Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: When is enough enough  (Read 5055 times)

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
When is enough enough
« on: February 20, 2009, 03:32:07 pm »
I am beginning to wonder if vets are more concerned with making money than the welfare of the animal. We have two friends, one has a 13 year old dog full of cancer, she is on so many pills, has trouble peeing now, passing clots of blood of her food and looking so sad. Each time she has been to the vet and that's about ever other day over the past two weeks they are given more pills. At no point has the vet said that maybe now is the time to let the poor dog go. Our other friend has an 18 year old cat who too has loads of tumors, one on his face that burst this week yet again, blood everywhere. He cannot walk without falling over and looks a very poor soul. Sandy feels that if the cat was suffering then the vet would put him to sleep, my thoughts are not while there is money to be made. Farmers don't have vets as much as they used to so the small animal has to be the source of income.  :(

xxmillyxx

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • East Yorkshire
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2009, 03:47:00 pm »
Its a very sad event when you lose a pet but I would agree with you in questioning a vets motive in keeping the animals alive for too long when they are obviously suffering. 
However, my mums dog (now 17) was quite ill a few months ago and could hardly walk and was getting very round.  I questioned her then if it was worth trying to keep him going when he obviously was not right.  But now a few months on and on the right medicine (at last) he is full of life and back to being his normal self.
Only the owner or immediate family member can decide when the time comes and would although we question (& I do question) a vets motives we have to hope they are doing what they think is right for the pet and the family and have only a secondary consideration for monetarymatters and their continued business.

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
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Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #2 on: February 20, 2009, 05:15:21 pm »
It cannot possibly be right for a dog with cancer to be left in this state.  I am sorry but if this was my friends dog I would be telling him or her to get straight round and have that poor animal put out of its misery. Same with the cat!  NO vet is worth paying if they do not have the animal's welfare as best interest.  And after the deed was done I'd change vets!  JMHO but I have had dogs all my life (I'm now 65), have had a lot of dogs over the years, I breed, show, work and Judge them.  I would NEVER let an animal get to this stage whether mine or someone else's - tell them! Show them my post if you like!  I'm sorry if I sound angry - I AM!
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

pegusus pig

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Anglesey, North wales
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2009, 05:36:56 pm »
We've got a brilliant small animal vet (James), not intrested in the making money, just the animals welfare. Allot of people are not to keen on him as he will tell you when enough is enough and he thinks the animal is suffering. As for the large animal vets here, money, money, money! drives me up the wall, we have a 17 year old jack who has a massive lump on her side, she's been to James and he passed her a fit and well for her age, yes the lumps unsightly but it isn't causing her any problems and shes way to old to have surgery. Any vet called to the farm is more intrested in her and the removal of her lump than the animal they came to see in the first place. I know my dog and while she has a quality of life she will live it, the minuet she start to suffer she will be put to sleep quietly in her basket with the family around her. Why do vets insist on looking for work instead of doing what needs to be done.  :-\ :-\ :-\

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
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Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2009, 05:47:06 pm »
Thank you, Pegasuspig, I was hoping I wasn't being too forthright!  I too have had 17 and 18 year olds, but only if they can still run about and take an interest, enjoy their food and all bodily functions are working.  Blood clots coming out are NOT a healthy animal.  Poor thing needs peace!
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

pegusus pig

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Anglesey, North wales
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #5 on: February 20, 2009, 06:00:03 pm »
Totally agree, although it is very difficult when the time comes. I'd rather be put to sleep than suffer, and having worked in a nursing home i think we are kinder to our animals allowing them to end their suffering. Its very hard saying good by to a member of the family (are animal are classed as family) but it is for the best. Emma.

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2009, 11:17:13 am »
We have been saying that both animals have had enough but they are waiting for the vet to say so. Over the years we have had to put pets down through illness or old age and I could not watch any animal suffer like Poppy the dog. :(

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
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Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2009, 11:26:04 am »
Quote
they are waiting for the vet to say so.

Show them our posts.  Go to their vet and show him our posts.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

pikilily

  • Joined Jan 2009
  • Do what you enjoy; And enjoy what you do!!
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2009, 06:48:16 pm »
For what its worth I agree with the others who say that these animals have probably had enough...let them go. For me it is the ULTIMATE mark of love and respect for our animals to be generous, considerate  and brave enough (and it is very hard) to say a timely goodbye, ie before the animal has deteriorated to an undignified and painful condition.

Ask the owners to consider how they would feel if they were in that condition themselves. As a nurse I know when people have had enough of life...often they will express that....sadly animals cant. In the wild they would take themselves off to a quiet place for a quick and dignified death...we are the ones who keep them 'in public view' and stuff them full of medical chemicals, creating an artificial extention to their lives.

I know it is hard, so very hard...I have sobbed my heart out, lying in the field beside beloved horses and ponies as the final anaesthetic takes effect, or cradling my treasured dogs in my arms as life quietly leaves them. But those moments, memories of which bring tears to my eyes as I type, are the final step in a shared journey and the final act of love.

Please pass on heartfelt sadness for the hard decision your friends have to make. But it is the right one.
Emma
If you don't have a dream; how you gonna have a dream come true?

ballingall

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • Avonbridge, Falkirk
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2009, 10:06:43 pm »
Can't agree enough with all the previous posts. We are fortunate with our vets- I always think that large animal vets are more practical and are more likely to say there's no point than a small animal practioner only. I had to put a collie to sleep a few years back when she was only 10, but she was getting paralysed from her back legs up, and when she started to drag her back legs, we couldn't let her go on like that. Its harder on us to make that decision, but better for the animal.

Beth

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2009, 09:09:33 pm »
Our big cat, Cassius, has cancer in his face. He won't see the summer. We've had him 8 years next month and he was between 6 and 10 when we got him. At the moment, he's OK - he goes to the vet evry forthnight for an antibiotic injection and he gets Metacam every day - this is checking the development and keeping him comfortable. He's still eating - prawns, lamb, freshly cooked chicken (!) and cream, is grooming, stretching and purring. But he is losing weight and the time probably isn't that far away that we'll have to have him put to sleep.

We're going to be terribly upset and I hope we can pick the right time for him.

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2009, 10:35:14 am »
I have to ask the question, why are so many pets lost through having cancer, my husband did some research on the internet and found a load of stuff written by a Canadian Vet. He pointed out that in his fathers day a collie would still be working well into its teens, now they are lucky to see that. He felt that it was the food that our animals were being fed and suggested that we go back to feeding our pets the old fashioned way. One of the preservitives is something that used to be in paint and is used in dog food 300 times more than in our food. I can't spell it but if anyone is interested I will get Gordon to put it on tonight. :(

pegusus pig

  • Joined Feb 2009
  • Anglesey, North wales
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2009, 12:07:32 pm »
Never thought about it in dog food, although must admit when i had working dogs (many, many moons ago) they were  fed  on heart, throats, tripe, eggs, goats milk and very little working "dog food", never had much probs with cancers!
Does make me wonder though cancers going up, they say (the professionals) that smoking is a proberable cause. The number of smokers are going down and the number of animals with cancer is going up! Have these started up the habit?   What one dose note though is the amount off traffic now using the roads yet no one asks what affect this has on cancers!! Only my thoughts!!! :-\ :-\ :-\ :pig:

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
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Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2009, 04:03:12 pm »
Personally I think it is a result of the Chernobyl disaster :(
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

sabrina

  • Joined Nov 2008
Re: When is enough enough
« Reply #14 on: February 23, 2009, 07:19:17 pm »
Ethoxyquin is the stuff my missus was struggling for. Go google and make your own minds up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethoxyquin
http://www.avianweb.com/ethoxyquin.htm

 

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