dogs, hippies, life

w8n4wind · Joined: 12 Nov 2008 Posts: 278 Location: canada

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

Ben, I seldom watch videos, but something possessed me to click on yours.

Really glad I did.

It was impressive in more ways than I could list, including the visuals, the sparse but pithy narrative, the plot twists, the medical theme, the places and things my own dogs have been and done, and much more.

Spoiler alert: watch the video first before reading further.

It sounds insignificant, but if it helps other people part with their dogs, it's not so trite and hopefully adds to your story as it moves on to other readers: I put my ailing dogs down eating ice cream. They barely even notice the IV insertion, then fall asleep with their face in the dish. A little smile helps relieve the sting of the tears, especially if the terminal patient looks and feels almost normal (I figure that if I've waited until my dog doesn't even want ice cream, I've waited too long).

Mike \m/

coboardhead · Joined: 26 Oct 2009 Posts: 4303

Thanks for the video. We have two old dogs...one barely hanging on. He still does the things that make me laugh even though he can barely walk. We could all take a lesson from our dogs!

isobars · Joined: 12 Dec 1999 Posts: 20935

One of those lessons is when to let go, and it applies to people, too. When death becomes the better option, it's time, IMO. (No insinuations, Cob ... I have no idea how your old dogs FEEL) I'll never forgive myself for letting our first dog suffer unnecessarily out of ignorance, and have never regretted putting another one down -- eating ice cream -- while she felt and acted like a healthy puppy, because the vet was absolutely certain her liver and kidneys were within 48 hours of total, irreversible, devastating failure from years of life-preserving drugs. When a dog -- or humans at some stage -- is facing (now or soon) unbearable terminal suffering, I don't think it's right to delay death just to postpone the survivors' sorrow. With animals, we should determine when it's time, suck it up, and take care of business. With people, the patient should make that decision, real time or via an Advanced Directive.