Well going on the HUGE cracks on the windscreen of the Ford Ranger and the speed that they both collided with each other at PLUS that the neck of the cats was well and truly shattered, not broken, I'd say death was instantaneous.

BUDGIE I feel your pain. Part of loving a dog or catis knowing from the moment you get them that a sad day will come. I have, after 50 years of multiplie dogs, Always had to look back & know I waited too long because I could not face that day.

@AnneWimsey I know I did not wait too long but I wanted to wait so much longer.

When one was a pup she injured her leg and could not walk on it, took her to a vet who just gave her anti- inflamatories and took and xray. Took her and the xray to my chiro and basically told him if you can not do anything tell me so I can take her to the vets to be put down she can not live in this much pain. I was in tears, he looked at the xray gently moved her leg (she was so trusting and never got snippy but it must have hurt) did some manipulations on it.
Told me to give it until Monday (it was a Friday) and to keep up the painkillers and anti inflammatories. I was carrying her outside as watching her limp and only want to take a few steps was too much. On Monday when I got home from work she took a few wobbly steps towards me using all four legs I rang the chiro in tears again telling him she was walking. She made a nearly fulll recovery until old age and arthritis set in (yup that joint)

Turns out in their front leg at the "knee/elbow" they have a bone spur that slots into a hole in the other bone. Hers were out of alignment meaning every time she tried to straighten her leg it hurt., when it moved it hurt, never went back to that vet. Also sent them a message of how badly they misdiagnosed my dog.