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8 Practical Veterinary Tips For Making Painful End-of-Life Decisions

8 Practical Veterinary Tips For Making Painful End-of-Life Decisions

Last updated on: August 26, 2023 at 6:45 am by Ellen Fannon

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8 Practical Veterinary Tips For Making Painful End-of-Life Decisions 2023-08-23T10:26:48-04:00 Ellen Fannon

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Suicide?

I once had a client call me in an outrage the day after I neutered her cat to tell me the cat was dead. Dead! This is every veterinarian’s worst nightmare—to have a routine surgery patient die unexpectedly. I racked my brain. There had been absolutely nothing out of the ordinary with the neuter operation. There was no bleeding, everything was tied off neatly, the anesthesia went well, and the recovery was quick. The cat was young and healthy, his pre-anesthetic blood work was normal, and his heart sounded good.

Veterinarain in surgery

Veterinarian in surgery/image courtesty of pexels

I picked up the phone with trembling hands. What could have caused this cat’s death? What could I possibly offer the owner in terms of an explanation?

“I’m so sorry to hear about Kitty,” I said into the receiver. “Can you tell me what happened after you took him home?”

“I certainly can! I can tell you exactly what happened!” she snapped. “This morning I went out to get my newspaper and Kitty bolted out the door, ran into the street, and was hit by a car.”

My initial panic subsided and my flip-flopping heart settled into a more natural rhythm. As devastated as I was to hear of Kitty’s demise, at least it had not been the result of my surgery. At least, so I thought, until the client spoke again.

“And it’s all your fault!”

“My fault?” I echoed.

Cat at vet's

What have you DONE to me!/image courtesy of pexels

“Yes! You’re the one who told me to neuter him. Kitty has never tried to get out before. He was obviously so distraught over the surgery he committed suicide!

When I relayed this remarkable story to my husband, his response was, “Can’t say as I blame the cat. If someone put me through that particular surgery, I would be tempted to do the same thing.”

As head-scratching as this client’s logic seemed to me, cases have been documented where animals engaged in self-destructive activities leading to their deaths. Fortunately, however, animal suicide is not a common condition pet owners generally concern themselves with.

Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day

As August 28 is Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day, I want to deviate a little from my usual tongue-in-cheek blogs to address the serious end-of-life decisions often facing pet owners. Every practicing veterinarian has been asked at one time or another, “How will I know when it’s time to put my pet to sleep?” Some factors to consider in the quality-of-life conversions are:

Old dog

Has your dog lost interest in his surroundings?/image courtesy of pixabay

Does the pet still have a good appetite?
Does the pet recognize and interact with family members?
Is the pet in pain?
Does the pet have bowel and bladder control?
Can the pet get up and move around?
Does it have a chronic disorder, such as congestive heart failure, diabetes, cancer, or kidney failure?
If the pet has a chronic disease, is it controllable on medication or is it non-treatable?
Does the owner just want to prolong the animal’s life for their sake or the pet’s sake?

Old dog with owner

Does your dog interact with you?/image courtesy of pixabay

The fact of the matter is although your veterinarian can help you and advise you on your pet’s quality of life, the ultimate decision to put your pet to sleep has to be yours, and you must be at peace with that decision. Occasionally an owner will ask about just letting the animal die naturally at home. Unfortunately, few animals pass peacefully at home, and the dying process is seldom a short, easy one for either the pet or the owner. No one wants to see their pet suffer. If the animal is sick enough to die at home, it is usually suffering, and euthanasia is generally the most humane way to end that suffering. I tell my clients euthanasia is their last act of love for their suffering pet. For most of us, we will outlive our pets and have to face the decision to let them go at some point. The heartache is real, but the years of unconditional love and joy our pets bring us make the difficult goodbyes less painful.

Grieving the death of a pet

Person hugging dog

I’m really going to miss you/image courtesy of pexels

For many people, losing a pet is as painful as losing a person, yet some owners feel they are being irrational or silly for grieving over an animal. Your feelings are valid and justified, and you are not alone. Many pet loss support groups exist to help you through this difficult time.

What does the Bible Say About God View Animals?

Many Bible verses proclaim God’s care for the well-being of His animals, as well as animals bringing glory and praise to God. Here are just a few taken from the NIV translation:

Genesis 1:21: So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Luke 12:24: Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them.
Proverbs 12:10: The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel.
Psalm 104:21: The lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.
Psalm 150:6: Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Psalm 147:9: He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
Job 12:7: But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you.

Is there really a Rainbow Bridge?

It is clear that God holds His creation in high regard. Should we do any less? When we care for our animals, we please God. God blessed us with pets for companionship and unconditional love. While we can only speculate whether or not our pets will join us in Heaven, the concept of the Rainbow Bridge brings comfort to many people who have had to say goodbye to a beloved pet. Although Scripture doesn’t specifically say anything about our pets, I do believe there will be animals in Heaven. Otherwise, how could it be Heaven?

Girl hugging dog