VN August 2023

Vetnuus | August 2023 48 Each of us has memories from our chosen profession that are inked indelibly in our minds. Some we would much rather forget but which keep coming back and then others that when thought of, bring back warm memories. Thinking about this resulted from an elderly African gentleman coming into my surgery last week. His face told a story of many hard years gone by; plenty of wrinkles and his eye the roomy, grey colour seen only in the elderly. The old man had a very old dog with him that was battling to walk and looked nearly as old as the owner. The old man mentioned that the dog was having difficulty walking and also struggled to pass a stool. Examination soon revealed a massive inter-pelvic growth which extended well into the abdomen. Surgical excision was completely out of the picture. I discussed this with the old gentleman and the tears swelled in his eyes. He hung his head and produced a ragged handkerchief and attempted to control the flow of tears. This was surely something I had never seen in an African male, in the ladies often but not in the men. I suggest euthanasia. After a few seconds of deep thought, he asked if I would excuse him so that he could phone his wife. He proceeded to the veranda where a lengthy, emotional conversion ensued. The old gentleman returned to my consulting room and reluctantly agreed to euthanasia saying he understood fully the misery his old dog would endure if he refused. By this time the dog had been taken into the hospital. I asked if he would like to be with his much-loved pet. He rejected my offer but asked if he could please just go and say one last goodbye. He did this and left after settling his account, with his head well sunken in his old handkerchief, tears still flowing freely. This is one euthanasia I will never forget but then thinking about others I had done memories flooded back. And what warm memories they were. Of Oscar, the border collie who had been rescued by a very loving owner and with whom he had bonded very well. This dog came in at regular intervals for a wash and brush and when Freddie arrived at the surgery Oscar would of his own accord run off to the pen he stayed in when being handled. And then the day arrived when for various reasons it was to be Oscar’s last, he could no longer run but slowly made his way to the same pen and waited for us to do the dreadful deed. And a loving black Labrador who on occasion had been our call for blood donation. He too loved visiting us and his tail never stopped wagging, this was the last part of his body that stopped as his eyes slowly closed. And another was that of a 9-year-old girl whose request to me was to do the injection as quickly as possible because she did not want her pet to suffer any longer. Yes, he had been sick for quite some time. Her tears also rolled uncontrollably. This young lady who I won't name because she later struggled to get into Onderstepoort and was only accepted after completing an M. Sc in agriculture and then got in when an accepted student pulled out three weeks after term started. She successfully finished her vet degree and shortly afterwards started a practice all on her own and it’s a very successful practice. I wonder if such copious tears still flow when she is required to put down a beloved pet. Zultan was put down with his entire family around him. This amazing dog had been imported from the USA and had cleaned up the South African competitors in all the shows he was entered for. At about 6 he was brought into the clinic weighing 45 kilos and it was pure muscle. Within a few months, he was down to 13 kilos and was fighting for his life; the consequences of Spirocerca. It got to the stage with him that I advised Brandon, his owner, that I felt euthanasia was the fairest option. “Over my dead body”was Brandon’s curt reply. We soldiered on and Zultan turned the corner and in the next year got back to his old self. At 14 years of age, he was in a state of collapse with his hard- working muscles saying they had had enough. Brandon agreed and with his family around him, he went to doggy heaven. I am sure all the small animal practitioners can relate to each and every one of these stories but my point is to look at what the results were for you as the veterinarian. To me, each of these episodes was a bonding experience with the pet owners and their families and these are what add to the value of our lives as the suppliers of a service which is often very difficult and emotional. A bonding that is not unlike that of members of a successful sporting team. In the case of Oliver, the story ended much later. The lovely Pauline, his owner passed away and a service was held for her in America. I got a call from her son just days before her memorial service to ask if he could use what I had written about Olive in one of my books. The answer was obvious but late I was told by a second son that there was hardly a dry eye in the church after the reading of Olivers, euthanasia his tail was still wagging when he breathed his last. Case closed. v Life plus 24 without parole Mike Lowry Mike Lowry has been in veterinary practice for "life plus 23" years. In this column, he shares his experiences and opinions . Regulars I Life plus 23 + 24