The hardest part
What is the most difficult part of your job?
Have you ever been asked that question? Most of us have. As a practicing veterinarian, the answer has to be euthanasia, putting a pet "to sleep." The heartbreak travels from the pet owner to the veterinarian, to the assistants, to the secretary. It has to be one of the most difficult, saddest moments.
To quote an author from Parade Magazine, "We've come to embrace our animals as family members. We are not meant to lose our children. And yet we take pets on, knowing we'll have to lose them. It's the package deal, to the very end." I could not have said it better.
But what makes euthanasia even more heartbreaking is when I recommend a treatment or referral to a specialist, and the client cannot pursue my recommendation because of money. We all understand it. Everything costs, and nothing is free. The euthanasia procedure do