Rat euthanasia

Question
Hello

I recently had to put my beloved rat Rosie to sleep at the vets (UK based). I asked for her to first be gas anaesthetized before having the IC injection, and while the vet would not allow me to be present while anaesthetizing her, he agreed to let me hold her while he injected her.  I have had two of my other babies put to sleep this way so knew what to expect.  When the vet brought Rosie out (which was quicker than usual) I noticed she had a swelling, like rats get after an injection, positioned around the top of her tummy area.  I questioned what the lump was and he said "oh, its um..her sternum" which was absolute rubbish as it was so definitely not. I was wondering whether you know of vets that anaesthetize rats by needle, before administering the IC injection.  I am absolutely horrified at the thought he has done this instead of using gas (probably to save money).  Is there a way you can tell the difference between needle and gas anaesthetic? And is administering anaesthetic this way as excruciating as the IC injection?  I am in pieces about losing her - let alone like this.  Is it worth me complaining?  I know they wouldn't admit to it.  Also when I buried her a few hours later, there was a lot of blood coming out of her nose, which I haven't seen before with my other two?
Many thanks for your time.
Tracey

Answer
Hi Tracey,
I'm so sorry to hear you had to euthanize Rosie. I know this is a stressful decision. I do not think the vet administered an injection of anesthetic to Rosie. Most injectable anesthetics need to be put into a blood vessel. I can't see a vet making an injection in the chest area. Some rats do have a prominent sternum, which can sometimes only be felt when the rat is in a particular postion. Perhaps her sternum became more prominent after she was anesthetized and her body was soft.

As for the blood coming out of her nose, this can happen as the tissues begin to break down after death.

I have an article about euthanasia on my website at www.ratfanclub.org on the Rat Info page that you might want to read for future reference. Personally, as long as the rat is not have trouble breathing, the method I prefer is injecting the euthanasia solution into the abdominal cavity. This doesn't require the vet to hit the heart, and allows the rat to gradually drift off.

Please let me know if you have any more questions.
Deb