Sometimes you have cases that disturb you so much that they literally alter your attitude, happiness, and frame of mind for 24 hours or sometimes even more. Unfortunately, I had one of these last night.
I'm not sure why this one bothered me so much. I have performed plenty of euthanasias. Sometimes they make me sad, other times, I'm relieved that the suffering of the animal and humans can finally be finished. This euthanasia was no different. The horse was suffering, and there was no doubt that it needed to be done.
Perhaps it was because these clients have had the worst horse luck of anyone I've known in the last year. They're incredibly nice people who are trying to do things right, have decent facilities, nice horses, and genuinely care and love their animals. In the last year, they've had to put two horses asleep (now three), and have had two of the nastiest lacerations that I've ever seen. I just want something to go right for these people!
Their horse had looked as though it got tangled up in the fence. However after some detective work, it appeared that it got kicked (a strong blow that broke its olecranon and possibly its humerus too) and then fell into the fence. Of course, the horse was young, extremely gentle, and trustworthy. It broke my heart to have to euthanize that horse. It was in extreme pain and unable to move the broken leg. I hate acute injuries that are just "bad luck" and nothing else. "Bad luck" is the story of this poor client's life.
That heart-ache has bled over into today. Some days it can be hard to just get up and do it all over again. Being a veterinarian isn't all puppies, kittens, and happiness.
I raised one foal from my 'favorite' mare - Dr. R. came out to check him on his first day - had to stitch his eye closed after he poked out his lens at 6 weeks - treated him daily for peritonitis after his intestines spilled out after castration at 10 months - treated him for pneumonia after horses came in with rhino while he was still recovering from the peritonitis - euthanized him at 15 months after treating him an entire day for colic. Dr. R. cried with me after that long day. I'm sorry you had a bad day but your compassion goes a long way with your clients, I'm sure. (IMHO, horses are just accidents waiting to happen).
ReplyDelete