(an easy choice of titles today, even as I contemplated something more esoteric)
The downside of being in this veterinary bidness for so long is that I’ve been through multiple episodes of “Watch puppy (or kitten, or foal) grow up, grown old, & eventually require euthanasia”. Last night was a rough one, even though I knew it was coming. I’d made several house calls over these past several months, delivering medications as Patricia could no longer get her aging, crippled old Labrador loaded in the car.
I learned of another complication when I got there: Patricia herself has had a minor stroke, so she’s had to start offloading responsibilities. Her neighbor to come over to help, thank goodness - with the husband utilizing his small tractor to dig Bear’s grave. She broke down weeping several times as poor ol’ Bear staggered over to try to comfort his mama. (Patricia lost her husband several years ago to COPD & heart failure, but I remember how proud they were of their chocolate Lab - all Bear had to do was cough, shake his head or scratch a body part too aggressively & they’d have him through my door! Granted, he did have chronic allergies & ear infections)
Thankfully the procedure itself went smoothly: I sedated Bear, he laid down on his dinosaur blanket, I clipped the hair on his foreleg to give him the final IV barbiturate injection. No gasping, no paddling, no confusion - just a peaceful slide into oblivion. We bundled him into his blanket & dragged him across the grass to the gravesite. The grave was rather shallow but Patricia said she’s going to lay some pavers across it. Patricia has been proud of keeping her 6-acre ranchette by herself, but I fear she may soon have to move into a more constricted living situation…
(My retired groomer) Ashley has moved her grandma into Arabella, the assisted living facility where I had my mom for 2.5 yrs - so far it seems to be working well for them. WTH am I going to try to do for Mother’s Day? I’m exhausted just contemplating the effort to try to take my mom out, so it may be a sandwich tray & some cupcakes…
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