PDTE 2019 June Newsletter

pale mucous membranes and sometimes the dog might
even collapse.
If you experience any of these symptoms in your dog, you should
consult your veterinarian immediately.
Is an operation the right course of action?
Futtes owners had a tough decision to make of whether to
operate or if Futte should be euthanized and laid to rest.
It is possible to remove cancer of the spleen or a spleen tumor
with an operation.
During the operation, the veterinarian will investigate whether the
cancer has spread to other organs. If the cancer has spread, it is
very unlikely that the dog will come out of surgery.
If the cancer is localized to the spleen, the spleen will be
removed and many dogs can live a long and normal live without
a spleen.
Although Futtes case was a bit more difficult, we must always
asses each case individually.
How far should we go to keep our dogs alive? This is a question
of ethics in many cases and Futtes case was no different.
Should Futte be put through an operation? Especially considering
that Futte already has other health issues.
If he was younger and without arthritis, would it have made a
difference in making the decision?
Letter of intent!
Was love, the motivation for letting Futte undergo the operation?
Or is it a greater love to be able to say goodbye and thereby let
Futte be laid to rest, as to not put him through unnecessary
suffering.
When to let go of a beloved pet, is the toughest decision an
owner will ever make!
We know – that when we get a pet, we also get a sorrow in
knowing that a pet rarely outlives their owner. When is a live no
longer worth prolonging?
Facing such a decision it is very difficult as an owner to remain
objective, because we wish to keep our beloved pets with us.
This is why it is important to keep in mind when enough is
enough. It is therefore important to talk about the subject
throughout our pet’s life.
Through this difficult process it’s important to remember the
letter of intent we gave to ourselves and our pet when they came
into our lives.
Facing the tough decision of euthanasia our emotions can
sometimes get the best of us because the thought of losing our
pet is painful.
I had a long talk with Futtes owners and they looked at each other
and told me that they had made a promise to themselves that
they wouldn’t prolong Futtes life unnecessarily. His age and
health issues made it clear.
Futte went home with his owners to spend a last weekend with
his family and on Sunday afternoon Futte came back to the clinic
and was laid to rest surrounded by his family.
In my book it was a ”good” euthanasia. Futte have had a
wonderful life and his time had come.
If you as an owner don’t have any doubts whether euthenisia is
the right desicion, then you have been putting it off for too long.
Anyone with a common sense would agree that a tremendously
weak and sick animal should be laid to rest.
It is much more difficult making the decision in situations where
the pet’s illness isn’t at a point where life is unworthy.
This is the point where I as a vet believe that we should let the
love for our pet prevail and let them be laid to rest with dignity.
Have you given your pet a letter of intent regarding a
worthy passing?
Have the talk with your family members about what you consider
to be a good life for your pet and a worthy passing, should it ever
come up.
A letter of intent might spare your pet from unnecessary pain in
the end.
The grief will not be any easier but it will be easier to bear
knowing that you kept your pet’s best interest at heart.
The night sky burned a bit brighter on Sunday as Futte took his
place amongst the stars, representing both the beginning of life
and a final farewell.
Written by Lise Rovsing, Denmark
Veterinarian & Member of the PDTE
Summer 2019 - PDTE Newsletter 19