I was told I did the "right" thing.
I took my 13-year-old golden retriever, Dijon, to the veterinarian for a lethal injection. It astonishes me how something so "right" can be so gut-wrenchingly difficult. Not to mention the self-doubt and questions it raises.
What right do I have to decide to end her life, rather than let her die a natural death? Is it too soon? Does she have any idea the person she trusted most, me, is complicit in her death?
Euthanasia is always a tough decision. If you own enough pets, you’ll be put in this situation. There is a point where you have to choose between keeping your dog alive and suffering or putting them down. Modern medicine allows us to prolong our dog’s lives well beyond what would happen in nature. So, since we can keep a dog artificially alive, we also have to use artificial methods to put them to death when they have gone beyond the point where they can enjoy any kind of normal life.
I took my 13-year-old golden retriever, Dijon, to the veterinarian for a lethal injection. It astonishes me how something so "right" can be so gut-wrenchingly difficult. Not to mention the self-doubt and questions it raises.
What right do I have to decide to end her life, rather than let her die a natural death? Is it too soon? Does she have any idea the person she trusted most, me, is complicit in her death?
Euthanasia is always a tough decision. If you own enough pets, you’ll be put in this situation. There is a point where you have to choose between keeping your dog alive and suffering or putting them down. Modern medicine allows us to prolong our dog’s lives well beyond what would happen in nature. So, since we can keep a dog artificially alive, we also have to use artificial methods to put them to death when they have gone beyond the point where they can enjoy any kind of normal life.
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