Life is weird in lots of way. Things happen for a reason, and you have to kind of be open to what life's going to throw at you because you certainly aren't going to expect most of it. Even the good stuff. Especially the good stuff, which is often hidden in bad stuff. When I go to a house for a euthanasia, people invariably say one of two things: 1. This must be so hard. 2. I wish we had this for people. The answer to both is "I agree." The interesting part is that they ... Read more »
euthanasia
How to talk to your vet about death
I'm getting Apollo's ashes back this week. I still haven't quite processed it yet, because his death lacked that months long painful preparation/ agonizing over a pet in the process of dying: The Infinite Hovering of the Big Hanging Clock. He woke up Wednesday morning, meowed for his food like always, and was dead 12 hours later. Whenever you learn of a terminal diagnosis, that invisible countdown clock that all living beings share suddenly appears. And we know that it's winding down, sooner ... Read more »
The worst situation in the world
A couple of days ago, the wonderful Dr. Nancy Kay posted a story I hope all parents (human and pet) read about the trend of kids and dogs in pictures getting into potentially scary situations. If you haven't read it yet, she punctuated the apprehension she feels seeing pictures like this: And this: with a story from her own practice, where a parent disregards her attempts to help her children interact with their dog more safely. And the story ends, after the dog bites one of the ... Read more »
Minimizing the Stress of Euthanasia
I can't believe Koa's been gone over a month. Sometimes I still look for her around the corner or find some black fur stuck to a sock buried in the laundry pile. We are still adjusting. I did a quick Google Hangout video talking about some of the lessons I've taken from my own dogs as well as my experience in the clinic. I hope it has some information people find useful, especially to those who have never been through the process before. ... Read more »