Today I got the unpleasant news that 2 emergency at-home euthanasias, which had been scheduled early this morning, had died before we could even drive their way. These poor pets did not have a peaceful end, as we had planned, due to their owners waiting too long to make the decision. Every month we get these calls where people waited a day too late, instead of acting a week early & allowing their pet to have some peace & dignity at the end.
We always sedate pets heavily before the final injection of euthanasia solution, so the pet is feeling no pain & is unaware of what's happening. I tell the owners their pet is off running & playing & enjoying their new life over the rainbow bridge.
My advice to pet owners is to make plans to help your beloved pet pass gently & not die an agonal death at home. Usually, this crisis moment comes in the middle of the nite & no one is available, except at the emergency clinic. We get these messages every month on our voice mail. It is truly sad for us to hear those messages. Unfortunately, we can't be available 24/7. I especially feel bad for the poor pets.
If you have a pet who is declining & you wonder how to know when it is time, there is a "Quality of Life" scale that a wonderful organization has online......
http://www.lapoflove.com/Pet_Quality_of_Life_Scale.pdf
Followup......a 3rd person, who had requested an appt tomorrow, called to report his pet has just died & it was not a pleasant ending. Sad day.
ReplyDeleteAt least they tried, sort of, and hopefully next time they won't wait so long.
ReplyDeleteI hate the people who bring you their dying dog, and insist that instead of letting us euthanize it, they want to take it home to die.
It's like, why did you bring it to me in the first place, if you're not going to treat it or euthanize it humanely? You wanted to prompt me to tell you that your pet is suffering, so that you can give me some homily about how you just want to take them home so God can take them on his terms... please just stay home, don't drag me into it, because those cases suck the life out of me.
:(
ReplyDeleteI've learned to make my peace with it. It's a hard decision to make, being made by people who are emotional and usually have no medical training. I think euthanasia is a kinder death than nature usually gives us but animals and people have been dying naturally or millenia. I'm happy I can give owners and pets the option but except in cases where an animal is in extreme pain (which would usually be from an acute decompensation and nothing you can really plan for), I don't get more than a little sad when they die at home. They could have scheduled it a week earlier, but maybe that animal had some good times during that week. Ate a few more bites of steak, spent a few more afternoons on a lap. Death and end of life planning is a cloudy area. It's hard for me to say it's best for every owner to euthanize before anything bad could possibly happen.
ReplyDeleteA veterinarian recently shared this on a private list: "don't let his last day be his worst." So true.
ReplyDeletethank you so much for sharing our Lap of Love Quality of Life Scale. I tell families about this every day and every one says how helpful it was to help decide when to assist their pet's passing.
ReplyDeleteOur Lap of Love team tells families all the time, "better to help a friend a day too early than a second too late." Thank you for sharing our QOL scale, we hope it helps families decide to provide a peaceful end of life closure instead of an emergency one.
ReplyDeleteAfter helping four beloved dogs make their final journey, I've already learned to let go before the dog is suffering. With our fist dog, we waited too long. Sure, there were days he would wag his tail and recognize us, but I clung too fiercely to those days. One of the things on my own checklist now is to keep a daily log so that I can be honest about how many good days my dog is really having. I also consider a particular dog's ability to manage any sort of difficult recovery. Each dog is different and an honest owner knows which will bounce back and which will likely suffer. Must be hard to watch for you. I know I've had friends with very ill dogs and I just want to shake them and tell them to think about the dog instead of themselves.
ReplyDeleteJust recently, my 18 yr old cat collapsed with what seemed to be a stroke. Thank heaven for the 24 hr PetER nearby. I knew when I picked him up and held him [and he didn't struggle to get away -- he was NOT a lap cat!] that things were not good. I knew when was driving that this was likely his last journey, although it actually raised my hopes a little when he complained about the ride. We were able to get him to the ER quickly and get a thoughtful, caring consult...
ReplyDeleteSaddle clot, not stroke. That didn't change the outcome, but it did help to know.
I miss him dearly, but I knew we had to let him go. There were not going to be more "good days" on this side of the veil....
that is great, i really like your contribution. seems like you have done a great job Lost and found
ReplyDeleteThe worst is probably that people who do this don't mean to do wrong, but they can't let go and don't want to see what is happening. It's actually similar to relatives of dying humans. I really wish people would listen to what their veterinarians and doctors try to explain to them gently, and gather the courage to get over their selfishness. The more you love someone, the more you should have an interest in that beloved someone getting the best care, right? Sadly many individuals mistake "best care" for "life-prolonging means" at all costs. Sometimes, letting go is the hardest yet most logical and soimplest conclusion. It must have been frustrating to see those pets' decline and to be unable to help them find their peace.
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