When Your Pet Gets Old
Finding Quality of Life by Eliminating Pain
"The question is not, can they reason, nor can they talk, but can they suffer?"
Jeremy Bentham
DH DeForge, VMD
New York Daily News-19July2013
An arthritic dog captured last summer in a touching moment with his owner as the two swam in Lake Superior has died.
John Unger announced the death of his loyal companion, Schoep, in a Facebook post on Thursday.
"I Breathe But I Can't Catch My Breath...Schoep passed yesterday," the post said, which was accompanied by a photo of a dog's paw print in some sand.
A photo of Unger cradling the ailing shepherd mix during a therapeutic swim went viral a year ago, captivating animal lovers and illustrating the pair's deep bond.
At the time, Unger, 50, said he was thinking it was the last time he would be swimming with the 20-year-old pup, whose body was ravaged by arthritis.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/arthritic-dog-viral-photo-dies-article-1.1403296#ixzz2yiPNA3Mz
The bond between man and companion is very strong. In this story John Unger gave of himself to make sure that Schoep was as comfortable as possible in his geriatric years with advanced arthritis.
His walks and his therapeutic swims were just a small part of the love that the two shared.
When individuals enter my veterinary center and say to me....."I want the basic doc....it is only a dog and not a human".......I cringe inside with pain. Every companion......every member of the animal kingdom deserves a quality of life without pain. I sometimes wonder how the individuals that cannot feel what John Unger felt can find a reason to bring that companion into their lives in the first place.
Our society is losing compassion, respect, and is becoming sterilized. Sterilized from emotion; sterilized from understanding pain; and sterilized from what it means to have a quality of life.
It is not too late. We can change and we must change. We need to find more John Ungers to lead us in caring, sharing, loving, and helping.
Jeremy Bentham writes: "The question is not, can they reason, nor can they talk, but can they suffer.?"
Two individuals are integral in stopping pet suffering. First, the pet owner and secondly the veterinarian. If the pet owner does not take the initiative to call and ask if their pet is suffering, the veterinarian has no way to grade the pain and treat it. There should never be an instance where a pet is in pain. Pre-emptive pain control is the key. There are a plethora of new pain control agents for the dog and cat who are in pain. Each patient should have a pain scale evaluation and a pain control protocol initiated by the veterinarian to make sure there is no pain.
Untreated, late treatment, or no treatment sets up a pain threshold that is much harder to treat when the pain becomes severe. Not treating pain shortens the pet's life and causes a very poor quality of life. The good news is that once a diagnosis is substantiated most pain is quite treatable.
Signs of Pain that the pet owner should understand are listed below:
- Movement-has it decreased--- is your pet less active?
- Appearance-is the coat not well groomed; are the eyes sunken; is there grimacing, grunting, or difficulty in standing?
- Vocalization-is there whimpering or crying at times or is your pet making strange sounds that you have not heard before?
- Odor-is there a bad odor in the eyes, ears, mouth, or vaginal/penile/anal areas? Is there an abnormal discharge from the eyes, ears, mouth?
- Comfort-is your pet sleeping well or up more during the night? Does the pet ask to go outside more frequently to urinate or defecate?
- Food and Water-is your pet eating and drinking? Is there weight loss noted?
- Discomfort-does your pet wince or move away if you touch the back, legs, neck, or body?
- Activity-do you find your pet sleeping more and reluctant to play or go outside for fresh air and eliminations?
These are just a few important signs of pain development in your pet. It is so easy. Pick up the phone and call your LDVM or an ER Center and tell them what you are seeing.
Remember-pre-emptive pain control is the best pain control for your pet. You do not want to see your pet in pain and the worst case is to miss the fact that your pet is in pain.
"Those who do not feel pain seldom think that it is felt."
Dr Samuel Johnson
Dr Samuel Johnson
Please realize that the pain that your companion feels is real! You are their advocate! Find help for your companion! Reduce their pain and be sure they have a quality of life yesterday, today, and tomorrow! Our companions bring to us unconditional love. What they ask in return is very minimal. Call your local animal doctor and be sure your pet is not in pain. Pain affects all age groups, all breeds, all species, and is more common as our pets get old. Quality of life can only be found with pain control!
Questions about this blog?
Write to DoctorDeForge@yahoo.com
12April2014
