Pet Euthanasia, A Thank You

It’s difficult for holistic veterinarians to deal with euthanasia as often as we do; we all suffer when dogs and cats are ill and dying.

To help clients during the end of a pet's life, I encourage them to use both the heart (right brain) and the analytical, critical left brain. Most of us with dying pets have a sense of what is in our hearts, but we don't know how to critically evaluate this emotional situation with our left brains. To help the left brain contribute to the decision of when and if to euthanaize, I encourage pet families to complete a Quality of Life sheet. The QOL sheet gives us a numerical sense of where the pet is and how it is progressing one day to the next. We’ll post a Quality of Life sheet on the blog in the next day or two so you can see what's involved.

Here is an example of how a client, Lois, felt after we discussed euthanasia and Buddy's quality of life. I saw Buddy when visiting Dr. Nancy Keller’s Healing Heart Hospital. To Lois, and all those who’ve expressed thanks at how we work together to make euthanasia decisions, I say, “You’re welcome.”

Dear Sue,
I wanted to say how much I appreciated the time you spent with our little family while you were here in Florida. Your quality of life quiz was exactly what I needed to be clear about how Buddy really was doing and what made the most sense for him.

Your gentle nature and the beautiful way you handled Buddy and Hope were just what we all needed that day.

Buddy died two days later. Nancy said he “rocketed” out of his body and I believe that. He was a very active dog and sickness was not part of his nature.

Once I was ready, he let me know that he was ready. I think he had been sticking around until I got a clue.

We miss him very much, but are using the Spirit Essences you recommended and I know they are helping all of us…including the cats.

Thank you for being such a wonderful doctor and such an extraordinary person.
Our Best Regards,
Lois L,

While I can share Lois’ letter with you, sorry I can’t share the cookies she sent. For the cookies, the hard working staff at Founders Veterinary Hospital say, “Thank You!”

Euthanasia is the most difficult decision that I help pet families make. It's an honor to have your trust so that we can make these decisions together.

We'll post a Quality of Life sheet soon on the Caring for Pets blog.