When Euthanasia Goes Wrong
I had been hesitating for some time to cover this subject in DF, for two reasons: 1) It is hard for me to write about, as I have personal experience and 2) I do not want to cause distress and alarm. It is probably true to say (and it is certainly true of all bar one of the euthanasias I have witnessed) that the vast majority of animals appear to pass quickly and peacefully from this life.
Because bereavement by euthanasia is such a taboo subject, participants in the study featured in DF24 found it helpful to talk about the event. The richness of description and the minute attention to detail reminded the researchers of narrative reprocessing, a technique used in critical incident debriefing in trauma management – where people are encouraged to talk about the traumatic event to a trained professional.
There are so many complicated emotions involved in bereavement by euthanasia, which are magnified when things go wrong: It may be very hard to talk about. You want desperately to believe that the animal did not really suffer, but you find the well-intentioned efforts of others to play down or minimise what happened unsatisfying and unconvincing. You simultaneously want to know the truth – and dread knowing the truth. You may want to keep your feelings locked up inside, or you may want to go over everything in minute detail – only to feel (rightly or wrongly) that the person you are talking to is reluctant to engage and does not really want to hear what you have such a deep need to express.
Cruse Bereavement care (a national organisation which helps people with human losses) carried an article in its Spring newsletter 2000 by Tania Woods of SCAS (Society for Companion Animal Studies) entitled Mourning the loss of a companion animal, in which she reviewed their booklet Death of an Animal Friend and wrote about the SCAS pet bereavement support service. A few months ago, I ordered this back copy and, when it arrived, I took it on the train to read on my way to work.
It outlined reasons why people call the service, the different aspects of bereavement (special relationship, intensity of the grief, whether or not to get another animal, etc.) with anecdotes from some of the case histories, including a client who was upset at having to sign a euthanasia consent form; it felt to her like disposing of rubbish. I was totally unprepared for the next sentence: “The cat cried when it was being put to sleep.” This was like a knife in my gut and the effect lasted for days.
My beloved, one-in-a-million white cat Spooky (see DFs 4 & 8) had cardiomyopathy and, after several operations, her deterioration was so great that it seemed that the kindest thing to do was to let her go. I don’t blame the vet for what happened; he did everything he could.
When the injection was given, she miaowed three times in quick succession – a strange, hollow sound, quite unlike her usual voice. She then fell silent and I could not tell if she were dead or alive. A reflex twitch and it was all over. The vet assured me that she was not in pain – only felt dizzy as the solution had taken longer to work as her circulation was so slow. But those miaows will haunt me forever.
Here is a small selection of other people’s experiences: Source: Euthanasia Survey http://www.pets2rest.co.uk/
… My dog was extremely distressed and “screamed” at the time the injection was administered. I was assured that this was due to a feeling of lightheadedness and was not a response to pain, but it was extremely distressing.
I recently had my old rabbit put to sleep… He had to have an injection into his stomach as they couldn’t find a vein and I would really like some reassurance that he didn’t suffer as it took about 5 or 10 minutes for him to stop breathing….
…. She choked and spasmed for a short while and then was still after about 20 seconds. It was very distressing. I hate the thought of it having been unpleasant for her.
For those of us who carry this burden, there are no easy answers, but some of the following may help:
- Write a letter or a poem to the animal and read it to a picture of him or her;
- Talk through your experience with a trusted friend or small group; they should promise to listen without interrupting until you have finished;
- Contact a pet bereavement support service (see Resources) by letter, telephone or e-mail;
- Remember that you acted in good faith, in the best interests of your animal;
- Remember the good times, and that now the suffering is all over – he or she is at peace;
- If you feel you can’t handle your own suffering, you must seek professional help.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Dylan Thomas
BOOK REVIEW
Animal Experiments: SimpleTruths
by Vernon Coleman
Dr Vernon Coleman is a versatile and prolific writer. He has written medical books, humorous books, fiction, books about (and written with the help of) cats, and books on animal rights, on which he is one of the leading authorities in Britain: so much so that, for many years, vivisectors have simply refused to debate with him. His latest book, ‘Animal Experiments: Simple Truths’ has been sent to around 6,000 school libraries in the UK, so that school children will now have an opportunity to read the scientific truths about one of the most controversial subjects of our age.
The book consists of 200 unanswerable arguments against vivisection, based on historical and scientific fact, medical evidence and pure logic. For example:
Tobacco smoke has been cleared of causing cancer in standard tests on rats. Rats can also consume vast quantities of alcohol without suffering any liver damage. (p.22)
The Home Office in Britain has admitted that it has never carried out an evaluation of whether or not animal experiments benefit human medicine, nor has it ever assessed independent studies made by others, even though officials and politicians know that studies exist which show that animal experiments are ethically indefensible and completely without scientific or medical merit. (p.26)
A couple of years ago, I offered to give £250,000 to the first vivisector or vivisection supporter who could find one patient whose life had been saved as a direct result of animal experiments. The offer was widely and repeatedly publicised in the national press, in magazines and on the internet. But not one person came forward to claim the £250,000. (p.27 & 28)
Baroness Denton of Wakefield CBE, former Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms told me that ‘There is no European Community or United Kingdom law which states that drug companies have to test their products on animals.’ (p.29)
A technician shaved the rats’ whiskers every day with a pair of small scissors. The researchers found that the rats’ brains didn’t develop properly. Should we assume from this research that men who shave their beards are intellectually inferior to men who don’t? (p.44)
Drug companies test on animals so that they can say that they have tested their drugs before marketing them. If the tests show that the drugs do not cause serious disorders when given to animals the companies say: ‘…We … have proved it to be safe!’ If, on the other hand, tests show that a drug does cause serious problems when given to animals the companies say: ‘The animal experiments are, of course, unreliable and cannot be used to predict what will happen when the drug is given to humans. We have, however, tested our drug.’ This double-edged absurdity ….. means that the industry never loses and patients never win. (p.75 &76)
This book is essential reading for anyone concerned about animal rights – and an absolute give-away at only £2.99 in paperback.
‘Animal Experiments: Simple Truths’ is published by Blue Books, Publishing House, Trinity Place, Barnstaple, EX32 9HG. For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Sue Ward;
tel 01271 328892, fax 01271 328768
| e-mail sue@vernoncoleman.comwebsite www.vernoncoleman.com | ò |
Your Letters ………..……” *
I know your newsletter is aimed at helping those who are grieving over the loss of a well loved pet. But I wonder if you would consider another slant, i.e. the grief and anger we all feel at the loss of so many animal victims in the vile labs. Animals who have known no love and are sacrificed in the name of so called science. It would be a short article as a memorial to them.
John Cowen
This topic was briefly touched on in DF no. 5, but it is important and does deserve to be covered again – ed.
Like everyone else, I feel very sad when a sick cat dies, but I have to live with the knowledge that healthy FIV’s and incorrectly diagnosed FeLV’s are being “killed” on a daily basis because of the prejudice and ignorance about these viruses. I’ve taken the liberty of putting in a few of my leaflets** – a “Joe Soap’s guide to FIV and FeLV”. See if you can put them around where appropriate.
These cats I mostly deal with are not even ill, more an “inconvenience” taking too long to home or believed to have “AIDS” – totally untrue. It is also about the “numbers game” and these cats are an easy target. Euthanasia should not be the term used, as they are not ill and suffering – more like cold blooded murder. Must get off my soapbox and down to the post!
Barbara Hunt – Catwork
**Please send small SAE to Departed Friend, or to Barbara at Catwork – see Resources section.
Linda Bodicoat, author of ‘Return to the Fold’ – see Resources – sent us the following letter she received from a couple in Australia:
Dear Linda, I hope this gets to you as we would like to let you and others know that your book Return to the Fold has been a great comfort to us especially in our recent bereavement. This book was sent by my aunt when we lost our beloved Galah and ever since then, we have been able to send family & friends your prayers and hymns so beautifully presented. It has been such an inspiration to use just now as we dearly miss our beloved Muffin (everyone called him Muffinman & I enclose a photo for you to keep for your album or other books that you plan to write).
‘Thoughts & Prayers for the Elderly Bereaved’ in this book have been so nicely written, that each day this month we read the same over Muffin’s grave. Thank you so much for writing this as both of us are retired now, I am 71 and Preston 69, and we have always looked after or loved animals all our life (we do not have any children).
Roxana & Preston D.
The story of our special pet dog “Muffin” who left us on the 27th August 2006
Muffin – on our 38th Wedding Anniversary
9th May 2004 – aged 9 years
Muffin was born on 6 September 1995 and was a Maltese/Poodle/Shih-Tzu cross, and to us was the most beautiful dog. On 7 March (when Muffin was 3 years and 3 months old) he was brought to stay with us. We spent many sleepless nights getting him to adjust and eventually he was made comfortable in our home. He was called Ragamuffin, Muffy, Puppy, and other lovable names, and gradually he adored us and always wanted to be with one of us at all times.
Can I describe Muffin’s first week with us – he wanted to chase every red car (his previous owner had had one) when we took him for walks and we had to keep him on the lead at all times. When we had to go out socially, shopping or church, he was kept indoors for the few hours we were away, and we could not keep the venetian blinds down (we have glass windows to the ground) or he would destroy the slats but this problem was solved by keeping the blinds above his height, so he could peer out to see what the world around our home looked like, barked at cats, birds and other dogs walking, and even alerted us with his bark, when the postman arrived with letters. He loved sitting on his cushion and watching through the windows even looking after our opposite neighbour’s home and warning us who was visiting with his bark. When he viewed our car driving into the carport, he would come to the door to greet us and sniff what we had and often we got him his biscuits or schmackos which we opened for him to take a few and this pleased him so much and he would settle back into the routine. He had his special chair in the TV room but he still loved to jump on the other furniture and beds and being small and clean, we never objected. He loved walks, riding in the car when we used to take him for drives to the river, and most of all loved is food “Tucker Time” a special roll made by the Vet which he lived on for nearly all his life and this gave him all his vitamins and kept him healthy. He often reminded us about his food-time an hour early by rolling on the carpet and getting our attention to come into the kitchen and get his plastic container out of the fridge! He did hate having a bath or having his beautiful hair clipped and it would take Roxana two/three days to get him in shape before he could have a bath and then even hated the nails to be clipped, which made us nervous. The end result was that he was so beautiful and much admired by all who saw him especially when Roxana took him walking to the post office nearby. He also adored family and visitors and children coming to our home and late into an evening slept on the carpet with his four legs in the air to the amusement of our friends! He did suffer from separation anxiety when Roxana left the home for short spells and even when things were quiet in the home and Roxana was praying in the bedroom, he would wander there to see if she was okay and jump onto the bed and play with her prayer books in the early stages. His eyes were always sad when we had to leave him alone but accepted the situation and we never left him for very long – always had a neighbour to look in on him, if we were out all day and in fact we have not even been for an overseas holiday for the time God gave him to us as we hated to even leave him with anyone, as he would fret.
For six months or so before his demise, he commenced drinking too much water, panting, and having a pot belly, so after his annual booster vaccination this year, we had his blood checked out for diabetes, but were told by the Vet he had Canine Cushings Disease (www.kateconnick.com/library/cushingsdisease.html) and the Vet wanted to hospitalise him for a week or two for treatment. He did not seem to have any pain, as he continued to want to go for small walks but did eat much more than usual and his thirst for water was not normal. Being over 10 years and having a murmur in his heart, we decided not to stress him out with the drastic treatment recommended and tried to make him comfortable and stayed home for him. In the weeks that followed, he started to lose his hair, developed a pot belly, could not jump due to the deterioration of the muscle in his hind legs and towards the end did not even want his food. We decided to give him our undivided attention for the weekend and then on the Monday take him to the Vet for his heavenly home. That Saturday evening was very sad, as he did not want his food, but ate the mince and rice Roxana cooked for us, and this was on his chest till Sunday morning which he vomited and we knew he had an obstruction and could not pass anything but urine. Roxana rushed off to church down the road and prayed for a miracle to keep him alive for Father’s Day and his 11th birthday on 6 September but when she returned he was so sad, sitting on his cushion, looking at us and Preston decided it was time we had to let him go. It was heartbreaking and we could not face euthanasia, so let the Dr. take him in and bring him back to the car after which we brought him home with so much sadness that still exists in our hearts and lives – we do not have children and seem to have given our hearts to him and all wild creatures.
At home, we laid him to rest near the bedroom window outside and used all the prayers written in Linda J Bodicoat’s book called Return to the Fold with much sadness. This book was given to us many years ago, and it has been most useful as many of our family and friends have lost animals and I have been able to write them some of the prayers and words in their cards.
We shall miss him terribly, as he was loving, playful, patient, watchful, loyal and now we find our home and our hearts so empty. At nights in the bedroom we miss him drinking water from his bowl and snoring – often we called out to him to stop, which he did and when we were asleep he continued but we eventually got used to this, as he did have a murmur in his heart. While Roxana did her typing in the lounge table, Muffin used to sleep in his soft bed at the side and Preston used to say Muffin will have a headache with the typewriter keys banging but he continued to rest there and look up at her every now and then…which she tearfully misses. I know time will heal the void in our lives and hearts but my Uncle who is nearly 90, in England, has written that we get ourselves another dog to love but we feel we shall opt to take care of dogs while their owners are on holidays and this might help. We filled his Doulton Roses water-bowl on his grave with roses and flowers since his demise. We have received so many cards, flowers and visitors, especially the children on the street who loved him and did not want God to take him away….their tributes were so touching and I have promised to care for their animals when they holiday. Each day we say a small prayer for Muffin and sometimes Roxana imagines his face appearing in the clouds saying “I am okay now” and his beautiful eyes showing his admiration. We hope as days go by, with God’s help, we shall have happy memories of him, when we look at the many photographs taken over his eight years with us. Muffin will always be our special dog for many, many years to come and that love we have for him will always remain in our hearts.
| With much sadness, Roxana & Preston D. | Z |
Chandni Shah Memorial
A special memorial service to DF reader Chandni Shah (see DF 22) was held on Sunday 9 July 2006 in Paradise Wildlife Park, Broxbourne, Hertfordshire, where Chandni loved to go with her family: husband Harish and son Rikesh. A bench was dedicated to Chandni’s memory, and a special plaque erected in the memorial garden in the ancient woodland section. In her speech, the park’s proprietor mentioned that there were several memorials in the garden, both of people and their pets, in keeping with the spirit of the ancient Egyptians. They are going to open another memorial garden.
In a country like Egypt, animal forms were easily understood and required no further explanation because they were part of everybody’s daily experience. The division which we instinctively make between people and animals was not so strongly felt and the category ‘animals’ did not, in fact, exist. To put it differently, ‘living beings’ included gods, people, and animals. A theological treatise recorded under Shabako (716-702 BC) but perhaps composed as early as the third millennium BC, describes the heart and tongue of the creator-god Ptah as being present in ‘all gods, all people, all cattle, all worms, all that lives.’ Just like people, animals were made by the creator god, worshipped him (in their own way) and were looked after by him. In certain exceptional cases, their link with the god may have been even more immediate than that of humans.
The Cat in Ancient Egypt – by Jaromir Malek, p.76. pb. British Museum Press, 1993
~~~ Some walk in and out of your life without trace. Others leave their footprints (pawprints) in your heart.
Be still. Close your eyes. Breathe. Listen for my footfall in your heart. I am not gone but merely walk within you.
There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart. ~~~
Departed Friend stall – Green Fair – Bedford 17.09.2006
Filed under: No. 25 Sep '06
