Rant about Euthanasia

[Flockandfowl46]

WOW!...my animals all the way down to my chickens are like my children right down to the very end and I refuse to let any of them suffer no matter what...i have been down the road trying to save an animal selfishly and at the end I really felt like crap about it even to this day and refuse to feel like that again when I should have known better being a vet tech of 18 years I'm lucky enough to have quite a bit of knowledge to jump on things quick and treat the best way I can but I also believe in the circle of life and my livestock children feed my family and when it comes that time they are treated with respect. When it comes time one is sick I think of the welfare of the animal and I also have the responsibility to consider the welfare of the rest of them due to one don't let selfishness get in the way,give them the best life you can no matter how long or short and you will know when it's right it's all about quality of life for them and your ability to be responsible...sorry if any of this offends anyone that is not my intention

 

[Michellep224]

UPDATE:

Took ALL the dogs to the vet. Ginger is back on her medication! ^_^
We should see much improvement in her soon.

 

[Tortoise]

I am not against Euthanasia in some cases, but I am in most.
I hate when people put their wants over an animal's needs. They are living, feeling beings. Animals feel pain, and sadness, and joy.
My family has 2 senior dogs. They both have some issues, one in particular. She is 14 years old. She is deaf and doesn't see well. She also has a condition where calcium builds up in the ears and causes her to be unbalanced and such. She also has lots of joint pain.
When we took her to the vet and discovered her condition she was given some pain medicine. It took a bit to get her on her feet again, but the medicine helped her feel like a new dog!! She was happier, wanting to run and play like I hadn't seen her do in years.
After the prescription ran out we never got her any more, so now she's back to slow, tired Ginger..
Talking about putting her down?? Why!? She was SO MUCH HAPPIER ON HER MEDICINE. IT DOESN'T COST THAT MUCH TO GET IT AT WALMART.

Now Eeyore is 12. He's got joint and back pain, as well as stomach issues that he's had since he was a puppy. He is the GRUMPIEST old man I have ever seen. He grumbles about everything! He spends a lot of time laying on the bed upstairs by himself. It's like his happy place.
But... he's not unhealthy. He can run and play.
He has a hard time jumping onto the bed now, though. We have to pick up all 35lbs of him to put him up there sometimes.
Is this basis to put him down!? No!!

I think that if a dog is healthy, happy, playful, eating and drinking well, and has a will to live they should NOT be put to sleep!
When a dog loses its will to live they will stop eating, and act lethargic, no energy, and show they are unhappy. It's like when a human who is elderly gets a DNR order... They are tired, and they don't have the will to fight anymore...

What do you do when you hurt??
YOU TAKE MEDICINE. IT IS THE SAME WITH ANIMALS. I AM SO OVER NO ONE LISTENING TO ME. I could literally scream. Just because they can't tell you what's wrong so you have to be proactive and responsible to treat them.

Would you kill your elderly family member because they inconvenienced you? Or cost you money? Or because you don't want to take care of them anymore?

People get mad at ME because I keep harping on this issue. I don't want my family members killed because of something treatable!!!

I'm just going to pay for the vet bills myself. Screw it, you know? They are not my responsibility financially, but I love them and I am NOT going to hear any more talk of putting them down.
They are not ready yet... They'll let you know... ,-_-

You are 100% right! I feel the same way. In fact my husband was told from the get go, my animals are my family too and there's no limit when it comes to their health. Our dog we have is 11. We have spent almost 30 thousand thru the years on various (4) surgeries. I'd do it again to if I have too. Hoping I don't though.
I understand some people can't spend as much as others. But if there is a will, there's a way and that way needs to be found.
Your a great animal parent and good for you. You should feel very proud to have the love and kindness for animals that you have. Animal lovers make the best people! Good luck hope your fur friends start feeling better quickly.

 

[Michellep224]

You are 100% right! I feel the same way. In fact my husband was told from the get go, my animals are my family too and there's no limit when it comes to their health. Our dog we have is 11. We have spent almost 30 thousand thru the years on various (4) surgeries. I'd do it again to if I have too. Hoping I don't though.
I understand some people can't spend as much as others. But if there is a will, there's a way and that way needs to be found.
Your a great animal parent and good for you. You should feel very proud to have the love and kindness for animals that you have. Animal lovers make the best people! Good luck hope your fur friends start feeling better quickly.

Personally I could not spend that kind of money.. I don't have it >_<
Now, I will tell you that I have already spent $500 in expenses on my 11wk old puppy. That's between food, boarding for 1wk, and puppy vet bills.
I would do anything I could for my animals. If I couldn't provide them the care they needed I wouldn't let them suffer. That's cruel and selfish. But if I can do something about it I'm going to.

I'm the person who calls the wildlife center over an injured bird.. Who sees a dog on the side of the road and worries to death about it if I can't help. If there's an animal on my property I find out if it has an owner. I have gone out of my way to return multiple dogs to families, and have taken in many homeless or abandoned cats.

My love of animals is very passionate. I believe they all have souls, and that every single life has purpose and meaning.
I think Euthanasia in shelters is wrong. I think Euthanasia of an animal that has will, and ability to live is wrong. If you can achieve a pretty good quality of life then there is no reason to end that life.
That's just how I feel.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

UPDATE:

Took ALL the dogs to the vet. Ginger is back on her medication! ^_^
We should see much improvement in her soon.

I must go gather myself... a very difficult subject.

Your first post sounded like you will try to be aware of when your pets are no longer able to enjoy their lives, so I will skip all that advice.

I have a dog only 9 years old with hip dysplasia... without pain meds a much different dog... If you can afford it and willing to put the effort out to administer... then you GO!

Daisy May feels Gallaprant-astic. See the difference is phenomenal.

Hang in there... what you put out... will come back to you, it ALWAYS does.

 

[Michellep224]

Thank y'all for the positive encouragement <3

 

[ButteCA]

Old dogs may remain puppies at heart but is the medicine really treating the problem or just numbing the pain? Will the condition eventually lead to a difficult passing if it continues to be numbed as opposed to being cured? If not something that will cause suffering later I don't see the point of a dog being put down. A very old dog with a severe problem like hip dysplasia should be thought about very carefully. Our family dog,an American bulldog, was kept alive with hip dysplasia and it lead to him having a traumatic passing. His hind legs went out and my sister thought he was having a stroke. The vet gave him pain meds and he started seizing. My sister had to make the decision right there to have our late sisters dog euthanized. Not the way we had wanted him to pass but in the end was a sad event for everyone. Having an old dog euthanized before it's preexisting health problems cause a not so ideal death seems a little more humane in my view but an extremely hard decision to make and to live with. Either way seems like a loss. We really only have them for such a short time in comparison to our lives and its difficult but something that every dog owner understands when bringing home their new friend.

 

[Tortoise]

An animal should not be put down because you THINK it might have a hard death. Euthanasia is for those times that there is no pain relief.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I think Euthanasia in shelters is wrong.

It is necessary, unfortunately... someone has to pay the bills AND care for the animals.

Even shelters that call themselves NO KILL still can have up to a 10% kill rate. The difference between no kill and kill shelters is that no kill shelters take ONLY the animals they WANT to. While standard shelters MUST take almost all animals.

All of my dogs (since I became an informed adult) have come from high rate kill shelters instead of breeders, and I plan to go back for my next... when the time comes.

Spaying and neutering saves lives. Maybe even mandatory spaying and neutering in areas with huge populations of irresponsible owners letting their chihuahuas and pit bulls (feral cats) breed out of control. Regulation is a fine line with plenty of controversy. Micro chips help return pets (the government don't care about tracking you ) to their proper owners. Responsible ownership could go a LONG way to reducing kill rates at shelters. Volunteering can be so educational, emotional... and more than that rewarding!

Guess I'm not fully on board with euthanasia being wrong... I dispatch roosters on a regular basis to feed my family and they ALL still have the will to live. And I do believe in the right to die with dignity... even for humans.

Even if I had the funds... (and I could if I chose to), I will NOT put my dog through all the surgeries and recovery... and consider that to often be selfishness on the part of the owner... I have had surgery, it hurts... for a long time. We all have different experiences and thought processes though. And we all do our best, hopefully.

 

[MROO]

There is a difference between humans and animals. I don't care if evolutionists say we came from dad-gum apes I am highly against people placing us and beasts on the same level.

An old dog cannot compare to an old human

No - but the love we feel for them, particularly if we grew up alongside of them, is very, very real - and we do need to extend compassion to those who love their animals that much, too.
The important thought here is not, "If Grandpa is grumpy and inconvenient, should we put him out of our misery or try to hep him?" The issue is, "If we can improve the situation, and the quality f our pets' lives, should we do it, even if it's uncomfortable or inconvenient for us?"

On one side of that argument, I have to agree with @Michellep224 that "inconvenience" should not be the deciding factor.

On the other side, I also have to agree with Michelle in that our pets will "tell us" when it's time, but I have to add one HUGE caveat. Animals often tell us in very subtle ways, and we have to make sure that our fear of losing them doesn't cloud our ability to understand what they are saying.

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