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| Random puppy; not the patient. |
It was a good reminder of how real veterinary medicine is. As a biology student, these situations are theoretical... but to step off of campus and to see it in person is something entirely different.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
A fading heartbeat
Just wanted to share a new veterinary experience...
Today for the first time I got asked to hold a dog for a euthanasia, and I'm so glad it was the tech who did it, she admitted she might get emotional which made me feel better. At first I hesitated, but I ended up thanking her afterwards, I hadn't experienced this yet and I feel like I needed it. She seemed to have a lot of compassion for this little dog who was had liver failure and pancreatitis. It was a little terrier thing, and as I held its warm little body I could feel its heart beat. The pink liquid entered its system, and soon its heart beat faded into a stillness. I didn't cry, it is a somewhat numb feeling when you don't know the animal. I just have to trust that it was for the best, its suffering had ended.
It was a good reminder of how real veterinary medicine is. As a biology student, these situations are theoretical... but to step off of campus and to see it in person is something entirely different.
It was a good reminder of how real veterinary medicine is. As a biology student, these situations are theoretical... but to step off of campus and to see it in person is something entirely different.
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It's so sad, but I completely your feelings of numbness as this was not your dog and you were doing the assistance.
ReplyDeleteSo you volunteer at a veterinary clinic?
I hope that you are exposed to more positive situations there than this one.