Last night we made a decision to Euthanize our kitten who fell ill. Now we're feeling guilty. Did we give him a chance?He was fine saturday throughout the day. Saturday night we noticed him wanting to lay around not be his normal self. Sunday, he was laying around barely wanting to eat so I called the ER Vet hospital and took him in, they examined him and said he was constipated. They gave us a supplement to give him along with a laxative and suggested we give him food through a syringe. We were hoping that it would have softened up the stool and helped the little guy out They told us to take him back tuesday for a check up. When we took him back the Vet told us that his kidneys were swollen and he still had the blockage. We were trying to excersice all of our options, asking if they could correct the blockage but they said with his kidneys swollen that it didn't look good. They recomended Euthanizing but now we're not so sure if we gave him a chance. We didn't want him suffering.
Answers:
Euthanizing a pet is never an easy option, but the vets would do all within their power and that they felt there was no other way to go
I believe that you did the right thing. If the vets thought that there was no hope for him that it was best that you let the little one rest in peace. I hate to see any animal suffer. I'm sorry that you lost a friend! God Bless
it might have been the best for him. its something ull never really know and may ponder on it for a good while. my dog had 9 puppies and bout 3 months later one came down with parvo, took him to the vet and they suggested euthanizing him, told me if i took him home hed only have 20-30% chance of living but i took the risk and he made it through, but in the process we lost 2 other puppies due to the parvo. that was a year ago this month and i still wonder if we would have put him down if we would have lost the other 2. i know none of this means anything but sometimes its for the best. u did what u could for him.
sorry for the loss
Don't feel so bad. It was ony 7 weeks. It's not like you had it for years. Also, they euthanize hundreds of kittens EVERY DAY just because there is no room for them. Yet people like Paris Hilton who claims to be an animal lover spends $!0,000 on a purse and $50,000 on a dress and $200,000 on a car when she could build a sanctuary for cats and save thousands and thousands and still live her millionaire lifestyle. You know what I mean? Anyways, don't feel guilty. You didn't want it to suffer. I would've given it a chance but that's just me. Don't beat yourself up over it.
I think you made the right choice. It's not an easy one but if the little creature had so many problems, especially with its kidneys, at such a young age, it's better to put it down.
I'm sorry you had to go through that. i have never had to euthanize my pet but i can imagine how hard it would be for me to do so. it sounds like you followed your vets advice and did your best. don't feel guilty. he is not in pain anymore thanks to the fact that you thought about him first and not how you would feel without him. i don't know if i could be that selfless.
Well, what I would have done.if it were my cat.I would have gave him pain killers of some kind and still tried to save him because that was real quick. It was sweet that you didn't want him to suffer I understand that. Also if you did have other options you should have used them to save him though, I'm just saying that's what I would have done. In the mean time you can always get another kitten that is healthy. Good Luck to you.
If it was recommended by the vet then it may have been the best thing to do.
It is always a hard decision.
it's hard to know what the right thing to do is. dealing with pets is difficult b/c we love them so much. yet, they are animals and unfortunately their medical care expenses are amazingly high. it sounds like your kitty was quite ill and sometimes you have to choose between money and a procedure where the outcome is uncertain.
Don`t beat yourself up about it. The vet knows what`s best. The kitten would be suffering and you did the kindest thing. Bless you.
I'm so sorry for your loss. If the vet recommended it, he/she must have seen that there was nothing else to do for him. I have lost pets before and I know how you feel. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss.
A big hug to you! it is too late to change a decision and you did what the vet advised and they don't advise that without careful thought.
Please do not beat yourself up over it. An animal has no idea what is being done to it when they poke and prod and if the vets thought there was a good chance of survivial they would have told you that. Otherwise I tend to think going to great steps to save a animal that is really dying is selfish. without knowing all the details..I would say you cared for that kitten enough to save it from unnecessary pain and discomfort.
Don't affix undue blame upon yourself or try to second guess the professionals. Living is tough enough without sending yourself on a guilt trip. Your intent and compassion are well meaning and sufficient.
I had to put down my cat of 13 years last November and it still haunts me. He had kidney failure and they did everything they could to let him stay with me as long as they could. They told me he wasn't suffering and I would know when it was time. For 2 weeks I took him back and forth to the vet for fluids and carried him to the litter box and carried him everywhere he wanted to go. He couldn't poop and only peed a little. I cryed every time I took him to the vets cause I thought they would tell me it was the end. One saturday I went out and when I came home he was on my bed (where I put him) and had peed all over it. He could barely meow and wasn't eatting. I decided I needed to take him to the vet again. I put the cat carrier on the floor in the kitchen and since he had no use of his back legs by then, he dragged himself into the carrier. I think that was my sign since he hated that carrier more than anything. I did have him euthanized that night and I stayed with him as they gave him a shot. I still miss him and cry for him. My point is, when it involves their kidneys, there is little hope. Lots of cats have kidney trouble and in the end they die. You did the right thing and saved that kitten from alot of pain. Now when I think about it maybe I should have put my cat down sooner but who knows? I believe you did the right thing for your kitten and believe me, he would only have gotten worse. It breaks our hearts but sometimes its for the best. I took my cat home that night and buried him in my back yard. I have a memorial stone where he is buried. They are such a part of our lifes but you did the right thing. Don't feel guilty about it, you saved him from pain and misery. I saw my cat and even though they told me he wasn't suffering, I think he was. No you did the right thing believe me. Think of the little time you had together and be glad he's not suffering.
I know it was very hard, but you made the right decision. Even if he did survive, he would most likely have suffered from kidney failure. It was better not to let him suffer any more than he did.
Sorry about your loss, and take care.
The vet is the professional, he knew what he was talking about. Better to put the poor little guy down than to have him suffer. I am sorry you had to make that decision. It is never easy.
Stages of Grief
It's difficult to compress the feelings of grief into stages, and loss professionals seldom agree on what those stages are. Some say there are only five stages, while others yet claim seven. We prefer to say that there aren't stages so much as there are patterns in what grieving pet owners may experience. The reason we believe differently is that we feel a person grief is going to depend on the circumstances surrounding their loss. For example, an elderly pet who has passed on after an extended illness is going to be grieved over differently than a young pet that has died suddenly and violently. While the pet owners in both instances will grieve and feel pain, the emotions they experience are going to be different. Emotions will also vary depending on the relationship the pet owner had with the pet that passed. For these reasons, we prefer to educate pet owners on the emotions that they may experience, rather than lock them into an anticipated "schedule" of grieving.
Disbelief/Denial - This is usually the first emotion that a pet owner experiences after a loss. The pet owner can't believe that their pet is gone, and when they do believe it they don't want to accept it.
Confusion - It's very natural for a bereaved pet owner to seem addled and unable to gather their thoughts. This is normal and will eventually go away.
Yearning/Bargaining - It's very normal for a pet owner yearn to have their pet back. This intense yearning can lead to bargaining ("I promise I'll be a better person if you'll just let me have my pet back."). Bargaining is normal, but it's important to realize that there is nothing you can do to bring your pet back.
Anger - Anger is a very normal feeling when grieving for a pet. The anger can be directed at anyone or anything such as work, the veterinarian, your spouse or other family, or even friends. There may be a brief time when the anger may even be directed towards the deceased pet for leaving the pet owner behind. Anger can sometimes be directed at surviving pets ("Why did you survive when Fido didn't?!"). Most often, though, the anger is directed inward towards the pet owner themselves.
Guilt - Guilt is probably the one emotion that is universal among loving pet owners who have experienced a loss, especially a euthanization. Most pet owners will feel guilt and indecision regarding the timing of the euthanization ("Did I wait too long and make my pet suffer unnecessarily?" or "Did I not give her enough of a chance to fight the illness?"). While guilt is perfectly normal, it is not constructive in the grieving process and can actually be a setback if you let it eat you up inside.
Sadness/Despair - Anyone who loves their pet will be sad that he/she is gone. It's important for the pet owner to not be ashamed of their sadness just because the loss was a pet and not a human. The loss of a pet can be more profound than even the loss of human relative, depending on the relationship between the pet and pet owner.
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As soon as the vet said my cat, who was 21, was having renal failure (I think this is kidneys too) and that it would cost me $200.00 a week to keep him alive. I just looked at the vet and asked, is he suffering? She said yes and didn't seem to like my next question. What are his chances of survival after spending all this money? (At the time I was only making $100.00 a week to live on in a gas station)
ReplyDeleteShe told me he would die anyway, they have to be honest or they are liable for damages. I went outside, had a good cry, came back in held him as she euthanised him.
Such a young animal would make that kind of decision just as tough, some people like me get instantly attatched the moment we take them home. Trying to belittle thier feelings because the animal was only a few weeks old is very cruel and makes me question why someone like you is even here.
Do you say the same to women after they have a miscarriage or lose a young child I wonder? After all they never even knew the baby right? Or they didn't know thier kid for very long anyway. Just pointing out just how cruel your statement was so you will think about what you say or type to other people. especially right at thier time of grief!
My last comment is aimed at a poster further up that said they didn't know the animal very long anyway, I noticed no name so I couldn't address the person directly.
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