The Biggest Mistake Pet Owners Make at the End

[critters]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jessica-v ... 66102.html

[CarolC]

Rarely do people tell me after the fact that they let a pet go too soon. If anything, most feel they waited too long. We have a saying in our field that I repeat on a daily basis to my clients: "It's better to be a week too early than a minute too late.

Probably because when they feel they let the pet go too soon they feel like traitors and murderers for the rest of their lives and can hardly talk to anyone, least of all a vet who clearly is not bothered by it. In her shoes, I would be eaten up with guilt over depriving a pet of a week of life and the guilt would be permanent. I do not understand anyone who can brush that off so easily. Perhaps when vets have had to euthanize perfectly healthy dogs and cats, they become less concerned if an ailing or elderly pet is euthanized a week too early, at least this one was not young and healthy.

It's ok to go out on a bit of a high note. It is one of the blessings of euthanasia, that we can say goodbye in a controlled, peaceful environment and eliminate the pain and stress of a crisis moment at the end.

But that is not how it always goes. How many pet owners/guardians have taken their pet to the vet when they think it is "time" and the end is not peaceful, it is a horror that haunts them for the rest of their lives and they feel they have betrayed their best friend in the worst possible way while trying to help them. There are plenty of horror stories, do not take your pet to the vet and expect any guarantee that it will be a peaceful transition from your arms to Heaven.

Before you believe what this article is saying google these searchwords:

Code: Select all

dog "put to sleep" "fought it"

You get 15,600 results.

[critters]

Well, personally, I'm in the "better a week too soon" group, although it doesn't always work out that way. And yes, it isn't always a peaceful death, but natural deaths aren't always peaceful, either.

[CarolC]

That's true, too.

[Ernie23]

Good article. Thanks for sharing. We are at this point in our dog's life. His time will be soon. My problem is that my husband is in complete denial. I'm going to show him this article and hopefully that will put a different perspective on things for him. Thanks.

[critters]

You're welcome. It's not easy, regardless.

[ruby71174]

my thing is always the quality of life. Are they suffering and in pain?? I DO think vets for the most part are too willing to euthanize for the slightest issue. I had a cat when I was younger that I'm assuming got hit by a car. It was weird she could walk perfectly fine, but the tail and bowels were paralyzed and bowel movements just came sliding out where the bladder was backing up. I took her to the vet and the vet said she could teach me how to express her bladder, but I had multiple cats still at home, was working full time....I just at the time didn't think it would be a quality life...NOW- I would probably do it.