EDITED TO ADD: The ordeal is dealt with now, I talked to the vet directly and apparently he doesn't believe the same things his assistant does. He put our dog down at 3:00 pm today. She's being buryed in our backyard where she may rest in peace. If you want to read the story I'll leave it here.
OK, this is kind of a long story but try to bear with me. We have a 13 Year old dog, Betsy, who has hip problems. We've had her since she was born as we also had her mother (long story). In the last few months of her mothers life we watched her go down drastically and she was in a lot of pain, we could only bring ourselves to put her down when she kept falling down the front steps and couldn't get up from a sitting down position. Betsy is showing the exact same symptoms as her mother did and at one point, couldn't even get up if she fell where our carpet meets the dining room floor (like a half inch difference). We tried everything we could for her but she's peeing on herself (smells horrible in one day) and of course she's in constant pain from her hips.
We as a family finally decided it was best to end her mysery before it ever got as bad as her mother. That's where the problem starts. My mom made an appointment with the vet and my younger brother went with her (to lift the dog into and out of the car). The rest of us stayed home, and even though I was the one pushing to put her down I didn't really think I had to go (though I did get the feeling I should, but who listens to that little voice anymore?
). Figures that the day we're putting her down her hips happen to be just fine. I didn't realize just how hard it is on my mom to put the dog down, it's harder on her than any of us kids (youngest is 13). So when mom tells the vet assistant that we're putting her down and the assistant goes "Oh! but she's so pretty and sweet!" mom says "do you want her?"...THAT was a can of worms opened. Mom agrees that if the assistant can find a home for her she'll give the dog to that home. Good idea, right? Nope, NONE of the rest of us want that, we want to say our final goodbye and we don't want Betsy to be in mysery any longer. I know this seems cruel to some of you, but it's just the way we are, ok? None of us are mad at mom (anymore) because we realize it is much, much harder for her than we ever imagined.
So I call the vet to make a new appointment for the next day. Another assistant answers the phone and I explain that as a family we decided to just put the dog down. A few hours later she calls back with an appointment time, then the other assistant, the one who talked my mom out of it in the first place, gets on the phone. I overhear mom talking (just a few feet away) and I realize that darned assistant is trying to talk mom out of it again. I get on the other phone in time to hear her say "but she's healthy". I was already very angry at the emotional trauma my entire family has felt through this crazy ordeal and I could tell mom was upset again and now this person is saying we're trying to put down a healthy dog
?!?! I was peeved but tried to keep my emotions in check while telling the assistant quite firmly that the dog is NOT healthy and we as a family decided it's best to just put her down. She goes on about how the dog can stay as the vet mascot (never mind the behavioral issues she doesn't know about) and that she feels Betsy could live at least 2 years longer. I then told her that Betsy can't even get up from laying down and, again, we did NOT want her going to another home in her final days. I said we did everything we could for Betsy and it's just time to put her down (at this point I was on the bridge of yelling at her, so I don't know the tone I used). The assistant said and I quote "Well I hear you didn't do what you could, that you couldn't find (forgot the name of the medicine)"
. Luckily for us all mom started talking at this point and explained to the woman that she got something else that does the same exact thing and has been giving that to the dog with spotty results. They talked a bit with the assistant treating mom like an idiot and at some point the assistant said and I quote again "well here we try to do what's best for the animal" and said they're not going to put her down....I started yelling
. I don't remember exactly what I said or what she said after that, it was clear the first day but it's been a few days now. It ended with mom saying goodbye and hanging up (thankfully). Oh yes, and did I foget to mention this is after we found out the cost to get rid of the body would be $155? It's a 45 lb dog! So we would have to bring her home and bury her in our backyard (luckily our next door neighbor said he'd be willing to dig the hole with his backhow). I was so mad I was shaking.
So mom called a few vets who said they would have to do an examination first and even then it wasn't gaurenteed they would put the dog down. She called a friend who suggested a vet. Of course the vet was closed because by now it's after 5:00pm and a Friday. So I waited until today and called the suggested vet. They told me the vet would have to do an examination and even then it's not gaurenteed they'll put her down
. By the way the reason for the examinations is because we have no prior meetings, the vets don't know Betsy.
So that's where we are today. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I call the first vet again and ask to talk to the actual vet (only talked to the assistance)? From what we know he seems like a good guy. We were impressed with him until all this started, but again we've never actually talked to him about it, only his assistances. I'm so confused and frustrated, my whole family is suffering because the
assitant decided to be a
. We just want to say goodbye already! I've been ready to say goodbye for 2 months!!! *sigh* I suggested the animal shelter, but we're out of the city limits for them, we have no animal control and no pound out here. Anyone have any suggestions?
OK, this is kind of a long story but try to bear with me. We have a 13 Year old dog, Betsy, who has hip problems. We've had her since she was born as we also had her mother (long story). In the last few months of her mothers life we watched her go down drastically and she was in a lot of pain, we could only bring ourselves to put her down when she kept falling down the front steps and couldn't get up from a sitting down position. Betsy is showing the exact same symptoms as her mother did and at one point, couldn't even get up if she fell where our carpet meets the dining room floor (like a half inch difference). We tried everything we could for her but she's peeing on herself (smells horrible in one day) and of course she's in constant pain from her hips.
We as a family finally decided it was best to end her mysery before it ever got as bad as her mother. That's where the problem starts. My mom made an appointment with the vet and my younger brother went with her (to lift the dog into and out of the car). The rest of us stayed home, and even though I was the one pushing to put her down I didn't really think I had to go (though I did get the feeling I should, but who listens to that little voice anymore?
So I call the vet to make a new appointment for the next day. Another assistant answers the phone and I explain that as a family we decided to just put the dog down. A few hours later she calls back with an appointment time, then the other assistant, the one who talked my mom out of it in the first place, gets on the phone. I overhear mom talking (just a few feet away) and I realize that darned assistant is trying to talk mom out of it again. I get on the other phone in time to hear her say "but she's healthy". I was already very angry at the emotional trauma my entire family has felt through this crazy ordeal and I could tell mom was upset again and now this person is saying we're trying to put down a healthy dog
So mom called a few vets who said they would have to do an examination first and even then it wasn't gaurenteed they would put the dog down. She called a friend who suggested a vet. Of course the vet was closed because by now it's after 5:00pm and a Friday. So I waited until today and called the suggested vet. They told me the vet would have to do an examination and even then it's not gaurenteed they'll put her down
So that's where we are today. Does anyone have any suggestions? Should I call the first vet again and ask to talk to the actual vet (only talked to the assistance)? From what we know he seems like a good guy. We were impressed with him until all this started, but again we've never actually talked to him about it, only his assistances. I'm so confused and frustrated, my whole family is suffering because the
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