(Continued from last week)
Last week, I advised that you involve your veterinarian in that debate as to whether to put the pet to sleep permanently, or to try to keep it alive as long as possible, in spite of the agony being experienced by all.
Today I would like to share with you some criteria that you can pull into the equation to help you reach a decision, less on an emotional base and more on practical/technical considerations.
Firstly, you at home can keep a ‘pet diary.’ This could help you to gauge the progress your pet is making – if any at all, or if the condition is deteriorating. This record-keeping is especially appropriate in those cases where the ailing animal has a chronic, progressive disease, say heart failure, renal failure, arthritis, cancer, and so on. In your pet’s daily ailment recordings you can place some or all of the following documented observations:
1) Appetite: Has your pet been able, unassisted, to take in food. Solids? Only liquids? Must you feed him with a syringe? How often during the day are you offering him food? Does he vomit after every meal? Can you increase (and document) his fluid intake?
2) Responsiveness: When you call him, does he raise his head? Does he wag his tail? Does he try to raise himself when you speak to him or pet him?
3) Movement: Can he walk at all? Is his ability to move from point A to point B getting worse? Does he defecate and urinate where he lies? Does he remain prostrate – lying on one side all the time? Do you need to roll him over?
4) Urination: Can your pet stand up/stoop to pee? How often is he urinating? Does the urine have a bloody tinge?
5) Defecating: Can he stand to defecate? What is the consistency of the stool? Is it watery? Is it having bloody tinges? Is the pet having a full-scale bloody diarrhoea? Is he constipated? Are laxatives working to east the constipation?
6) Weight: Is the animal visibly losing weight by the day? (You may need to have a scale measure if you want to ensure exact readings).
7) Expression of pain: Does the pet cry out for pain on being touched? Is he groaning, whining, whimpering? Is he grinding his teeth? Does he get aggressive if you try to touch him?
8) Depression: Does the animal move at all? Does he react with the environment? Is he at all alert?
9) Breathing: Count the amounts of breaths he is taking per minute. Is the breathing laboured? Is the breathing shallow? (Ask your vet to describe these conditions, if you don’t know). Can you hear a bubbling sound when he is breathing? Is he drooling? Is he coughing?
10) Signs in general: Are the symptoms associated with the sickness getting more pronounced?
Actually, if you want to carry your observations (and documentation) to a higher level, you can set up a scale (grading) system (of severity) say 1-5. So, for example, in the criterion Movement
Grade 1 would be: gets to feet and walks well with no issues or tiring;
Grade 2 would be: has some trouble getting to feet, but can walk reasonably well with minimal fatigue;
Grade 3 might be: having significant trouble getting to feet and can only walk or stand for limited periods of time before lying down again;
Grade 4 might be: tries hard to get to feet but cannot (needs help to stand, but can remain standing and even walk a bit once up);
Grade 5 might be: remains lying down and does not attempt to get to feet (flops down immediately after being helped to stand). If, over time, you see the gradings for each of the individual criteria increasing in severity (eg all 4s and 5s), then this can be an objective indicator that the time for euthanasia is drawing nearer.
Please implement disease preventative measures (vaccinations, routine dewormings, monthly anti-heartworm medication, etc) and adopt-a-pet from the GSPCA’s Animal Clinic and Shelter at Robb Street and Orange Walk, if you have the wherewithal to care well for the animals. Do not stray your unwanted pets, take them to the GSPCA’s Clinic and Shelter instead. If you do not wish your pet to have puppies or kittens, you may exploit the GSPCA’s free spay and neutering programme. If you see anyone being cruel to an animal, or if you need any technical information, please get in touch with the Clinic and Shelter by calling 226-4237.
