From:
Renee Rider
Date: 2001-04-20 05:27:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Euthanasia topic, etc.
> Alicia <ferretwise@m...> wrote:
> > I am a fervant advocate of witnessed euthanasia for all pet owners,
> > it is the kindest tribute to be their at the end for them.
When Sneezy (one of my first ferrets) died two years ago, we had driven her
to a vet about 3 hours away. We lived in a small community and didn't have
a great vet. She got worse and the vet reccomended putting her to sleep.
He also wanted to do an autopsy on her. Instead of having us drive a round
trip of 6 hours to be with her to put her to sleep, then come back the next
day, he suggested that they do it without us.
My husband wanted to be with her. I wasn't sure. I didn't know if I could
handle it. She took the decision out of our hands by passing right then.
However, I write this because I now really regret that I wasn't with her.
In the end, I had no choice. But even so, I guess I just wanted to point
out that even if you are unsure, you might want to also do it for yourself,
and not just your ferret's good.
Also, going off topic: I've never vented about this, and realize that it is
still bugging me, and I really wish I had said something to the vet at the
time. We let him do the autopsy because he wanted to learn from it. Okay.
However, the condition of her body when we got her back, I felt, was
unacceptable. He had sewed her back up, but there was dried blood all
around the incision. I felt that if you have the decency to clean up a
living ferret, you should clean up a dead one too. Especially since she had
been having seizures, so her tongue was stuck out and she had bitten it, and
their was blood there too. She looked in such pain, it was horrible.
I think my only point is this (for the vets on the list, but since you are
here, I'm sure you care and do this already): I let him do the autopsy to
help other ferrets. However, I think he should have had the decency to
clean her up a little after the autopsy. (I understand that with rigor
mortis, there was nothing he could do with the tongue.) However, what he
inflicted, he should have taken pains to take care of.
Okay, that was a rant, and I'm sure not very helpful, as it seems like
common sense. I guess it is just some guilt I've been harboring for letting
all that happen to her.