A very strange thing happened today . . .

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Burmilla

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I went to my vets today to pick up The Grippet's meds (1/2 a tab of Rimadyl a day for arthritic changes = happy whirling Grippet!). Vets very busy and was stood next to a lady who was visibly upset and looking at leaflets for dog cremation services. She said she had a very large 12 yr old GSD (48 kilos) with semi paralysed back legs and spine and was thinking abt having him pts later (Fri) in the week. She said she was alone and couldn't get him up to wash his back end x3 a day, where he was lying in his own excrement. She became v upset about having to do this when she got home. Having had GSD's all my life, (having the last one pts 3 yrs ago, & deciding it wld be irresponsible, at my age, to get another big dog) I said I wld go back with her and give her a hand.
So - there was huge fluffy GSD who howled (?pain) as soon as she tried to pull him into sitting position and then get a towel round him to steady him as we pulled him to stand. It was dreadful . He was lying in pool of faeces and urine and was wet through. She said he had been getting worse every day for the last two weeks, but she hoped her vet, currently on holiday, could "make him better". I said imo he needed pts now. She prevaricated over this some more, and I persuaded her to ring vet and get her/him to come out now and give an opinion. She did, and they did and pts immediately, and removed his body in the vet ambulance. She was v angry with them because it was difficult to find a vein as they had collapsed due to low BP. Anyway, he was sedated at this point and seemed unconcious.
The whole episode was very strange. She has three other dogs, which looked fine. I know I am an interfering old bat at times, but I will always offer to help another animal lover and their dogs/cats/horses. I believe in a week to early rather than a day too late re pts.
WWY have done?
 
Thank god for your intervention Burmilla - so many people wouldn't have wanted to get involved. I would have done exactly the same thing that you did, I am absolutely 100% sure that the poor GSD is very glad for your intervention, thank you for doing what you did.

People are funny, it never fails to dismay me how people will keep an animal going because they cannot bear to be without it rather than thinking of the animal itself :( :(
 
Burmilla said:
I went to my vets today to pick up The Grippet's meds (1/2 a tab of Rimadyl a day for arthritic changes = happy whirling Grippet!). Vets very busy and was stood next to a lady who was visibly upset and looking at leaflets for dog cremation services. She said she had a very large 12 yr old GSD (48 kilos) with semi paralysed back legs and spine and was thinking abt having him pts later (Fri) in the week. She said she was alone and couldn't get him up to wash his back end x3 a day, where he was lying in his own excrement. She became v upset about having to do this when she got home. Having had GSD's all my life, (having the last one pts 3 yrs ago, & deciding it wld be irresponsible, at my age, to get another big dog) I said I wld go back with her and give her a hand.
So - there was huge fluffy GSD who howled (?pain) as soon as she tried to pull him into sitting position and then get a towel round him to steady him as we pulled him to stand. It was dreadful . He was lying in pool of faeces and urine and was wet through. She said he had been getting worse every day for the last two weeks, but she hoped her vet, currently on holiday, could "make him better". I said imo he needed pts now. She prevaricated over this some more, and I persuaded her to ring vet and get her/him to come out now and give an opinion. She did, and they did and pts immediately, and removed his body in the vet ambulance. She was v angry with them because it was difficult to find a vein as they had collapsed due to low BP. Anyway, he was sedated at this point and seemed unconcious.
The whole episode was very strange. She has three other dogs, which looked fine. I know I am an interfering old bat at times, but I will always offer to help another animal lover and their dogs/cats/horses. I believe in a week to early rather than a day too late re pts.
WWY have done?
Click to expand...

Exactly the same as you. You did a lovely thing and thanks to you the dog is now at peace.
 
People often look for a miracle cure rather than face they are going to have to let their pet or loved ones go. Some vets are awful that communicating that really a quick end is the best, on old vet once told me that when she did locum the vet came back to find most of his chronically ill patients had been PTS. Thank goodness you where there to be a catalyst.
I have an old pony for whom this will be his last summer, people ask whats wrong with him, he is just old and his back legs are starting to go, better sooner than later.
 
You are a very kind human .. Lady must be so grateful you came and helped her and helped her to see what needed doing. What the world needs are more like you. :)
 
Well done Burmilla - not an easy situation to be in.

My Dad would be like this lady if he was let, he loves his animals dearly but blindly and also feels that he hasn't the right to make the call in a funny way. He has said in the past that you wouldn't kill a member of your family so why would you kill your dog? The worst row I had with him since I was a teenager was over a dog that really should have been PTS a good year earlier than she was - it was horrific and I had to talk to his vet (an old friend from school) on the sly to get the vet to tell him that she needed to go plus fly over on the day to hold her while she was pts or he wouldn't have gone through with it. I know he thinks that I'm hard in that I let my animals go a week early rather than a day late and that I didn't have my Rott treated for bone cancer (he wasn't woken up once the xray confirmed the tumour) so we agree to differ on this and just don't discuss it now.

It was ok while my mother was alive as she was sensible and wouldn't allow him to do this but for people like him it is next to impossible for them to make the decision on their own and many vets don't seem to help these owners to do what is right - do any vets now suggest PTS before the owners mention it? My Dad would (and has!) say "if it's that bad, the vet would tell me to PTS" Well, IME they don't - always another jab, a referral or more pain killers and while I understand that they have to give their clients all the options, shouldn't that include putting down as an equally valid choice?

Luckily, he doesn't have any more dogs as he's in his 70's now and they are too much of a tie but I do keep an eye on the cats and the vet knows to call me if there is an issue...

Sorry for the essay but the OP hit a sore nerve.
 
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