I was thinking about this. The sight of my dog thrashing around while being euthanized would haunt me forever.

My vets' policy is to sedate and even pre-sedate if the owner wants. The sedation is an injection, and as I noted earlier, I gave my dog an Acepromazine (in a wad of brownies ) before the vet showed up.

That's how strongly my vets feel about sedation. I guess it depends on what you want. But even at the ER where one of my dogs was euthanized after she collapsed due to CHF, they sedated first. If they weren't inclined to, I would have insisted on it.

If nothing else, I think this thread should make every owner discuss this topic AT LENGTH with your vet. Then, be sure that it's charted in your pets' charts. AND wherever you keep all of your pets' medical records (and emergency info, like whom to call in an emergency), write down exactly what you want. When you walk into an emergency room, you should bring that information (every time). Things can happen very quickly in an emergency clinic and sometimes, decisions get made while you're stunned and in a fog. If you have information written down, you can hand the piece of paper to the vet.

(Along these sorts of lines, the DVD, 911! - BE PREPARED! EMERGENCIES AND THE EMERGENCY ROOM http://www.dogwise.com/itemdetails.cfm?ID=DN306 discusses a lot of the issues that dog owners don't even realize can arise until they're in the emergency clinic and their brains are flooded with information faster than they can absorb them. I think this DVD is worth watching a couple times so that you can think through what your plans would be under different scenarios and WRITING THEM DOWN. Highly recommended.)

Ok. Sorry for the threadjack. Back to the topic at hand.

Unfortunately, our first dog was the victim of a botched euthansia. Our regular vet wasn't there that day and the vet that was there was someone we hadn't seen before. She wasn't a new vet, just new to the practice. Due to unusual circumstances, we chose not to wait the few days until our regular vet returned (big mistake).

I had never had to put a dog down but I was with a friend when her dog was PTS so I thought I knew what to expect. I still don't know exactly what the vet did wrong - only that as I was holding him, she inserted the needle several times then started apologizing and suddenly there was blood squirting all over the walls and me and the vet tech I knew pretty well came running in and meanwhile I'm sobbing and holding on to Cody who wasn't struggling but I'll never forget him looking at me -it was just horrible!! I honestly don't remember all that was said and done after that -but I do remember being told that unfortunately that can happen and I was too upset to argue, I just wanted him to be at peace. She left the practice soon after - I didn't go back until she did.

When Belle went to the bridge, it was quick and peaceful and it was at the hands of a vet who knew what she was doing. The only pain was ours at losing her.

That is not what I read the post (2 back) to say.
What it said to me is that 1. sometimes the body reacts although the dog is not aware of it (and that that is not necessarily the vet's fault)

OK, stop it with the blame game........
Everyone is willing to slam vets for "Botched" euthanasia's.
Why do you think that human doctors won't even broach that field????
They don't want to touch that with a 10 foot pole.
They aren't getting involved in our views of acceptable euthanasia for pets versus acceptable euthanasia of humans.
I bet if euthanasia was readily available to humans, then,you would find that people also don't always die peacefully, sedate or not.
Sometimes they would just slip away... sometimes, their nerves would react, and sometimes, their central nervous system would kick in, and even though they were long gone, their body would gasp for 20 minutes. ( Want to go there with me??)
As for the vets who can't find the veins....
It is much harder to hit a vein on a down, sick animal than it is on an active one.
Perhaps the vet you had try to do it was young, and realized that she couldn't do this part of the job. Forgive her.
The many tears I have cried with my clients only strengthen my bond with them, and help them to know that someone else feels the passing.
My best friend, and boss, couldn't hit the vein on my girl, and she too, looked into my eyes while that was happening and you know what I saw? (I heard I'm sorry too)
My pain ridden girl, trying to figure out who I was, and trying to trust me, because she never moved once.
I remember my heart leaving before she did, because I couldn't show her that I would let her down.
I remember her screaming once the injection was in, and knowing that she didn't know that she was doing it.
I remember the kicks, and Wendy telling me she was holding on to the end...
And then I remember only peace, when Katchia just let go, and loved me one last time.
She loved me until the end, and in the end, I got to see her one last time.
I wouldn't trade that moment ever.
If that is what comes with my decision over my pack, then I'm there till the end, no matter what it brings.
What right do I have to let that moment pass???