# Are Animals That Have Been 'Put To Sleep' Safe For Human Consumption? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 9, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848 "2004-11-09T16:06:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Surreal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@Surreal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surreal)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/1 "2004-11-09T16:06:20Z")
When sick pets are taken to a veterinarian in order to be ‘put to sleep’, what chemicals are injected into animals as they are euthanized? Do these compounds render the carcass unsafe for subsequent consumption?Would thorough cooking of the meat be sufficient to denature the toxins?? Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/2 "2004-11-09T16:12:37Z")
Craving Meow Mein again? ---
**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/3 "2004-11-09T17:42:08Z")
Well, Menchi **is** the emergency food supply. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/4 "2004-11-09T19:35:02Z")
Often the reason for putting the animal to sleep will render it poor eating, if the reason is old age or disease. ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/5 "2004-11-09T20:26:50Z")
> [@dogbutler](#): > > Craving Meow Mein again? Or he has a good recipe for woking his dog… ---
**Author:** ![Roches](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc8723/32.png) [@Roches](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roches)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/6 "2004-11-09T21:04:08Z")
Cooking might be enough to cause the agents used for euthanasia (barbiturates, mostly) to break down, though I’m not sure about that. Depending on the amount used and the size of the animal, you’d expect fairly low amounts of barbiturates in any amount someone might eat, and the agents would probably accumulate more in fatty tissue than in muscle. It’s possible, though, that you might consume an active dose of barbiturates, which could pose a problem if you plan to drive afterwards, especially if you consume alcohol. That being said, the reason why the animal was put down may render it unsuitable for consumption. Cows that have been put down, for example, are unfit for human consumption. And a lot of people, including myself, would argue that any animal that’s put to sleep at a vet’s office is inappropriate for human consumption, at least in our culture. If you live somewhere where you find vet’s offices and pets, you probably live somewhere that has supermarkets, and so you couldn’t argue desperation. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/7 "2004-11-09T21:16:44Z")
> [@dogbutler](#): > > Craving Meow Mein again? Chihuahua Mein. ---
**Author:** ![smilingscar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@smilingscar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smilingscar)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/8 "2004-11-09T21:53:36Z")
Surely the cost of euthanasia outweighs the average price of, say, a turkey from the supermarket. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/9 "2004-11-09T22:12:21Z")
> [@Roches](#): > > \Cows that have been put down, for example, are unfit for human consumption.\ Cows are generally aren’t put down with euthanasia. They’re generally shot, whether with a humane killer or a regular rifle. They’d be safe to eat if killed by those means, but by the time they’re sick enough to be killed rather than processed, they’re either so full of different drugs from treatment or so wasted from being ill that it’d be pointless to butcher them. The only exception to this would be a cow that was put down because of a broken leg or injury-related paralysis. Those are generally picked up by the “dead truck” though, going towards pet food. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/10 "2004-11-09T22:15:47Z")
Some animals are euthanized by a vaccuum chamber. Those should be sake to eat. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/11 "2004-11-09T23:13:21Z")
There was the recent story about the elk (moose?) that got its antlers tangled in electrical wires. It was still alive when they got it down, but IIRC it was injured and they decided to euthanize it. They mentioned that the carcass was disposed of rather than butchered and eaten because of the euthanizing drugs. ---
**Author:** ![charizard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/charizard/32/4166_2.png) [@charizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/charizard)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/12 "2004-11-09T23:29:10Z")
> [@Boyo Jim](#): > > Some animals are euthanized by a vaccuum chamber. Those should be sake to eat. No, sake is to drink. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2004, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/13 "2004-11-09T23:44:47Z")
Well I can’t understand why nobody fancies the hound marinaded in barbiturates - take-out and night-out in one! ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/14 "2004-11-10T00:04:59Z")
Consuming eauthanized pets? Sure brings a new meaning to eating pussy. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/15 "2004-11-10T01:08:44Z")
> [@dogbutler](#): > > Craving Meow Mein again? Soylent Green is Fluffy! ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/16 "2004-11-10T04:24:35Z")
> [@Miss Purl McKnittington](#): > > Cows are generally aren’t put down with euthanasia. They’re generally shot, whether with a humane killer or a regular rifle. They’d be safe to eat if killed by those means, but by the time they’re sick enough to be killed rather than processed, they’re either so full of different drugs from treatment or so wasted from being ill that it’d be pointless to butcher them. This doesn’t seem to be the case. The FDA investigated traces of euthanizing chemicals in pet food to determine where they came from (they were worried, it seems, that pet food manufacturers might be using put-to-sleep cats and dogs for kibble.) It turned out that the chemical was from dead horses and cattle which were euthanized, and then rendered into pet food. This is what the[FDA](http://www.fda.gov/fdac/departs/2002/302_upd.html#dog) said: > [@](#): > > Pentobarbital is an anesthetizing drug used for dogs and other animals, such as horses and cattle. Because it is also widely used for humane euthanasia of dogs, cats and other animals, the most likely way that pentobarbital could get into dog food would be in rendered animal products. Rendered products come from a process that converts animal tissues to feed ingredients. > > During the 1990s, the FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) received reports from veterinarians that pentobarbital seemed to be losing its effectiveness for anesthesia in dogs. Based on these reports, the center decided to investigate the theory that the dogs were exposed to pentobarbital through dog food, and that this exposure was making them less responsive to pentobarbital when it was used as a drug. > > \ > > As a result of their study, CVM scientists assume the source of the pentobarbital in dog food is cattle or horses euthanized and then rendered. [This page](http://www.fda.gov/cvm/efoi/DFreport.htm) states that the amount of the chemical is unlikely to harm your pet. > [@](#): > > For the purposes of CVM’s assessment the scientists assumed that at most, dogs would be exposed to no more than 4 micrograms/kilogram body weight/day based on the highest level of pentobarbital found in the survey of dog foods. In reality, dogs are not likely to consume that much. The high number was based on the assumption that the smallest dogs would eat dog food containing the greatest amount of pentobarbital detected in the survey of commercial pet foods-- 32 parts per billion. However, if, God forbid, you should ever have to put your pet down, some have suggested that the trace amounts in your pet’s body could cause them to suffer unecessarily. The FDA’s report does not address this concern. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/17 "2004-11-10T05:28:52Z")
[This Snopes link](http://www.snopes.com/critters/edibles/dogsoup.htm) seems relevant. ---
**Author:** ![Etherman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/958977/32.png) [@Etherman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Etherman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/18 "2004-11-10T05:31:11Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Consuming eauthanized pets? Sure brings a new meaning to eating pussy. You know, I like a good piece of tail as well as the next guy, but _damn_. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/19 "2004-11-10T14:06:19Z")
> [@Surreal](#): > > When sick pets are taken to a veterinarian in order to be ‘put to sleep’, what chemicals are injected into animals as they are euthanized? > Do these compounds render the carcass unsafe for subsequent consumption?Would thorough cooking of the meat be sufficient to denature the toxins?? Thanks. Why would anyone want to consume the remains of a sick pet?? Masochism? A fetish of some sort? Or a desire to keep the pet forever close? Weird! ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2004, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848/20 "2004-11-10T14:27:20Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Why would anyone want to consume the remains of a sick pet?? My boss told me about a previous shelter she worked at, in which someone brought them a couple of perfectly healthy goats and requested that they be euthanized. The shelter did it, but then the person asked for their carcasses back, and the shelter refused: as near as they could tell, this creep was using the animal shelter as a cheap way to slaughter his livestock, so he wouldn’t have to pay a slaughterhouse to do it. And that’s not the role of a humane society. So there are some people out there who’d want to eat an animal that was full of sodium pentobarbitol. Daniel [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-animals-that-have-been-put-to-sleep-safe-for-human-consumption/273848.md?page=2)