@patiodog,
Yeah...that's the nubbin....
"if you think she's got a chance to come through it"
My experience (and that of friends with whom I discuss it) seems often to be that the decision gets made a bit too late, rather than a bit too early....with the mega-vet practices, and with people who cannot let go, and will/can pay thousands, IMHO, frequently extending an animal's life in misery for WAAAAY too long. I had one poor cat who some vets made a mint out of treating uselessly, until I found the one I stuck with until he retired recently, who said simply that the infection (chronic, in left sinus) was untreatable, and that the cat was suffering and the thing was deforming her bony structures. He said that the only treatment he could do that might fix it (some form of burning it out, I think) was one that he found, in cats, was cruel and ineffective. We ended it that day...this was in the seventies, btw...so I am sure things might be different today.
But..I am also aware of the balancing act you did with your beloved old dog, where treatment DID give him some real extra good time. I have just read a book, as it happens, by a British veterinary surgeon specialist who practices in the USA, discussing exactly these sorts of issues. 'Twas fascinating.
In my experience, kidneys is it, and the drugs I have been given in the past have done sweet **** all. Are there new kidney drugs that actually do something? This vet seems to think so. Human drugs improve, so I guess animal ones do too, eh?
Actually, the vet phoned earlier today to see how Miranda was doing...and we talked a bit about this. She said that the minute she thought Miranda was suffering she would advocate euthanasia, unless the blood tests come back with something treatable...(she also had a higher than usual white blood cell count, which the vet thought due to the stress of her illness at the time...but I guess she's wondering about some form of cancer also now.)
She thinks it's worth giving her a chance....and I am doing this for the next few days...especially as I am on leave and can give her lots of love and cuddles.
Thing is, I have fallen for the chance thing before, and, on one occasion, it meant one of my cats who I thought was clearly dying, died in a damn cage in the vet's, on a damn drip. My animals die in my arms, thank you very much. Other times, I think it just extended their life into misery. Not for long, I won't allow that, but for a few days too long. Cats are such damn stoical little critters! (As are dogs as I recall). The cat I let die in the vet's, who suddenly became dramatically ill, (had a bowel stoppage, as we discovered) had appeared perfectly fit until the morning of her death, when she suddenly was vomiting stuff where YOU know what it was, and only able to stagger, purred and smiled happily at me and smooched all the way to the vet's, was friendly and gracious to the vet and the assistants, and never gave a sign of what must have been terrible pain and illness.
I am actually pretty rational and philosophical about it all.......I have no idea how many animals I have had since I was a toddler, wild and domestic (people used to bring me injured critters they found), but the deal generally is they die way before you, and that is that. I don't deal with it every day, but I have dealt with it a LOT, and with humans too.
How does it affect you? Big part of a vet's life.
I get really sad and cry a lot and all that, but it's part and parcel of the decision to care about animals (and humans) and enjoy their presence in your life, so I don't get hysterical or anything.
Miranda is stretched out in the sun at her window right now.
)
