- Joined
- Dec 30, 2018
- Messages
- 331
This week, I had one of the most distressing experiences in over 30 years of veterinary practice.
A Shih Tzu came for a detailed consult for holistic treatment for chronic disease conditions. I reviewed the records prior to the appointment. The dog was last seen in August of 2018, and she had multiple serious problems at that time - glaucoma, atopy, weight loss, adrenal and splenic tumours. There had been no vet visits since then.
I was aghast when I saw the condition of this poor creature. She was emaciated. At 17 lbs she was described as underweight; she was now barely above 10 pounds. She could not rise, let alone walk. She was completely hairless, with pressure sores on her limbs which her caretaker had wrapped. She wore a diaper at all times. Her eyes had been removed because of the glaucoma, so she had no vision. Her skin was taut over the contours of her skull, and all of her bones were visible. When I touched her she screamed and snapped; emaciated animals are often painful. Her abdomen was grossly distended.
As a vet, it is important to have deep compassion for both animals and people, but this sight strained my ability to maintain unconditional positive regard toward the little dog's caretaker. I had to pause, breathe deeply, and remember that people can have difficulty seeing the condition of their beloved animal clearly. There was no doubt in my mind that this young woman deeply loved this dog. While I was staring at her pet in disbelief, she was telling me all the things she was doing for the little dog.
I nodded in understanding, and when she paused, I asked, "What does your little girl enjoy doing?" The young woman said "She still eats. And today, she rocked back and forth. She never did that much." I gently explained that her beloved dog was essentially living in a box, with no ability to do anything or move, and that her body was consuming itself because she wasn't able to take in enough food. I asked her if she would want to live like this. She quickly answered no, but that she had hoped that I could help since the dog was still eating. I explained that I might have been able to do something six or eight months ago, but not now. Any attempt at treatment at this point would be abusive, as the dog's condition was so grave.
After more calm and kind discussion, this woman finally understood the severity of her dog's condition, and agreed to allow us to euthanise her dog. This was the first time in my life that I have told someone that euthanasia was essential, and I hope it is the last time I need to say it. The euthanasia procedure was smooth and painless, and I felt immense relief for the little dog. The caretaker was still in denial, and we talked more afterwards, about how hard it is to recognize when a loved one is severely and terminally ill.
The vision of that poor suffering creature is seared on my mind. Every vet has seen abuse cases, and this was an abuse case where the caretaker had loving intentions, and inability to see the needs of the living being in front of her.
My intention in posting this is to show that euthanasia can be part of holism. Often, with holistic medicine, my clients have been able to support their animals in a comfortable state until the animals died on their own. That is not always the case, and I discuss when euthanasia is the holistic choice with all of my pet parents. In this case, euthanasia was obviously left too late; when is it appropriate?
Everyone has their own thoughts regarding the timing of euthanasia. I have a few guidelines that I discuss with people, based on what I feel is respectful of the life and soul of the animal.
* Is the patient interested in eating? [Not just tiny tidbits, but enough to maintain near normal body weight.]
* Is the patient able to stay reasonably clean? [Cats, especially hate to be dirty, but most dogs are not keen on 24/7 diapering.]
* Is the patient able to do the things he / she likes to do? [Even a short walk, or using stroller part of the time, is still a stimulating walk!]
* Is the patient reasonably comfortable? [Pain makes no sense to animals.]
* Is the patient able to have fun? [A dog or cat that doesn't have pleasures is not having a good life.]
* Are the good days more numerous than the bad days? [All elderly or ill animals will have the occasional bad day.]
My clients are deeply caring people, and they understand that we may have to make that final difficult choice for our loved ones. I encourage people whose animals are nearing the end to discuss the situation with their animal and let them know that they, the caretaker, are ready to let their beloved friend go, if the animal is ready to leave their physical body. I have seen a number of animals "let go" when they realise their person was going to be OK without them. I encourage all clients to give themselves periodic reality checks of the situation by reviewing the questions above, and any criteria that are more specific to their beloved friend.
Thank you for listening and reading. This is one of the most difficult topics for everyone who loves animals.
A Shih Tzu came for a detailed consult for holistic treatment for chronic disease conditions. I reviewed the records prior to the appointment. The dog was last seen in August of 2018, and she had multiple serious problems at that time - glaucoma, atopy, weight loss, adrenal and splenic tumours. There had been no vet visits since then.
I was aghast when I saw the condition of this poor creature. She was emaciated. At 17 lbs she was described as underweight; she was now barely above 10 pounds. She could not rise, let alone walk. She was completely hairless, with pressure sores on her limbs which her caretaker had wrapped. She wore a diaper at all times. Her eyes had been removed because of the glaucoma, so she had no vision. Her skin was taut over the contours of her skull, and all of her bones were visible. When I touched her she screamed and snapped; emaciated animals are often painful. Her abdomen was grossly distended.
As a vet, it is important to have deep compassion for both animals and people, but this sight strained my ability to maintain unconditional positive regard toward the little dog's caretaker. I had to pause, breathe deeply, and remember that people can have difficulty seeing the condition of their beloved animal clearly. There was no doubt in my mind that this young woman deeply loved this dog. While I was staring at her pet in disbelief, she was telling me all the things she was doing for the little dog.
I nodded in understanding, and when she paused, I asked, "What does your little girl enjoy doing?" The young woman said "She still eats. And today, she rocked back and forth. She never did that much." I gently explained that her beloved dog was essentially living in a box, with no ability to do anything or move, and that her body was consuming itself because she wasn't able to take in enough food. I asked her if she would want to live like this. She quickly answered no, but that she had hoped that I could help since the dog was still eating. I explained that I might have been able to do something six or eight months ago, but not now. Any attempt at treatment at this point would be abusive, as the dog's condition was so grave.
After more calm and kind discussion, this woman finally understood the severity of her dog's condition, and agreed to allow us to euthanise her dog. This was the first time in my life that I have told someone that euthanasia was essential, and I hope it is the last time I need to say it. The euthanasia procedure was smooth and painless, and I felt immense relief for the little dog. The caretaker was still in denial, and we talked more afterwards, about how hard it is to recognize when a loved one is severely and terminally ill.
The vision of that poor suffering creature is seared on my mind. Every vet has seen abuse cases, and this was an abuse case where the caretaker had loving intentions, and inability to see the needs of the living being in front of her.
My intention in posting this is to show that euthanasia can be part of holism. Often, with holistic medicine, my clients have been able to support their animals in a comfortable state until the animals died on their own. That is not always the case, and I discuss when euthanasia is the holistic choice with all of my pet parents. In this case, euthanasia was obviously left too late; when is it appropriate?
Everyone has their own thoughts regarding the timing of euthanasia. I have a few guidelines that I discuss with people, based on what I feel is respectful of the life and soul of the animal.
* Is the patient interested in eating? [Not just tiny tidbits, but enough to maintain near normal body weight.]
* Is the patient able to stay reasonably clean? [Cats, especially hate to be dirty, but most dogs are not keen on 24/7 diapering.]
* Is the patient able to do the things he / she likes to do? [Even a short walk, or using stroller part of the time, is still a stimulating walk!]
* Is the patient reasonably comfortable? [Pain makes no sense to animals.]
* Is the patient able to have fun? [A dog or cat that doesn't have pleasures is not having a good life.]
* Are the good days more numerous than the bad days? [All elderly or ill animals will have the occasional bad day.]
My clients are deeply caring people, and they understand that we may have to make that final difficult choice for our loved ones. I encourage people whose animals are nearing the end to discuss the situation with their animal and let them know that they, the caretaker, are ready to let their beloved friend go, if the animal is ready to leave their physical body. I have seen a number of animals "let go" when they realise their person was going to be OK without them. I encourage all clients to give themselves periodic reality checks of the situation by reviewing the questions above, and any criteria that are more specific to their beloved friend.
Thank you for listening and reading. This is one of the most difficult topics for everyone who loves animals.
