Freshstart16 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I am currently studying Animal Care at TAFE and hope to study vet nursing one day and I came across a situation today that would be relevant to me in the future and it got me thinking. I was at the vets taking my dog in for a follow up after teeth extraction and there was a woman there who came out of a consult room crying, she was holding a lead and the staff member with her had a box, I'm assuming with a small dog inside after being given its wings. I didn't want to even look in her direction as I was worried about being sad for her and getting teary and I wonder how do vets, vet nurses and staff in that situation cope? Is it something you get used to having to serve people who are upset by the loss of their pets? I feel for that woman she was clearly very upset as you would be and the staff were very sympathetic towards her etc. Has anyone ever been in that situation and not been able to control their emotions etc?? Please feel free to share stories,experiences etc if you would like... Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirty Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I have only had to deal with a few euthanasias at work and I managed to hold it together at the time, then bawled my eyes out afterwards. I tried to support the owners, talking with them, reassuring them, talking to the pet, etc. I also put my arm around one client who I could see really needed it. I think in those situations though, you sometimes can't help being upset, and I don't think pet owners mind at all. It shows that you care about them and their pet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teebs Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I work in a pet supply store and have been in tears many times with customers when they have told me their animal has passed on. I cant hide i am upset, even if i have never met the person or the pet and no one has given me weird looks yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimiss Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I suppose you've got to be a special, strong and compassionate person all in one to be in these kinds of jobs.. Same with a doctor, or a nurse. It'd be such a hard job, but it's such an important one. I get teary just seeing something on tv with a poor pet being hurt, let alone being a real life situation. Vets are definitely a wonder in my eyes.. I'll be interesting to hear answers from an actual vet about this.. It's a wonder to me too.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest donatella Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I can't handle it. I am a human nurse and can deal with human death but animal death makes me crumble go figure! I don't know how vets and vet nurses do it, big respects to them, I could never do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 IN my workplace I knew a lot of the people personally and saw the dogs outside of work. Some of them I delivered. Sometimes I could hold it together, sometimes I couldn't. If it was a friend and their dog I was a bit hopeless. I think I shed a tear more than I didn't. I am hopelessly empathetic and sometimes I wish I wasn't so much............ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 having seen /assisted at a lot of euth's during my time working at a vets .. it was always hard.... even those oldies, or very very ill ... but it was our job to do it it properly and kindly ..and to be there for the owners. And, yes, there were times, not often, that we were all in tears - vets too....when our `patient was a favourite... or the one I will never ever forget - the old man with his canary in a cage ..poor canary had to be euth'd ..and that old man, walking out with his empty cage, after having just lost his only companion- .. that was just an awful evening. Then there are the ones in which illness isn't an obvious thing ... where a much loved dog has bitten someone , where an elderly person has died and their wish was for the pet to not be passed around the family and upset... and kids, like the little girl with a guineapig whose skin condition just would not respond to treatment . Mind you .. there are the lovely moments, where a dog who is in pain/very ill has those few seconds of peace just before they leave, it shows in their face - and when the owners realise that this is a gift ..it brings them much needed comfort . That's a special time Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic.B Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I some how manage to hold it together at the time of pts. Mostly so that I can show the dog that everything will be ok, this is good, they trust us so much. I fall in a heap afterwards & am sure it takes years off my life each & every time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) If you had been able to be at Melbourne's "Dog Lovers for a Safer Community" rally today, or managed to watch some of the interview the media did with Dr Karen Davis, the Vet down here who supports what we're doing in trying to get our current flawed and useless dog-laws changed, you would understand. I wish I had Karen's words written down for me so that I could quote them. In essence though, she said that in the majority of cases, although sadness exists regardless, for the majority of (in this case, dogs), euthanasia has been able to have been justified. Because the dog is ill; in pain; has insufficient life quality; had no home nor caring person to look after it; and so on. So, even though it will be tough and there is likely to be tears, and your stomach will feel like a lead weight for each one, at least for the small while, you'll know that you helped the dog that was in need. And this will help you move past it and know that what you did was good and kind. Under our Victorian laws (made worse by the new ones) there has been and will continue to be times when such justification cannot be found. It is this very such act that Dr Karen Davis had to deliver and endure, that has her asking herself if she really wants to work in her job anymore. WA don't have our laws, so take heart from the essence of Dr Karen Davis' first leading words and explanation. As I said, I wish I could quote her words. It WILL be tough. But many times, the euthanasia provides peace and tranquility and often people such as our Vets are the only ones who can provide that. Edited October 22, 2011 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Mind you .. there are the lovely moments, where a dog who is in pain/very ill has those few seconds of peace just before they leave, it shows in their face - and when the owners realise that this is a gift ..it brings them much needed comfort . That's a special time I remember that moment with Penny. My vet cried. I love her for the fact that she cried. She kept it together until Penny went, and then left us, but as she went I looked up to say thank you and she was in tears. It meant a lot to me that we shared that moment. I've seen her upset before over a euthanasia. She said it's always hard, but she tells herself that however awful she feels, it's even worse for the owners and they need her. I think it's especially hard because she doesn't get much of a chance to collect herself. It's a busy practice and she has to go right on to another client. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 Corvus - that was nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freshstart16 Posted October 22, 2011 Author Share Posted October 22, 2011 I'm very lucky so far any of the pets Ive had are still with me, so i havent had to experience it yet, well actually I have seen one euth on a stray kitten when I was a teen, my friend found it and it was so sick and thin, one of its eyes was completely scabbed over with infection The vets thought it best, i had no attachment to this kitten(of course it was cute and all but i only had met it that day) and i was a mess when it passed away, it was so sick that they had trouble finding a vein. Anyway my point was Ive never had to say goodbye to one of my own in that way. To look into my pets eyes as it slips away, i think will be the hardest thing i would ever see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rozzie Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 My vet sobbed when he PTS my old GSD, Sultan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suziwong66 Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 I know you asked for the professional side of the spectrum, but i'd like to add from the client perspective. We said goodbye to Casper our beloved 14 yo lab in May. When we made the appt we made the staff aware of the situation. When we arrived at around 5pm the surgery was very busy and i was trying to contain myself and keep calm for our dear old boy. Once the cat consulting room was free they took us in there rather than having us wait with the other pets for the dog consult room to be free. The staff were so very caring. Talking to us about his life, reassuring him that all was well; and also us - that we were doing the right thing. When the time came i was a sobbing mess, the staff were warm and caring and gave us permission to express our deep deep sadness. The staff while being professional were still so very warm and caring and it was that showing of empathy that helped me through one of the hardest days of my life. They managed not to cry [were visibly upset] but to be honest if they had of lost it, it would not have made it harder for us. The empathy of them sharing their stories of saying goodbye to their own furkids made them human. Truly felt empathy is a gift to the family saying goodbye. AFter we said said our final goodbyes to our newly departed boy, we went out to the admin counter; the staff, seeing our distress were fabulous. They didn't make us wait; the girl at the busy counter, got another staff member immediately to finalise our account. I think that the professionals showing their emotions can express to the family that no matter how many times they do the awful part of their job, that they still dearly care about each individual animal and family. A cool, ordered, detached professional can express (whether true or not) to the family that they don't care and it's just part of the job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 As euthanasia is such a large part of a vet and vet nurses job I would expect that they would become somewhat hardened to it. I am sure my vet feels empathy for every distraught pet owner he deals with and I know for a fact that he hates doing them but if each one affected him personally his work would be a rather unhappy place to be considering on average he does 2plus a day. I personally find the decision to euthanasia far more difficult than the procedure itself which has always been quite peaceful for me. In fact so peaceful that my sister who was with me for the last one piped up just after Kayla had passed and said I wish we could have done that to Nana. Not the best time for that comment but I totally agree. Kayla had a lovely passing while dear Nana suffered terribly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretty Miss Emma Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 When I had Emma PTS a couple of months ago my vet was in tears when she told me there really was no treatment for her, then with us as she gave Em the injection, she was then in tears again when we finally left the clinic & again when I went to pick up her ashes. It's nice to know my dog was so special to someone else. The other times I've had to go through this there hasn't been the same reaction from the vets at the time. And that's ok. As one of my vets told us she sees it as being a great privilege to be able to help an animal in this way when it's time comes, so it isn't necessarily a sad moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minimiss Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 When I had Emma PTS a couple of months ago my vet was in tears when she told me there really was no treatment for her, then with us as she gave Em the injection, she was then in tears again when we finally left the clinic & again when I went to pick up her ashes. It's nice to know my dog was so special to someone else. The other times I've had to go through this there hasn't been the same reaction from the vets at the time. And that's ok. As one of my vets told us she sees it as being a great privilege to be able to help an animal in this way when it's time comes, so it isn't necessarily a sad moment. I think that's a really nice way to look at it. It's not necessarily doing a bad thing, albeit a very sad moment. Sometimes, it's just putting our little friend out of their pain and suffering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 (edited) Broke my heart and had me in tears every time. I actually dealt better with my own animals being PTS then a clients, not too sure why. Edited October 22, 2011 by Bjelkier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 For each of my own animals that have had to be helped on their journey to the Bridge, my vets have sobbed with me... our animals are more than just patients to them - they have built relationships with them over the years, and it's a bit like losing a friend to them as well I think. It's one of the worst feelings in the world to leave a vet clinic with only a collar and lead - but it is made a little easier when you know for certain that it wasn't "just part of the job" for the vet staff. Empathy is a great asset Destroya - don't ever lose it, OK? It sets the special people apart... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WreckitWhippet Posted October 22, 2011 Share Posted October 22, 2011 There are ways of dealing with it professionally. Get the clients to pay their account before going into the consult room or advise them beforehand ( in a nice manner ) that the account will be sent out. It's obviously distressing and upsetting and most people will chat and talk in the waiting room before hand but need a quick exit onece it's done and the emotions set in. We always advised clients they could park in the back carpark ( staff only ) and they could use the back door afterwards. It was nicer than having to come back through the waiting room in tears and having to face the reception staff and other clients. We dropped everything and attended to anyone booked in for a euth immediately, there's nothing worse than having decided it needs to be done and then kept waiting. It's hard to stay detached as a professional, especially when you are close to the clients and their animals but it can be done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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