Vet Office Euthanasia Alternatives (reviews, veterinarians, aggressive, Cary)
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Or sometimes that 98-year-old has expressed a desire for everything possible to be done - or, as you say, has a DNR or living will indicating the opposite wish. But an animal has no voice or choice; we have to decide and speak for it. Each owner makes that choice and is free to; my concern is that this has become the norm and (I believe) that there's subtle pressure to conform to it. IMHO, just because something is now medically or technically possible doesn't mean it should be done, especially when a pet can't understand or consent to it. One person's "doing everything possible to help it" is another person's "useless and cruel torture."
I have never had a vet try and persuade me to have a pet undergo extraordinary medical intervention when it was clear that the pet was in extremis. I have had 11 pets, cats and a dog, euthanized, and the vet agreed with my decision in every instance. Every pet owner is responsible for advocating for the best outcome for their pet, whether that means treating the pet for a positive outcome or knowing when the best course of action is to let the pet go peacefully and without pain.
I have never had a vet try and persuade me to have a pet undergo extraordinary medical intervention when it was clear that the pet was in extremis. I have had 11 pets, cats and a dog, euthanized, and the vet agreed with my decision in every instance. Every pet owner is responsible for advocating for the best outcome for their pet, whether that means treating the pet for a positive outcome or knowing when the best course of action is to let the pet go peacefully and without pain.
I didn't say the pressure comes from the vet, necessarily, although it CAN in the sense that they always seem to have more things to be tried. I'm saying that pets spending their last days and nights in the pet hospital in last-ditch efforts to save their lives seems to be more and more the norm, or at least that's what I've seen.
All of my pets have ended their lives in vet's offices, I'm sure confused, terrified, and horribly stressed. I've always stayed with them, and I can't say that they've always been peaceful or painless deaths, either. I'm wondering, as my last remaining pet nears the end of his life, if anyone has elected to forego that last vet visit and allowed nature to take its course at home and, if so, what the experience was like for both you and your pet.
I have had both happen. My first dog we knew we should have let him go but we kept postponing it, he passed when I was out of the house and let me tell you it was horrible. I was a mess. I think his death was peaceful but so is euthanasia, but for me it was horrible. He was 14.
My next dog we decided to do so the day after Christmas when we were away (he was with us). He had very bad doggy dementia for over four years and the holiday was pretty bad with him losing control of himself, not eating and not knowing where he was. We took him to an emergency vet place and they were very nice. Yes, he was nervous but with the dementia he was constantly shaking anyways. His death was very peaceful as he just slipped away. He was 17. If at anytime during this four year period he needed special care I probably would have come to the decision sooner. He actually was in pretty good health outside of issues related to the dementia which in the end became severe. He had classic behavioral issues including turning off to his favorite foods, messing himself, the walls, everything, getting lost behind the washer and dryer in the middle of the night. We probably waited too long. I was better with doing it because I was prepared.
There are vets that do come to your home with end of life and during their life you might seek out a vet who does this to be their doctor if this appeals to you more. My sister has a vet that does this.
Though it can be hard to lose a pet as they age you must decide when enough is enough and what steps you take if the pet does become ill enough to take him to an emergency clinic. Much like we prepare for our demise and how much intervention we allow we must do this for our pets.
I have never had a vet try and persuade me to have a pet undergo extraordinary medical intervention when it was clear that the pet was in extremis. I have had 11 pets, cats and a dog, euthanized, and the vet agreed with my decision in every instance. Every pet owner is responsible for advocating for the best outcome for their pet, whether that means treating the pet for a positive outcome or knowing when the best course of action is to let the pet go peacefully and without pain.
My experience as well. My vets have also been happy to explore various approaches, pros and cons of intervention versus let nature take its course and the decision points if I tell them I don't know what to do or how to decide.
I have had both happen. My first dog we knew we should have let him go but we kept postponing it, he passed when I was out of the house and let me tell you it was horrible. I was a mess. I think his death was peaceful but so is euthanasia, but for me it was horrible. He was 14.
My next dog we decided to do so the day after Christmas when we were away (he was with us). He had very bad doggy dementia for over four years and the holiday was pretty bad with him losing control of himself, not eating and not knowing where he was. We took him to an emergency vet place and they were very nice. Yes, he was nervous but with the dementia he was constantly shaking anyways. His death was very peaceful as he just slipped away. He was 17. If at anytime during this four year period he needed special care I probably would have come to the decision sooner. He actually was in pretty good health outside of issues related to the dementia which in the end became severe. He had classic behavioral issues including turning off to his favorite foods, messing himself, the walls, everything, getting lost behind the washer and dryer in the middle of the night. We probably waited too long. I was better with doing it because I was prepared.
There are vets that do come to your home with end of life and during their life you might seek out a vet who does this to be their doctor if this appeals to you more. My sister has a vet that does this.
Though it can be hard to lose a pet as they age you must decide when enough is enough and what steps you take if the pet does become ill enough to take him to an emergency clinic. Much like we prepare for our demise and how much intervention we allow we must do this for our pets.
I'm curious why the first death was "horrible" if you believe he passed peacefully.
Our best experience was with a vet that did home visits. I brought my cat into the backyard on the grass, I held him in my arms while the vet gave him a shot. I waited a few minutes and the vet declared him dead and took away the body. My last experience in the vet's office left a bad impression because the vet put our chihuahua on the table to give her the shot, rather than letting me hold her. Also the vet gave two shots, one to sedate and one to kill. I don't really think that was necessary. For a poodle we had, another vet let me hold him while he gave him the shot. That was a better experience, as he just faded away in my arms. Of course it would be great to just have the pet go to sleep at home and not wake up, but it doesn't really work that way. The pets are in considerable distress by the time they are ready to die.
I've never been allowed to hold mine at the vet's office, either (regardless of the vet). Pets have to lie on a cold steel table during the procedure. I don't know if the vet is afraid he or she will miss and inject the owner (!) or what, but it seems unnecessarily cruel at the time.
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