ok listen I don't talk about work on here very often cuz I don't wanna depress people but relevant situation came up recently.
HUGE CONTENT WARNING FOR ANIMAL DEATH/SICKNESS
so we had this patient, a white cat named Oscar Meyer, and about two years ago (maybe more, kind of blurs together) he was tested to be feline leukemia positive. sometimes, feleuk+ cats can still maintain decent quality of life with the right treatments and precautions, but unfortunately, Oscar Meyer was not one of those cats.
his immunity was destroyed. he quickly started losing all his hair to mites that he just couldn't fight off, even with treatment. he was constantly covered in scabs from itching. every other week he was in with a new respiratory infection; it got to the point where his eyes and nostrils were always crusted over, and he always struggled to breathe. he turned yellow with jaundice. his thyroid levels were a joke. he went skeletal with weight loss. on top of the physiological changes, this once normal cat turned mean and miserable, so painful that he'd react violently to any oral/topical treatment.
like I said. this started two. years. ago.
for TWO. YEARS. this cat was in this state, maintained on steroid injections and anything we could do to just try and give him some level of comfort.
all the while, my doctors pleaded for euthanasia. first one doctor, then two, then three. they all repeatedly had those hard, compassionate discussions we have to bring up. but the thing about our job is we can never, WOULD never, command an owner to euthanize. it's always their choice, always presented as just an option of treatment.
so NOPE. this was an anti-euthanasia owner and she absolutely wouldn't hear it. she was clinging to this cat like a vice and nothing we did could convince her to let go.
I KNOW why people do this, believe me, I do, because I watch it all the time. this is the strength of our love for our pets. but I'm an advocate for the ANIMAL, not the human. if an animal has been suffering that bad, for that long, it means that the animal literally can't recall a time when their life wasn't painful. the pain is normal to them. for me, THAT hurts so much more than an animal dying peacefully.
so a couple nights ago, ten minutes to closing, Oscar Meyer is rushed in suddenly. his mom has him covered up and begs us for more pain medication. we usher her into a room, set Oscar Meyer down to have a look, and he's agonal. this means he's gasping for air, limbs stiff, eyes vacant. it looks like he's dying. the doctor working that night has no-nonsense compassion: he checks the chart, takes one look and kindly tells mom it's time to say goodbye. but even now, she resists. she asks to simply give him morphine and wait for him to die on his own. wait for him to die. the option to help him stop fighting and slip quietly away is right there, but she wants him to keep struggling. in case anyone wasn't aware, animals never just let go on their own. they're animals. they'll fight to the bitter end.
it took time, but we were finally able to convince her. he passed away. she was beside herself, of course she was, she clearly loved him so, so much. but the fact of the matter is, she let him endure 2 years of pain to put off feeling the pain she felt that night. we knew he would never get better. we told her many times. we continued to treat him per her wishes, and he suffered.
the moral of the story is: when you love an animal and take them into your care, their pain becomes your responsibility. it can't be the other way around.
