Is There A Doctor In The House?, reliable information required Options

[Miss Mew]

After reading posts from Kat and Punky's Mom, I am feeling serioulsly panicked and paranoid about euthanasia. I was with Miss Mew when she passed on October 1st-she was over 21 years old. The vet administered gas first via a mask, then the injection. She could not find a vein in her paw and had to use the jugular vein at her throat, but because she was so heavily sedated it was quick and peaceful. When I asked the vet why not use this approach for all feline euthanasia, she said because it was more expensive???? Prior to the procedure I had asked her, " if this was your cat how would you proceed? " I beleive it added $35.00 to my bill, a very, very small price to ensure that Miss Mew had an easy passing.
Now we have 3 other cats, all teenagers, but an elderly German Shepherd named Mik who is 14 years old. He has been battling Degenerative Myelopathy for the last 2 years but eventually this disease will win. He is alert, aware, healthy other than this degeneration of his spinal chord that is slowly but surely paralysing his hind quarters. He also weighs approx. 100 pounds. My husband and I have had to discuss final arrangements for him and we thought that we had all the bases covered, but now I am not so sure. We both want him to be sedated first because whether it happens at home or in a clinic, he will be anxious. What type of sedation is recommended? After what I have read here, it seems that sometimes sedation produces more problems than it solves. My husband's pharmacist told him that 2 Nytol tablets given a half hour before the appointment would be adequate- could this be the answer? Others have described how the euthanasia solution is given through an IV catheteror by syringe. Is one procedure easier for the animal than the other?
Please , I don't wish to inflict fresh pain on anyone, but many of us at LS are owned by surviving members of our animal family and we will have to face the god awful prospect of euthanasia again and again. So are there any Vets out there who read our posts or can give us some guidelines?
A couple of months ago, in an e-mail to one of the members here, I admitted to wishing that there was a legal barbituate that we could safely give our pets that would garantee them a peaceful and painless passing, and I felt somewhat ashamed of expressing that thought. Since we don't have that miracle potion, then are we not entitled to better information so that can make the best possible decision for our Furkids? I feel that we are their caretakers during their earthly existence and we owe it to them.
I apologize to anyone who may find this post macabre, but I am so worried about Mik now and feeling very anxious about how we should proceed when the time comes. Any advice or insight would be most welcome.
Nicole