The veterinary forms of the drug are also still used in either the sterile injectable form for anaesthesia, or a non-sterile form (Valabarb or Lethabarb) for animal euthanasia.
The sterile form of this veterinary barbiturate is marketed in small, sealed 100ml bottles that are protected with a metal seal. This metal cap makes tampering obvious. The Nembutal inside is a clear liquid with concentration of 60 mg/ml. Each 100ml bottle has a
Non-sterile coloured veterinary Nembutal (Lethabarb) total of 6 gm of Nembutal - enough to provide a peaceful death.
Non-sterile Nembutal liquid (‘Lethabarb’) is used for animal euthanasia, is colour dyed for safety, and has a much higher concentration of barbiturate (300mg/ml). 30ml taken orally is lethal.
NOTE: Both these forms of the drug display labelling - ‘For Animal Use ONLY’and ‘For Injection ONLY’. But the Nembutal liquid is lethal when taken orally by humans.
Pentobarb & Phenobarb – Confusing Names
Nembutal is the commercial or trade name for the barbiturate whose chemical name is pentobarbital (‘pent-o-barb-it-al’). This drug is different to another barbiturate called phenobarbital. Phenobarbital is a slow-acting drug, used predominantly as an anti-convulsant to stabilise people suffering from epilepsy.