Euthanization of a pet

[LilyGonzlz]

Bella, I truly sorry for the loss of your pet and for the loss of any. It really is hard to go through. Does it ever get better?

My dad recently had to make the decision to put our Butters (chihuahua, 6 years old) down. Butters was very sick and his behavior had clearly changed. He had liver cancer, the vet offered meds, but this (the vet said) would only prolong the process. Butters was always full of life, happy to see my mom and dad (he loved me in a different way I believe), and seeing him suffer was not an option. I believe my father made the right decision. Butters was truly his best friend and non of us ever felt alone because butters was always there. I understand that the human soul is above all and immortal. I do not intend to place an animal soul in the same category. However, it is hard to accept that Butters has just seized to exist. Is it possible that he can now live on within our souls? Or can his soul wait here on earth? By wait, I mean his spirit is still with us and he can still hear us and be near us. However, on the day we go he comes with us?

God Bless,
Lily

 

[severus68]

Bella, I truly sorry for the loss of your pet and for the loss of any. It really is hard to go through. Does it ever get better?

My dad recently had to make the decision to put our Butters (chihuahua, 6 years old) down. Butters was very sick and his behavior had clearly changed. He had liver cancer, the vet offered meds, but this (the vet said) would only prolong the process. Butters was always full of life, happy to see my mom and dad (he loved me in a different way I believe), and seeing him suffer was not an option. I believe my father made the right decision. Butters was truly his best friend and non of us ever felt alone because butters was always there. I understand that the human soul is above all and immortal. I do not intend to place an animal soul in the same category. However, it is hard to accept that Butters has just seized to exist. Is it possible that he can now live on within our souls? Or can his soul wait here on earth? By wait, I mean his spirit is still with us and he can still hear us and be near us. However, on the day we go he comes with us?

God Bless,
Lily

I am sorry about Butters. It is God who decides. God loves all His creatures. I believe those pets we loved and who loved us, will wait for us to be together in heaven. God bless.

 

[mary_bobo]

But surely you must admit that there are people who treat pets as disposable accessories? People who feel they have a “right” to own 3 dogs even though they keep them in the back yard and pay no attention to them, never take them to the vet because they “can’t afford it” (but they can afford an HD TV and surround sound), and then have the pets put to sleep the moment all the neglect backfires. I freely admit to putting those kind of people down because that sort of behavior IS immoral and very prevalent.

In my opinion, if a person can’t afford pet health insurance (about 20 bucks a month) then they shouldn’t own a pet. If this makes me unkind then so be it.

I absolutely agree with you. After showing dogs for 40 years, I have come to accept that some people should never own a dog. They don’t want a companion they want a status symbol. Dogs were given to us as family animals and anything less than that is not fair to the dog. In my post I was talking about those people who truly love their dogs, but because of their economy just can no longer afford to feed them. Better they take them to a shelter where they might have the opportunity to find another home.

 

[Newbie2]

I would hope that in Paradise, there are self-cleaning cat boxes.

Cats do not pee or poop in the aftelife.

My personal feeling is that it IS immoral to euthanize a pet. I would never do so. My cat is a member of the family just like any other member. I could no more euthanize her than I could euthanize my sister.

However I can see that you had a difficult decision to make and did the best you could. You aren’t like the people who have their pet put to sleep just to save cash, or because the medical treatments would be too inconvenient, or even because the cat had behavioral issues. It makes me sick that some people treat the life and death of a pet so callously.

Sometimes euthanasia is the best thing you can do for a pet. It certainly beats letting them suffer before they die. And I think it is unkind to put down people who euthanize their pets because they cannot afford the care. Have you looked at veterinary costs lately? I bet they would give their animal the best they could afford. They are not being callous at all.

I’ve seen everything across the board in 24 years of veterinary practice; giving up “too early”, not wanting to “deal with” a sick pet, simply not being able to afford treatment, keeping a pet alive and suffering in the terminal stages of a disease for no valid reason.

It all revolves around how compassionate care and animal welfare are defined and applied.

 

[journey00]

Thank you for the continuing posts on this thread.

My children and me have a vet appointment in 30min to possibly have to put down our beloved chinese pug. At first I said no to putting him down because I don’t want my children to think that when someone or something isn’t of any use for us anymore that it is ok to get rid of it…

He has CPE (chinese pug encephalitis), it is terminal, incurable disease.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, we are all crying and very sad…

 

[severus68]

Thank you for the continuing posts on this thread.

My children and me have a vet appointment in 30min to possibly have to put down our beloved chinese pug. At first I said no to putting him down because I don’t want my children to think that when someone or something isn’t of any use for us anymore that it is ok to get rid of it…

He has CPE (chinese pug encephalitis), it is terminal, incurable disease.

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, we are all crying and very sad…

My prayers for all of you and your poor dog. I do not know what else to say except to empathise. God bless.