warning long and possibly controversial post
Okay guys,please hear me out on this one.Animal healthcare seems to be going in the same direction as human healthcare to me.It's getting to be more about what they can do "to them" than "for them". I have many pets and believe in giving them the best care I possibly can but I also feel that the good Lord has given us the responsiblity to care for all of his creations.Before I move forward with tests/treatments,etc I have to ask myself first what am I going to accomplish with the test results/procedure?Is it going to do anything that will improve my pet's quality of life,not just it's length of life? Here is an example of the people version- elderly woman with end stage lung disease(not cancer but COPD),multiple other chronic health problems,maxed out on oxygen/meds/etc but yet she is not willing/ready for Hospice care and her family respects her wishes.So she continues to see all of her multiple specialists who at each visit tell her there is nothing else that they can do for her problem yet they continue to tell her to come back to see them in 1-2 months,order expensive and painful tests that when she returns for results either are "nothing has changed/we didn't get enough sample/we need to repeat it in two months" and repeat themselves again saying there really is nothing else we can do. Now I am seeing the same things with vets. I am a Christian and no I do not believe in human euthanasia but I also don't believe in torture.With my pets I pray that they have a long and happy life.If they have done that,then I will do no extreme measures to prolong life.They will have all of the food/water/play that they desire and when aging and dying process begins I will not intervene unless they are/or will suffer .Kidneys,heart,pancreas,liver failure are all part of the aging/dying process.As long as an animal is still enjoying life the natural processes of aging and dying are as expected.At the first sign of pain/suffering I will humanely euthanize,but if the aging and dying process is not disturbed as a general rule I have found that the animal will usually pass easily and quietly with the dignity they deserve.When an older animal stops eating,drinking,enjoying life they are letting us know that they are tired and we must prepare ourselves for their passing.I have had to have elderly animals euthanized when I know that they will suffer agonizing deaths(twisted bowels,large tumors causing pain) but otherwise I let them die with the same love and dignity that I feel they deserve.Sorry for my rant and I know I have probably smashed some toes,but I had to say it.Physicial bodies begin dying the minute they are born.For some reason it seems our society has developed a "live forever,no matter the cost" philosophy instead of a loving caring death with dignity.And as I am sure you have figured out,the elderly woman in the earlier example is my Mom who I love dearly but every day wish that she too could die with dignity but continues to suffer more pills/tests/procedures because the Drs that tell her "there is nothing else we can do to help you" will continue to order the tests/pills/procedures for nothing more than what I see as gaining monetary profit. Think about it,do you see or hear "death from natural causes" anymore?