hyperventilate a little and Nero pushes in for a kiss, trying to calm  you down, shushing you. He may often seem cocky and a bad-boy, but he is very sweet with his words. “You are not selfish,” he reassures, “It’s okay.... I’m still here. You saved me, babe...” You smile, kissing him again and sighing, trying to calm yourself down. After recollecting yourself, he motions for you to get into the bed with him. You obliged, carefully getting in the bed and cuddling with your head on his chest while his good arm wraps around you. “You know,” he says, after giving a moment to settle in, “When we go home, we’re taking a shower.... because you stink.” You laugh, punching him playfully on the shoulder and then kissing his neck. Nero slips back into his deep sleep with a smile on his face.

 V

The tattooed man is on the couch of the mobile home, reading his book as you were asleep soundly on his lap. He dares not to move, Shadow sleeping at his feet and Griffon outside keeping watch of any demons that may lurk. You were exhausted from helping Nero and V clear some demons and some Qliproth roots. Nero went ahead to scout while Nico went to work on some new devil breakers, saying something about looking for some materials she could find around the destruction of Red Grave City. That meant leaving the mobile home to the two of you. V looks down at you, sleeping soundly on his lap with a pillow propping your head up with a blanket draped over your body from shoulders to your feet. He decides to caress your cheek softly, trying not to stir you up. It isn’t his touch that was stirring you up, though. No, it’s the recurring nightmares that you’ve been getting every time you try to rest up. “N-no.... please...” you start to whimper, causing V to become concern and place his hand on your shoulder. He is hesitant to try to wake you up, not sure if you’ll mistake him for a nightmare and hurt him.

“Please....” you say, almost pleading, burying your face in the pillow.

“Darling...” V gently tries to wake you up by rubbing your shoulders. Shadow sticks his head up from resting on his paws, emitting a gentle growl. You start sobbing and then few seconds later, shouted, “Leave him alone!” V shakes you awake, “[y/n], wake up!” You finally open your eyes, your breath unsteady, and slowly sitting yourself up with V helping you. You wipe your forehead with the back of your hand, noticing that you were sweating a little and wiping the tears from your eyes. Lowering your head, you didn’t want to turn around and let him see you at your most vulnerable. “Love...” he calls out, not sure if he should hold you. He’s so respectful of your boundary and the relationship is new to the two of you.

Eventually, you turn around and bury your face in his chest, wrapping your arms around him. He is obviously not used to being shown affection as often growing up, slowly putting his arms around you as well. He waits patiently, letting you take your time to talk about your nightmare. A few minutes later, you pull away from the warmth of his body, his hands still on your shoulders as you pull yourself together. “I.... I had a nightmare...” you began. V doesn’t say anything, letting you explain what you’re comfortable with sharing.

“We were fighting Urizen... Everyone’s just on the ground and it was the two of us fighting him, trying to hold him off. You told me to grab everyone and get them to safety. I had to do it one by one and then some time later, your bird started helping. I-I turned around to help you and....”

You are trying so hard to hold back tears, V’s hands went to your face to wipe away any that falls. You take a deep breath, finishing the rest of the dream.

“He took you, V.... Urizen, he.... I felt so helpless, trying to stop him from hurting you. You were dying right before my eyes and....” You start sobbing, burying your face in your hands and V quickly pulls you in, holding you tightly. Shadow brushes his face against your leg and you can hear the Griffon flying around and shifting, coming inside the mobile home. “Shh, shh. It’s just fiction,” V comforted, stroking your hair, and you can feel his jaw lock. Tension. The nightmare bothered him too, hearing it from you, but your comfort comes first. He pulls away, trying to get a good look on your face and leans in, brushing your lips with his as if he’s asking for permission. You lean in, pressing your lips against his, his arms cradling your body. A few seconds later, the both of you pull away, your worries easing a bit. You smile at him, holding his hands and squeezing it, asking, “Can you read me a few poems from your book?” V nods, taking out his book, and replied, “As you wish, love.”

A/N: Whew, that was long. I hope you like it! Let me know if you want me to expand on some more characters or something. ^_^

[fictionkinfessionsarchived]

some meow-plies! [meow replies] [im a cat!]

Anonymous said: hey! sorry if this is a bother but i noticed in a recent kinfession (/post/180307393367) you tagged it as "regularshowkin" when I'm pretty sure that source is the amazing world of gumball :o

Oh thanks! I didn’t get anything from searching gumball so I kinda hoped regular show it the bill! Alas, it’s from a totally different duck! It’s fixed now! Thanks again! :3

   Anonymous said:    hey so, you dont want us using our urls in our confessions, but what about those of us who have a tag and later claimed a sideblog with that tag as the name, for archiving our stuff?    Anonymous said:    url question anon here: i think i made a typo, archiving**

This is mostly covered in #7 and #8 and G1 in the guidelines, both of which are on this page: http://fictionkinfessions.tumblr.com/customtags But basically no! Just straight up no! And I hope that could be left at that! Please don’t abuse the customtag option! If you start using a customtag as a url I’m not posting anything else from you! Otherwise things get confusing for people who think this is a call blog instead of just a kinfession blog, and I hate dashing their hopes of sending kin calls! :S

   Anonymous said:    hey party cat! any idea if you might be needing admins to help out sometime in the future? i'd honestly really love to help out if you need it ;v;

You're nice and appreciate the gesture, but I don't think I can promise making you an admin? I don’t know who you are? I'm not comfortable handing this blog over to a complete stranger!

   Anonymous said:    so i know yall tag ableist words and such which i love greatly, but could yall also tag uhhm like. all mentions of mental health? specifically because my brain struggles to determine between "theyre saying this in an ableist way/edgy way" and "the character/their canon has this mental disruption" & the former is pretty triggering ): i know how hard it can be for others too, esp if youre not familiar with the source, so could you tag all mental health, like as mental health cw? thank you!

Oh I have great news! The tag for mentions of mental health is '#mental health issue'! Please add that to whatever blacklist you have! Also there's two whole lists of tags used here for black listing! This one is the all purpose tags: http://fictionkinfessions.tumblr.com/b And this one is specifically for injuries / physical trauma: http://fictionkinfessions.tumblr.com/ib Also, for fun reading, we use 'issue' in tags sometimes instead of CW [content warning] for reasons explained in this post: http://fictionkinfessions.tumblr.com/post/175265877469/anonymous-said-why-is-everything-about-thing

Anonymous said: hi mod party cat! im bad reading comprehension anon, and i feel like my big paragraph caused a misunderstanding: i know now the diff between signatures and CTs, i was just wondering if im allowed for my signature to be a tag now since i didnt know before! ive read the page but maybe i missed if thats on there. again, regardless of your answer, thank you for the time! and sorry if this is just more confusing or if i missed the point. love u

I think I was confused but I understand now? If you want a signature to be a custom tag, please simply add a hastag to it! You could even have the same signature and hastag at the same time, provided you poke on a hastag for the custom tag!

So if you start using an old signature for new customtag, that would be fine! Just provided it's not a blog url, slur, commonly used tag to avoid tag clutter, etc! I mean you already read the page, I don't have to repeat it fur you! x3

Anonymous said: Hey, could @beeboies get unblocked? I dont think i did anything wrong??? I havent posted nsfw or something similar to that, nor anything else in the rules?? I tried to send a confession but then I noticed I got blocked, and if I did do something wrong I didnt notice?

Oh sorry about that! I might have blocked you for being a blank blog! A lot of time sp*m blogs will follow a ton of people before reblogging with their s/pa/m links and so I block those on sight! You're unblocked now!

Anonymous said: I can't remember if I asked this already but I sent in a response relating to a ... kin, can you delete it? I recently found out it was sent by someone who's been harassing me

I'm so sorry anon! I've deleted that response and blocked those blogs! Please let me know if there's anyone else to block! It's always horrendous when some kinfessions become honey pots like that! I hope you're feeling better by now! :s

Mod Party Cat!

[drferox]

20 Questions with Dr Ferox #13: Euthanasia

There are lots of questions you Vetlings have wanted to ask about euthanasia, and a few added comments. I don’t know how long you’ve been holding onto your questions or fears but I do think it’s a good idea to talk abut this topic occasionally. In day to day life we’re fairly removed from the reality of death, but talking about it before hand often smooths the was when the time comes for our own pets. For those that have recently witnessed euthanasia for their pet, talking about it after the fact can help too.

If you don’t want to touch this topic, check that you’re blacklisting ‘pet death’ and don’t read below the cut.

Anonymous said: Do you know if it's scary for an animal when it's being euthanized?

It's unlikely that animals feel any particular fear about the euthanasia itself. The solution used for euthanasia is an anaesthetic overdose, an anaesthetic that used to be used on humans, but with a non-lethal effect. Humans describe becoming briefly light headed before falling unconscious. Our pets are likely to experience the same thing, only they don't wake up because we use a massive overdose.

The car ride might be scary. Being on the table might be scary. Touching the animal's feet often upsets them more than the euthanasia itself. It should be no more stressful than any other vet visit.

Anonymous asked: Can you describe how does an animal respond to euthanasia/what signs do you look for to see if it's working?

The euthanasia solution, which is an anaesthetic overdose, is administered intravenously. Some animals just drop dead in as little as ten seconds, the so-called 'falling off the needle'. Some animals lick their lips before they fall unconscious, and it's possible they somehow 'taste' the solution in their blood stream, but this is only for a few seconds before they become unconscious. Sometimes an animal will shiver as it falls unconscious, and occasionally we will see hackles rise or tails fluff up. Their eyes generally stay open. I can usually see them stop breathing within the first 20-30 seconds.

Sometimes they will let go of their bladder or bowel. Sometimes we will see an 'agonal gasp', which is a series of sudden, sharp, deep breaths that occur as the heart stops. If this happens the patient is definitely dead, but it startles owners.

Then I check the heart beat, because it will have stopped by now. Sometimes I check the corneal reflex, but I often don't need to do that in front of owners at that stage.

@raxacoricofabulous said: Euthanasia question: how do you handle it when something goes wrong? ( like solution going outside the vein and is painful or the animal spasms - basically what do you say when the procedure is not as peaceful as the clients expected). Thank you so much!

I pre-warn clients about the agonal gasp. Then if it happens I can simply say “That’s the gasp I warned you might happen, and is completely normal.”

I routinely test the vein before injecting, a touch of paranoia is always worthwhile, but if solution is injected outside the vein I will usually withdraw, explain the patient’s vein isn’t very good and their blood pressure is low, and that we need to swap sides/veins. If the animal is inclined to freak out anyway a happy dose of sedatives before hand is very useful.

Paranoia and double checking is highly recommended to prevent this, so it’s very rare for something like this to happen.

Anonymous said: Question about the euthanasia. My teacher said that sometimes it's possible that the animal and moan and twitch after being injected. Is that true as well, or do I have a dud of a teacher? (Well, he's getting fired after this semester so we know he's a dud....)

Some animals with a good set of lungs with moan or groan softly as part of their agonal gasp, especially if they had laryngeal paralysis of any kind. It's very awkward when this happens, but the animal is already dead and not conscious in any way. You can also get some muscle spasms, twitching or hair standing up on end, though this is usually subtle.

You should not have an animal paddling, this is a possibly conscious reaction. They should not be vocalising either, both of these symptoms suggest that at least part of the brain is still doing its thing, and the animal is actually either in stage 3 anaesthesia, the excitement phase, or something else is wrong. More green dream required.

@ mystidarkness said: For your euthanasia question list:   How do you go about euthanizing small animals such as mice/rats?   How about reptiles? And birds?

Small and exotic animals can present a challenge for euthanasia, because they are difficult to gain intravenous access to for administration of the anaesthetic overdose. Generally speaking, is an animal is so small they are too difficult to get a vein on easily, they are anaesthetised first with a gaseous anaesthetic, and then administered the euthanasia solution either into the heart, kidney, liver or peritoneum depending on the species. Some species may have an easier accessible vein once they are already under anaesthetic, particularly wildlife, so sometimes this is used. Once they're already under anaesthesia, they're not going to feel any pain from an injection outside the vein.

Reptiles can be a bit funny because of how much they can slow down their metabolism. Some clinics will elect to pith reptiles after they're anaesthetised, which destroys their brain stem, in order to be certain. They will also often not chill or freeze the reptile initially, because you can't be certain that it's definitely dead if it's cold.

Anonymous said: My question on euthanasia is based on reptiles. How do vets decide its time for something that doesn't really present emotion like big mammals, or even rodents? We didn't see much change in our beardie before she passed and I wanted to know what signs you guys look for?

It is very challenging in species with no behavioural queues, or which have queues which are difficult to interpret. We have to rely on medical indications. If it has pathology that would be known to be painful or sickening in a mammal, assume the reptile feels the same. If they are losing weight, less active, exhibiting less of their normal behaviour or stop eating, they all may be signs that euthanasia is indicated.

@fkphotos said: Euthanasia question: why do some vets not allow people to be with their animals when they're doing it, is it a personal thing or is there some logistical issue with having owners present at euthanasia? I've had two pets put down due to severe incurable illness, one hedgehog and one cat. I was with the cat when she passed, but my hedgehog vet would not let me be with my hedgehog. It's something I've never quite forgiven myself for, that I wasn't there for him.

While I have not treated or euthanised a hedgehog (Australia. Illegal), they do not strike me as having any easily accessible veins in a conscious animal, and so may need to be euthanised by gaseous anaesthetic, followed by an intra-cardiac injection. The anaesthetic gas is a bit of a health and safety risk, and watching your pet get an injection into the heart is... uh... kind of not great for most people. While I give my clients the option to stay, most leave after the pocket pet is unconscious, since that’s the part that matters anyway. It still all happens very fast, they don’t know why they get light headed and then sleepy.

Anonymous asked: Is euthanising a bird the best thing to do for it? I've seen chickens and pigeons euthanised on a number of occasions, and the bird was injected intracranially each time. I think I remember you saying that euthanasia solution was highly irritant to tissues, so would injecting the animal in this was cause unnecessary pain and suffering, or is it impractical to inject a bird intravenously?

There aren't any sensory nerves inside the brain, there's not actually the receptors there to feel anything, and barbituate straight into your brain is going to render you dead fairly rapidly.

That said, it's not my preferred method of euthanasia for birds.  I prefer to use anaesthetic gas, and then either an intravenous injection in larger birds or intra-cardiac in smaller birds once they're unconscious. I am not personally comfortable with intra-cranial anything.

@cellmemebrane asked: Sorry is this is a little morbid but do rat guillotines actually exist? I read it in the guide but im not sure if people (probably just labs) actually use that

They do exist (you can google them if you’re curious), but they are basically for laboratory medicine only, when rats and small animals need to be killed without damaging tissues. This is laboratory equipment, not part of veterinary practice and while death is rapid it’s...well... literally a guillotine.

Anonymous asked: i have a question about euthanasia. i had an old cat put down, and i've always been worried that she was in pain. They injected her in her heart because there were no usable veins. Are animals in pain when they get euthanized?

If she was fully conscious, then an injection passing through your chest wall and into your heart is expected to hurt. Not so much the euthanasia solution itself, but the needle track. If her consciousness was altered or if she was sedated or anaesthetised, she is unlikely to have felt anything.

@ destiny-n-chicken asked: First year vet student here. I recently read your post explaining euthanasia solution, how it is an extreme tissue irritant and how it hurts. I've known this but before now I've never considered it past making sure the catheter is in correctly. We were taught how to do intrahepatic and intrarenal injections of euthanasol as other options for euthanasia, and I was curious if these would hurt the animal like it hurts if you aren't in the vein while attempting to euthanize IV.

It can a little bit, but both of those organs are so vascular that induction of anaesthesia is likely to still be quite fast, and most of their sensory neurons are located in the capsule, not the parenchyma of the organ. It’s not a bad second or third choice. Diluting the euthanasia solution can reduce the potential sting.

Anonymous asked: Hi Doc, I wanted to ask--how often are at-home euthanasias performed? What are the criteria? I was thinking about it because one of my cats is always really afraid when I take her to the vet. She's young and in good health but I had a terrible vision of taking her in for euthanasia when she gets old or if she gets really sick and of her being terrified until the end.

For our clinic an at-home euthanasia has to be organized ahead of time, not last minute, not an emergency and not with a super aggressive animal. We have to make sure we have enough staff working so that there are at least two people free to go on the house call, and at least two remaining in the clinic. So for us, weekday appointments booked a few days before are what we require. We usually require pre-payment too because the absolute last thing you want to do after having your pet put to sleep at home is to call the clinic with your credit card details.

Anonymous asked: I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for in terms of the euthanasia questions, but I was just wondering if, as the vet, its ever okay to cry/be emotional while euthanising an animal? I'm a vet student in year 2 of 5 so haven't yet had any teaching on the matter but I was wondering about your opinion? I can see it depending on the client as some may see it as wholly unprofessional while others may appreciate that you feel their loss too maybe? I'm not sure!

My personal rule is to not be more emotional than the animal's own humans. It's okay to feel what you feel, but you can't let your emotions become the most important ones in the room. You, we, are here to do a job. That's taking care of the animal first, the people second, and yourself third. If you can just keep your emotions from taking over for ten minutes, you can handle them all then.

It's important to feel, you don't want to become dead to emotions. That's not good for your brain. But you do need to learn to reign them in for short periods of time. This isn't just limited to sadness, but everything else veterinary medicine makes us feel: Anxiety, anger, fear and sorrow.

Anonymous asked: How do you cope with euthanizing animals, especially when that animal was someone's pet? We recently put our dog to sleep and it was a really traumatic experience for us and I'm just wondering how you cope with seeing people mourn and how you frame euthanasia in your mind. Love the blog!

It's always sad, but I remind myself, and sometimes the people, that the reason this event is so sad is because they loved their pet so much. The sadness is only here because the life of that animal was full of love, and that's the important part. Yes, it sucks, and it's going to feel bad, but only because something wonderful was here in the first place.

Anonymous said: A shy vetling has a euthanasia question if you have time. I am a current vet student, and I handle PTS with other vets alone very well, it's easy to be calm and professional when everyone around you is. But I find PTS with the owners present very distressing. I have a pragmatic view on life, and I even fight furiously that euthanasia is a very good option in many cases. But when the owners are crying I stop seeing the patient and start feeling their loss. How did you control that as a student?

Hello Shyling. I don't recommend trying to not feel. I recommend trying to let yourself feel, but later. I find it helps to focus on the disease/pathology early on, but at this stage of my life I have a mental script I run through for euthanasia. I can basically do a euthanasia consult on auto-pilot if I need to, I can just default to my mental script.

If you're having trouble try not to look at human faces. Focus on the patient, on the illness. Especially don't look kids in the eyes if you think you're about to break, because crying children will get you every time. Remember that you only have to hold yourself together for ten minutes to get the job done, then you can go feel whatever you were going to feel without interfering with the owner's own grief.

@cscorlis said: Re euthanasia: In your experience, how often does an animal survive the first dose of drugs? When we put down my family dog years ago, she still had a heartbeat after the first dose and the vet had to go out of the room to get another vial, so I'm curious as to whether it's common for them to react differently to the stuff. (Question tax: My headcanon is that you never play healers in D&D because it's too much like your day job).

Not often with me because I am overly generous with the death juice. Sometimes the very old, very sick, very frightened or otherwise cardiovascularly compromised patients will only be anaesthtised, not euthanised, on a standard dose. Sometimes they will pass on their own after a few minutes, sometimes they need a few extra milliliters of euthanasia solution. Most animals are at least peacefully anaesthetised by this stage, and if you were willing to wait hours would probably then pass on their own, but that’s not ideal.

I try not to play healers, but when I do I twist them in some way. You can do some evil things with healing.

Euth question: I've heard that horses will fight the "green dream", and that a shotgun is quicker and less painful. I know horses aren't your area, but what are your thoughts on this?

Shotguns are fast, if the shooter has a clue what they’re doing. I do not recommend the inexperienced shoot a horse because it’s not as simple as ‘in the head’ for a clean death.

It’s not so much that horses always ‘fight’ the green dream (euthanasia solution), it’s just that they’re so big, and dangerous when they fall or trip out, that’s it’s physically difficult to give them the solution rapidly enough to make them just drop and not paddle those dangerous legs of theirs. You are basically racing to pump the drug in before the horse gets high. This is easier in older or sicker horses, but is still not as controlled as a smaller animal.

Anonymous asked: Euthanasia Q: Why do some animals have body movements (wheezing, limb twitching, urination/defecation, etc.) after death, but others don't? I think I vaguely know why it happens when it does happen, but wondering why some cases don't experience this at all.

The answer depends on the body activity. All animals let go of their bladder and bowels when they die, it’s just that many of them are already ‘empty’ when they do so, so there’s nothing to come out. Most animals twitch or shiver a little bit, but it’s subtle and easy to overlook.

Whether you get agonal gasping or larger twitched basically depends on  how rapidly the euthanasia solution went in and reached the brain. Animals with weak hearts, who have been very sick, or who are in a panic often redistribute a smaller percentage of the solution directly to their brain, and are more likely to show these movements. They’re not conscious movements though, they’re only reflexes. Obese animals often require a higher dose to get the same effect too, because the euthanasia solution likes to dissolve in fat.

Anonymous asked: I have...a question...i keep rats and plan to keep them for a long period of time, so i will likely see many deaths. I have come to peace with this bc i know im giving them the best life. My issue is what to do with the body. It feels wrong to just throw them away, and i dont really want to donate them to universities bc i dont think that would give me enough closure. But im in college and will likely move around so i have no yard for burials. Can you think of any other options? Have a great day

If you don’t want to bury them at home, a vet clinic can arrange burial with whatever company they use, or private cremation if you want to keep the tiny little ashes of your rats with you. Many companies here have little miniature urns, hearts and lockets for pocket pets for this purpose.

Anonymous asked: If the owner doesn't want the body or there is no owner, what happens to the animal after euthanasia?

This will depend on the crematorium company the clinic uses. If there’s no owner we usually wait a few weeks, just in case someone comes forward, and if the animal was microchipped every effort is made to contact the owners. Failing that, bodies are either sent for communal burial (unmarked graves) or group cremation and scattering.