Subject: Euthanization
 
>From:    Especially Ferrets <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Salute
>Do you euthanize your autistic child?  How about that broken arm or leg
>you had as a child.  How about granpa's arthritis?  How about granma when
>she had a stroke and couldn't even feed herself anymore?  Don't think it
>hurts?  Ask any cancer survivor or bypass patient!  Pain is a sense just
>as pleasure is and to be alive to experience it is a miracle in itself.
>To take that away from your family member in not right.  To let them go
>in their own time is loving, and divine.
>
>I have been reading so much lately of families who just easily end it for
>their little fuzzies when there is still plenty of time.  I ask, spend the
>time and the money, you may suffer a bit more and cry more, but you will
>never ever ask yourself, "did it end too soon?"
 
Did anyone else get upset when reading this post?  It certainly made me
cry.
 
Well it didn't make me cry, but it certainly ticked me off.  No one has the
right to criticize some one elses informed decision.  I recently had to put
a 7 year old ferret with a heart problem.  I hadn't had him very long but
the vet said he had suffered some sort of stroke, and that she wasn't
qualified to do that sort of surgery but she could set up a surgery for
that day and I could rush him for 2 hour drive to another town, where he
might or might not make and might or might not be himself afterwards, heck
he might or might not have made the trip!  He was suffering, he was having
problems breathing, his heart was labored, and his eyes were glazed.  No
way would I prolong such suffering in an animal that just can't understand.
 
I wonder does ferretguy have any human kids?  There is a line.  I would go
to much further lengths for my human kids than I ever would for a beloved
animal.  I have spent thousands of dollars on an animal I loved but not
to the point that I took food or clothing from my kids!  How stupid can a
person get!  I have spent the money when the outcome wasn't certain, and if
the degree of debilitation was negligible (sp?) I once spent every dime I
had on a test for my dog of 13 years the vet said he "wanted" to have done.
I asked that he be more selective, because at that point after the tests I
might not have the money for treatment.  True to form the jerk did tests I
didn't approve, and left me broke!  I had no gas for my car, no food in the
house and my dog died a long suffering death because I didn't even have the
$50 for the damn euthanasia the vet wanted!  Being new in town and young I
didn't have much credit and was at the jerks mercy.  I will never forgive
that cretin and I still grieve for what I put my dog through.  I resolved
to never be in that position again.  If something were to happen to my
human kids, there are agencies out there that will lend a helping hand when
I have gone beyond my means, but for animals there aren't many of those out
there.  For me "nuff said!"
 
Sharon
[Posted in FML issue 3393]