Blaming Yourself

Canine cancer comes as a shock to owners because there are no prominent symptoms. Cancer is something that slowly grows overtime and is often times only discovered once it is at its most fatal stage, which is almost always too late for a chance of a cure. If you're caught in this situation you may be blaming yourself. "Why did I not see this sooner?" The truth is, you most likely caught the cancer the soonest you possibly could. You should not blame yourself. To try your best at early detection of cancer you should be sure that your dog visits the vet twice a year for a checkup. The vet can check for abnormal bumps or other signs that cancer may be present. In today's society it is hard for owners to even afford a vet checkup, let alone cancer treatment. I recently interviewed  a local veterinarian and vet tech, and I learned some valuable information from them. Cancer treatments run well over $1,000. Many vet clinics will offer payment plans to help the owners afford treatment, but these plans are only offered on a limited basis. There is pet insurance, but it is frowned upon in the animal care field. This particular vet clinic only recommended getting pet insurance if you have a puppy and are just starting out with vet care. Even with these limited payment plans, owners find themselves without the money to continue. This is when euthanasia comes into the picture. Many owners come to a dead end with vet bills, and have no where to turn but to euthanasia. If you are at this point you are probably blaming yourself for the death of your dog as well. Again, you should not blame yourself. Having a dog euthanized is often the best choice for a suffering cancer dog. Euthanasia means merciful death. It is an overdose of anesthesia, and causes the animal's heart to slow to a stop without feeling any pain. I have experienced a euthanization first hand when I job shadowed a vet tech. The dog had mouth cancer, and the owner could not afford treatment so had opted to have the dog euthanized. The vet layed the dog on a table, inserted the needle, and less than a minute later the dogs eyes slowly closed: no pain or suffering involved. It is actually a very peaceful thing, knowing the dog is no longer in pain. When asked if euthansia is ethical, the vet tech I interviewed replied "Oh yes! Why let them suffer?" After experiencing the life of a suffering dog with cancer, I could not agree more.