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My precious Lance was hours away from my taking him to the vet. We were simply nursing out the night to see if the medicine would ease his ails. He had cuddled up beside me that night. I drifted off to sleep but had the timer set to check on him every two hours. It was a long long night. Around 3am I bolted up as any parent would when they sense the being next to them isn't stirring. My precious dog had slowly taken his last breath...he literally slid off my bedside ...
I was in absolute horror ...I had just held him and screamed a cry that led my son to come rushing in. That was three years ago ...I still look over to the spot in my bed where he last rested.
To those who have shared the support of those last moments. Thank you. I've wrestled with whether I should have kept him at the vets that day when instead I brought him home thinking he'd bounce back. He died in my loving arms...and in some small way (as tears drol down my face just writing this). I know it was with much love that he and I let go of this gift we both shared. No other pet has touched my heart like he did.
My precious Lance was hours away from my taking him to the vet. We were simply nursing out the night to see if the medicine would ease his ails. He had cuddled up beside me that night. I drifted off to sleep but had the timer set to check on him every two hours. It was a long long night. Around 3am I bolted up as any parent would when they sense the being next to them isn't stirring. My precious dog had slowly taken his last breath...he literally slid off my bedside ...
I was in absolute horror ...I had just held him and screamed a cry that led my son to come rushing in. That was three years ago ...I still look over to the spot in my bed where he last rested.
To those who have shared the support of those last moments. Thank you. I've wrestled with whether I should have kept him at the vets that day when instead I brought him home thinking he'd bounce back. He died in my loving arms...and in some small way (as tears drol down my face just writing this). I know it was with much love that he and I let go of this gift we both shared. No other pet has touched my heart like he did.
Now I'M teary. What a story....
I would have screamed too.
You know for most of my younger life I never realized that a pet would need to be euthanized. I know that sounds strange but both of my experiences with family pets from my childhood were calm and not traumatic in the sense that they weren't "put down".
Our first pet was an 11 pound Chihuahua which moved with me when I left home for school. She was 13 years old at that time and was fine, she never ate dog food but rather quality table scraps of meats and vegetables since the day we got her. Five years later I came home from work and she was sitting in the corner like a sphinx, ears straight up, eyes open "watching" the TV (I always left it on for her).
I called her name and she didn't respond (I know her hearing and vision must have been declining) so I went up to her to scratch her head between her eyes...her hair was stiff. In complete shock, I realized that rigor mortis had occurred. I was very upset, I began to cry and called my mom who sent my dad over with a shoebox to place her in, he took her "home" and buried her in the backyard.
Later on we had a larger mixed breed who resembled a grizzly bear, he lived to be 15 years old and passed away in his sleep. He too was buried in the backyard pet cemetery.
Is it right to think that they passed away calmly and painlessly? As I frequently say here, what do I know?
I can't believe that 90% number. I know a lot of pet owners, and every single one of them was with their pet till the end. I held our golden retriever in my arms, and would never do it any other way. We had it done at home, knowing the vet's office was always stressful for her. And we will do the same for our Lab, but she'll probably be in my husband's arms, and he'll be sobbing like a baby.
When I was much younger, a teen, I absolutely refused to be present for the euthenasia of my beloved rabbit. Couldn't bear it.
When our golden died years ago, however, I was there. He was in such pain and suffering and just typing this makes me ache. I knew that I would never forget that moment, being there, but I owed it to Sam to be with him during his last moments. I owed it to him for all those years. We've adopted another senior dog, and as painful as it is, I'll be there for him too.
An article on Dailymail.com quoted a "tired, broken-hearted vet" in South Africa as saying most people don't understand that if they do not stay with their pet during euthanasia, the pet ends up frightened and looking around desperately for their owner as they are euthanized.
Broke my heart. Vets say it is the responsibility of the owner to be there. I agree...it's hard but our last responsibility to our beloved pet.
A pet becomes part of your family, and to not see them through to the end is selfish. If someone can't medically save their life, the least thing they can do is be there for them when they need you most providing comfort. If is very hard to have a pet put to sleep, but you are the adult here in this relationship.
We were there for our Taffy. My wife did not want to come in, until we got to the vet, and she insisted on being in there too. It was a peaceful time with some shared last love for our girl. Being with your pet during the euthanizing process is hard, but the very last part of being a responsible, loving owner.
I cannot conceive of not being there with my dog (or my previous dogs) when they are euthanized, as distressing as it was and will be for me. It's the last part of the moral contract you make when you take on a dog or a cat, that if you have to order their deaths, you should be there with them in their last moments.
I was having this discussion with a good friend who is a vet just a week ago. She cited an article in a veterinary publication, probably the same one mentioned by the OP. It is disturbing to her that many people refuse to ease the transition for an animal that will be confused and left alone while often in pain. They invariably are looking around for the owner to appear and are far from relaxed.
There really is very little reason for the owner not to be present when, in almost all cases, a two stage process can be used. The owner can comfort the pet while it is nervous and frightened while it is sedated and then leave before the final stage is complete if they desire.
My animals are frightened every time they go to the Vet though and often have to be taken away from me. I think it's more emotional fur US at this time, but the pet probably views it like every other time they went.
I don't see Vets worrying over how frightened my pets are when they take them away from me for other reasons.
Just to present an alternate thought. I mean, I am all about the emo thing, that is why I was like 'you'll take her back over MY dead body', but to her, it would have been no different than the week before, when they ripped her from my arms to go into her hospital cage and onto her IV.
She was back there w/o me terrified, fighting the cath. They had to sedate her for that. What difference to HER would there have been if that had been the sedation shot pre-PTS?
The only difference is the other times they come back 'from the back'. Or we come back to retrieve them if they had to stay.
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