Get ahead with VETAHEAD and join Dr. Laila Proença™ on 15 minutes of ZooMed (exotic animal medicine) content. Euthanasia is never easy — especially in reptiles, where vascular access can turn into a challenge and distressing scenes are the last thing you want during such a delicate moment. Today, le'ts dive into a new study testing transmucosal administration of pentobarbital and phenytoin as a potential alternative for bearded dragons.
Sounds great in theory, right? Less invasive, less stressful… except it turns out the road to a peaceful goodbye isn’t that simple. Between delayed cardiac arrest, distress behaviors, and some very questionable absorption, this method may not be the smooth solution we hoped for.
If you’ve ever wondered what really happens when you try this route or debated the best way to approach reptile euthanasia in front of an owner — this episode’s for you. Grab your coffee, and let’s unpack what works, what doesn’t, and why good intentions sometimes need a backup plan.
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