We want our pets to stay healthy forever.
But life is not eternal.
In my case, after a year of fighting the disease, I lost my dog, “Mook”.
I did everything I could think of to prolong his life.
He eventually lost his right leg to cancer.
I’m wondering if life-sustaining treatment was the right thing to do.
Perhaps he was in pain during treatment.
Also, I found a disease in my cat.
At that time, the cat died in a short period of only 2 months.
Customers tell us stories about treating and caring for their pets.
Was life-sustaining treatment the right choice?
I think we will never know the answer.
I would like to share with you how I felt.
Life prolonging treatment for my dog Mook
In 2008, we lost our dog “Mook”.
Mook and me.
Mook began to drag his front legs.
I took him to the hospital and was diagnosed with osteosarcoma.
After I found out my dog was sick, I tried everything I thought was good for him.
Medicine, supplements, even spring water…
I had one leg amputated by surgery.
He lived for more than a year, far exceeding the life expectancy.
The vet said.
“I don’t know why this dog is alive.”
The veterinarian said, “He must be in considerable pain,” which still sticks in my head.
Mook was able to feed and use the toilet by himself.
I was able to go for a walk with one leg, and we took a walk every day.
If he had been unable to eat on his own and had been treated with an intravenous drip, he wouldn’t have been able to live this long, and we might not have worked so hard.
However, there is no options to euthanasia, nor was the word euthanasia given by the veterinarian.
Was Mook in pain?
Mook seemed happy, at least from the look on his face.
There was no sign of suffering at the end, and he left as if he was sleeping.
And what “Mook” gave us is our lovely job.
pet mementos, memorial custom goods
I decided not to do life-sustaining treatment for my cat.
Cat named “MARO” and me.
Maro passed away within a short period of two months after being diagnosed with the disease.
The conflict over whether I was responsible for not noticing my illness and whether I made the right choice of treatment afterward will probably continue forever.
I didn’t know the name of the disease.
Veterinarian said.
“Laparotomy is necessary to diagnose the name of the disease, but treatment may not be possible”
The illness seemed to have progressed.
The doctor was friendly and talked to me about treatment options.
I decided not to take any life-prolonging treatment for him and let nature take its course.
The doctor also said that it might be better in this case.
Read more about Maro’s disease and treatment here.
My cat’s illness and pet loss experience story
To all of you who are undergoing treatment for pets
Here are some things to consider when treating a sick pet.
For example, about hospitalization when the condition suddenly changes.
There are pets who die when they leave the hospital and are separated from their owners.
We hear from our customers from time to time.
Know the existence of pets who die the night they are hospitalized.
Click here for details.
Cases of pets dying in hospital
Customers who stopped life-prolonging treatment for pets
From now on, I will introduce you to the customer.
About cat treatment
I received an order from a customer.
It seems that the cat was seriously ill half a year ago and was saved by spending a lot of time and money.
From that day on, he began to fight the disease, and he was repeatedly in and out of the hospital and going to the hospital.
However, it seems that it was painful to see him getting weaker and weaker every day as he was addicted to medicine.
The cat seemed to have a hard time, and with the advice of the veterinarian, one day he stopped life-prolonging treatment for the cat.
Then the cat became gentle like before, and it seems that the cat died a few days later.
He said he was wondering if he made the right choice. Finally, I think it was a happy time for the cat, spending time at his own home and being loved.
old dog care
This is a story of a customer who says he was nursing an old dog.
The dog was over 17 years old and could have died at any moment.
It seems that everyone in the family was prepared.
The dog was not particularly sick, just a natural longevity and senility.
The hospital asked him if he wanted life-prolonging treatment, but after consulting with his family, he decided to leave it to nature.
Medical technology for pets has progressed, and various treatments may be possible, but when you think about the true happiness of pets, you don’t know how much you can do.
Characteristics of customers who do not receive life-prolonging treatment
If you have a minor illness or can be cured with simple treatment, you need to be treated at a hospital.
My cat was also prescribed medicine for urinary tract stones, and it didn’t get serious.
However, pets who have reached the end of their lifespan can choose to die naturally without any special treatment.
There is a word that customers often say. It’s life expectancy, that he lived long enough, that he fought his illness enough, and that he wanted to take care of him at home in the end.
If you are satisfied and feel that it is good for your dog or cat, further treatment may not be necessary.
These words made me realize that just prolonging one’s life does not always lead to happiness.
mental and financial burden
I will tell you about my case.
My dog Mook was treated for a year with bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
At first, the dog’s leg seemed to be in pain, so I went to the hospital, and the doctor said,
“I think the dog is probably in a lot of pain”
Although he was told he had only three months left to live, he immediately underwent treatment and eventually had one of his front legs amputated by surgery.
He recovered and we were able to live together for the next year.
It is also true that during that time, I had to take time off from work to go to the hospital, and the treatment cost money, which was a burden.
Once you start life-sustaining treatment, you will not know when to stop.
It is a fact that the owner is burdened, so please consult with the hospital doctor and give the treatment that you are satisfied with.
Regret of too much treatment
Sometimes people regret treating their pets too much.
Customer said,
“I want cats to live as long as possible.”
He said that he tried all kinds of treatments because he thought it was the affection for the cat.
It seems that the pet lived much longer than the expected life expectancy, but in the end it seems that the treatment was worried about whether the treatment was good.
While consulting with a veterinarian, he asked himself many times, repeatedly conflicted, and his beloved cat died.
Wouldn’t it have been better to let the pet die in comfort?
Also, it may have been a painful experience for a long time.
It seems that I was worried about that.
He said that if possible, he would like to meet his pet and apologize.
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The reason why the owner disqualified and blamed himself got back on his feet
A friend’s determination, what is true happiness?
My friend was doing check-up nursing for the dog.
Her pet was nearing the end of its life and she was ready for it to die.
And she said she did what she had to do.
In the end, she didn’t go to the hospital anymore.
she said.
“It’s no need to give my pet medicine, and even if my pet’s life is extended by a day or even a few hours, that’s not true happiness.”
It’s time to let nature run its course and break free from this body.
She will see it off.
When I listened to her story, I felt sad, but at the same time, I could feel her kindness.
I also felt warm.
And she said.
“I wish I could have had more treatments. I wanted to play more with my dog.”
No matter how much you treat it, all owners may think the same.
After crying for a while, we who are left will start walking again.
It’s a repetition of that.