[Dailydrool] Old bassets - to treat or not to treat

[Reed and Becky Pomeroy]

I have posted this before, but it's been a while and I think it bears
repeating.  I know that there are those out there who will think me
heartless, but there is room in the world for more than one point of
view.

For over 30 years, I worked in a job where one of my
responsibilities was to talk to frail elders (human elders), younger
people in medical crisis and their families about "advance
directives" - what kind of treatment would they want in what kind of
situations.  I helped people decide whether or not to have feeding
tubes and IV fluids, whether to treat 98 year old mom with alzheimers and
a bad heart with antibiotics for her pneumonia, even when to turn off the
ventilator.  Perhaps this allowed me to develop a more objectrive
view, or maybe just a harder shell. 

When my dad was dying
of pancreatic cancer he had an advance directive saying he wanted comfort
measures only.  While he was still alert he confirmed that.  Yet
my sister (nurses who are trained to treat illnes) requested IV fluids
when he was no longer able to take fluids orally.  I talked them out
of it.  A day or so later when dad was restless and appeared
uncomfortable and we were hitting the morpine button as often as we could,
I suggested it was time to go ask to have his dose increased.  The
doc came in and informed us that she could increase his morphine, but
there was a possibility it would compromise his breathing.  My
sisters were horrified when I immediately said to go ahead and increase
the morphine.  (I was able to get them to see it my way and the
morphine was increased and he died comfortable).

I, for one,
would do no less for my hounds than for my father.  That means no
involved treatment with little chance of success, no invasive surgeries at
an advanced age, no chemo, and yes d*%$it give Tuesday rimadyl to releive
her pain even if it does wreck her liver.

Years ago I visited a
freinds home, and in her kennel, hung on each run was an advance directive
for each dog stating what that dog would or would not want done in a
medical emergency, in case sometihing happened when the dogsitter was in
charge.  Yes, some of the advance directives went so far as to say
the very elderly hound in that run would not want treatment that cost over
a certain dollar amount.  I believe that was a well thought out and
wise decision on the part of my friend, both to make her wishes known, and
to choose not to spend large amounts of her finite funds available for vet
care on complex and expensive treatment of a very old hound.

No
one should be frowned upon for making hard decisions regarding their
furkids.

crazy basset lady
MAKE DROOL NOT WAR 

Please take time to visit these websites: 
Rebec Bassets at
www.rebecbassets.com 
( http://my.execpc.com/~rebec/ ) 
Basset
Buddies Rescue, Inc. at www.bbrescue.org