DOA

There are not many worse ways to start the morning than being abruptly pulled out of a consultation with a nice couple and their old dog to by an anxious nurse,

“That revisit patient coming to see you. He died in the car.”

“Is the owner here?”

“Yes. There’s a kid too.”

I was expecting the patient to put him to sleep that morning, and as sad as it always is to lose a pet it is much worse for most people to either find them dead or watch them die in their arms. It can be downright traumatic to see a pet die, especially with no vet guiding you as to what to expect or if you think the pet is suffering.I had to leave the consult of course to see the Dead On Arrival. Cradled in his owners arms, limp and white. The owner was much more distraught than they would have been if their pet had died at the end of my needle. All I can really do is confirm death, and talk through the final moments.

Yes, heart disease can make them die very suddenly…

No, they often gasp in those final moments. It’s not them, it’s the muscles crying for more oxygen…

Yes, he has definitely gone…

No, I don’t think you made a bad decision. You did make the decision, you just got here five minutes too late…

Yes, I will take care of the body for you…

No, I don’t think you should drive just yet…

A Euthanasia means “Easy Death” and some days I think that the ‘easy’ applies to the owner as much as the creature. There are three sides to the death of a pet: It, you, and the vet.

It’s never easy, but we can make it easier.