The dilemma of being asked to euthanize a pet that you don’t feel is justifiable? What would you do?
Вставка
- Опубліковано 2 жов 2024
- I am a small animal veterinarian who shares the cases I see. Many times the cases are happy and healthy and in others the family has given up.
What would you do if you were asked to euthanize a pet that you didn’t think warranted it? Here’s a story of a dog the vet clinic refused to euthanize and why. There is not an easy answer here. As with all medical issues there is a big hazy grey area.
I told myself a long time ago that if I ever had to choose between being right or being kind, I would choose kind. Please follow our facebook page at Jarrettsville Vet, ask me free pet related questions at Pawbly.com or follow my blog above in bio.
I worked at a vet many moons ago. Had a elderly lady bring in a very healthy young siemese cat. He was brought in with all his toys and his bottle of Jean Nate' body slash. 😳 The lady bathed the cat and used Jean Nate' after bath. She wanted cat euthanized as she was ill and not doing well and didn't want the cat in shelter or foster. Doc talked her into leaving the cat with us. I discovered the cat in kennels later and asked about his status. They told me his story. I took cat to my Mom and cat lived a long, wonderful life free of Jean Nate' 😂
First of all, thank you. You offered a heartfelt response when I told you about the death of my dog a few years back when money stood in our way and the vet told us exactly what they needed to in order to get us to put her down. I told them off when I went to pick up her ashes and - quite frankly - I have never come to terms with the loss of her. I appreciate you so much for your kindness and principles. Please follow up if you do find out what became of this precious creature. Thank you again.
Thank you for your candid message. Stand by your principles. Animals pay a high price because of people's shitty decisions. Bless you and your team's hearts.
I wish there were more veterinarians like you in this world
That guy is selfish.
Compassionate veterinarians are getting hard to find. We have been so lucky to find a great equine vet, but good small animal vets have been rapidly declining. Our small animal vet just retired due to health reasons. Our precious cat developed a UTI and we drove over an hour to a private ER vet hospital that our daughter has used. In our area we only have "corporate" emergency clinics that are so expensive and with little compassion if you can't afford the price dictated by their corporate office for a multitude of tests that aren't needed. (Including MRI for a UTI! Not a plugged cat, struvites present but bladder not full and still plyable)
Finding an ER vet hospital that is privately owned was a godsend. Yes, it costs more, but the vets and the staff CARE!
God bless you for doing the right thing in the most difficult times. If I wasn't so old, I would dig out my B.S. in Zoology and go back to school!
Keep up the good fight and thanks for offering that dog pain meds. We pray the dog gets a second chance to live out some happy days!
I wish it was not so hard to find likeminded people because I really wish I could say my past experiences with vets just felt bad and wrong where I was without a doubt just a source of income I thank you and your staff for standing your ground and doing this line of work to make each day the best it possibly can be for all animals in your care. I hope one day to have a vet like you watching over my future family members right now we are willing to drive over an hour away just to visit caring vets vs our local ones who keep dropping the ball case by case
My Mom lived in a rural area, 3 horses,1 mini donkey, lots of geese, and 10 cats. All senior animals. My sister's plan (she had power of attorney) was to have all animals euthanized (geese were to be butchered), which was expressly against my Mom's VERBAL wishes but there were NO provisions in her will for their care, so my sister kept claiming that she didn't know what Mom wanted for the animal's care when she died because it wasn't in writing, despite my Mom verbally saying she wanted the animals cared for until their natural death.
The horses were too old to be useful so if they were sold they would go to kill buyers to be shipped to slaughter. I had to fight her to prevent her scorched earth policy. They're all OK but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make provisions in your will, at least a Letter of Instructions and not leave it to chance that your beloved pet is left to the mercy of relatives who may not care at all.
My sister's solution may have been drastic but many, many animals are just dumped in this situation.
Taking a beloved pet to the vet to be put down often causes the animal waaaaay more pain and stress than shooting it in the back yard where they don't know what is coming, and it's immediate, with no car ride, being poked, prodded and hurt by strangers. I absolutely understand how difficult it was for that guy to having made up his mind - he knows his dog and what it has gone through. My last cat I took to a vet to be put down was someone like you. Cat was 18, blind and had started having seizures. I had always put my animals down myself in the past but courage failed me and I decided to try the vet's way. That man tried to persuade me to let him examine the cat, who was in great distress by that time after the car ride, the smell of the other animals in the waiting room, and being confused and feeling bad anyway. The man started the exam, was holding my beautiful ginger boy who promptly had a seizure and got dropped on the tiled, concrete floor. I was horrified. So much for peaceful. I wish I had done it at home and saved the poor boy all that trauma.
I am reminded of an incident many years ago when things were done differently. Our neighbours about 3 houses down the street were moving interstate and they had a cat and a dog. The cat had been fed but not really loved since they'd acquired the dog. My mother was really fond of the cat. She offered to take the cat if they didn't want to take him with them. They said, no, no, one of their relatives was going to get the cat.
A month or so after they left my mother saw the relative and asked about the cat. It turned out that they had lied about giving the cat to a relative and had instead had him put down. Their excuses included, "Oh, he'll keep on wandering back to our old place if you take him because your house is so close." Mum never forgave them for that. I don't blame her.
This video brought me to tears. I can see your pain. I am a cat person and
my elderly cat has many issues and "accidents". I love her and care for her snd cannot imagine putting her down because she is "an inconvenience" to me. I am so sad for that dog! And equally sad for you and your staff for having to deal with those situations. What a world we live in where taking a life is preferred over being patient and loving with an elderly pet! So sad!
Omg that man was so selfish 😡 #karma
God bless you and your staff ❤
Thank you for your caring ❤️ heart! My Veterinarian had a person come in to the practice 3 years ago. They didn't want to stay with their Boxer while it was euthanized. My Vet has this dog as his own in a loving home 3 years later, very much alive!
Thank you for caring❤
I wonder what happened?? What a terrible dilemma for You and your Staff. I won't say what i think of the person.
Good for you! Agree with your decision. “First do no harm.”
Well done for looking out for this dog and your staff. However I do worry that this man will do something awful to the dog.
Some people don't have a heart and its unfortunate for the innocent pet 😢... they are helpess and just want to be loved ❤ . That person had no patience. One day they too will get very old and will need the help
I believe you had every right to make the decision to turn him away. I'm so sorry to hear that horrendous situation was dropped like a hammer on the hearts of you and your staff. At the end of the day, your point about mental health in your profession is paramount in the reasoning behind your decision. You promote and administer care to extend and preserve quality of life... not to play the untimely and unjust rainbow bridge reaper.
I did not agree with euthanizing your pet and not giving them a chance. To have your family say goodbye it's kind of strange. Like okay say goodbye to the dog we're going to go put him to sleep now. He's going to take his toy and be happy about it. And the option to take your dog out back and shoot it I hope they would be charged to the fullest extent. You should be proud of your decision. It's amazing that's like you that care about people and their pets and their quality of life and to give them the option for someone else to take care of the dog for the rest of its life is amazing. And for them to deny that option and be willing to take it to the shelter for euthanization is horrible. And you know I never really thought about the mental health effects on vets for decisions made by pet owners and life-altering decisions for the pets. It's the amazing ones like you that have a heart and compassion for the animals. Unfortunately, there are vets that are in the business that I feel do not care about the pets or the owners as much as the money. That's why I'm not going to the clinic where my longtime vet has retired from, he has sold to others, and the whole vibe is off. Like you can tell they don't take time to listen to people who know what is going on with their babies. They rush to the diagnosis and then the costs. I have refused to take my cats there since Dr Burns left. It's not easy to find another one to give them the trust, you have to kinda feel them out for honesty and consideration. I have been to a previous clinic where the people are willing to work with me and my kitties, they have upfront estimates for care and treatment to be able to make sure you are able to pay for everything but also the options of what should be done and what is not completely necessary. But I do understand because that's why I can't help at the shelter more near me because it just breaks my heart to see cats in cages I am definitely a crazy cat lady. I do care about dogs and I want to see any of them in cages and I just can't mentally deal with the idea of them spending the rest of their life in a cage. To end, I have the upmost respect for the ones like you that are so invested in the well-being of animals to any extent. Thank you.
I think you are stuck between a rock and a hard place without much choice beyond what the owner wishes, as long as he is not abusing the animal i think you should respect his./her choice.But if you can save the animal by all means do so, but you cant take the world on your shoulders. There is only so much one can do.
There should be a law where the animal is taken away legally in these conditions and given proper treatment and a loving home. Given what is happening in the usa and Canada with crime going unpunished etc. I doubt that a law to safe guard animals would pass. I think you did the right thing not putting the dog down. But was this person going to sit and watch? I once met a man on the street who had a nice dog and in the conversation said that the previous owner took it to the vet to put him down. The vet rehomed him to the man I spoke with. The dog at the time was still alive and well three years later going for walks with his loving senior. To that owner if they came back I would suggest plan B again and say that his family need not know that would be up to him.
Thank you for your channel and your compassion and concern for all animals and their well-being. You are a gem! My tortie cat is sending you a big hug from Arkansas. ❤
I know it sounds bad but you could’ve lied to the owner, told him that you euthanized the dog and just give the dog away
I could have my license revoked for that. Thirty years of hard work and hundreds of thousands of dollars for a lie?
This pup is alive and well with another owner now.
My heart goes out to you. I really feel so bad over this. I don't have the best answer, I can only offer my sincere heartfelt prayers for all involved.
I have left two comments. Where are my comments ?
Did you leave them on the blog? If so they have to be reviewed and approved before they are posted.
I left them here...under this video.@@kristamagnificoDVM
I can hear that you work in such a demanding role, and have been extremely generous. Thank you so much. I came across you recently as i looked for info on caring for a cat's matted fur. Your info was the best! But I also appreciated learning skills from groomers I watched before I saw you. This is my first experience w a cat who needs help w his fur already at 9 months. We lost his 3 siblings to a disease, and his mom disappeared. So sad. They were all so wonderful and the mom was so incredibly strong and beautiful and loving. I'm having trouble w this kitten I have never had before. Hope I can figure out solutions. I had to euthanize 2 cats and one dog in recent months, and 3 animals. In all 4 deaths from illness and old age I wish I could have seen a vet earlier. I could not because of several reasons. It's so hard to watch beings suffer. Thank you so much for your loving devotion.
Here is a video of one of my interactions with vets if anyone wants to see it. Its a sad story, no happy ending. I include the phone call i have with a vet where i get frustrated with what seems like the lack of being clear about what it will cost ----- I found a sick hungry cat and tried to help. Haysville indiana - shane zoglman
I know of a situation where an unwanted puppy was dropped off at a vet office, and the vets there did not want the puppy, and so they killed the puppy with the killer monkey juice, but before they did, they did a medical experiment on the puppy to see what would happen.
Hello. If that is the case please report them to the state board.
@@kristamagnificoDVM I agree with you on that. But this happened decades ago and the vets who did this are elderly people and no longer working as vets. What they did was inject a syringe of air into either the vein or muscle or both to see what would happen for their own curiosity. Nothing happened, but i would guess this was not a good feeling either way for the puppy. As you know, vets and vet schools have over the past 150 years done 3rd riech level stuff to animals which does not add up to caring for animals, but the same contradictions can be found throughout human medicine.