I remember so well the day Martus came into my life… In those days I was managing a vet clinic on Magnetic Island, and one of my less pleasant jobs was to euthenase feral cats trapped in the local rubbish dump. Then in came this huge black tomcat, with a baby possum clinging to him. I sedated him and removed the possum, and then we desexed him, and he moved in… And left several pound of dirt and fuzzy black hair on my bed end over the next 6 years!

Over the past few weeks, Martus started sneezing blood, and then one side of his face and head swelled out- most probably a tumour in his sinuses- and then, just the other day, I could see he was in distress, just not happy…

So… How do you know when it is time?

Sometimes it is easy, sometimes a little harder to know- animals don’t ’suffer’ with pain like we do- they just seem to accept it, and be. However- I know that (as long as you are not too attached to your pet- but more about that in a bit) you can nearly always tell when they reach that point- suddenly they will seem to be ‘not right’, or ‘not happy’. This can happen gradually, which may make it a bit harder to discern, or they may be going along ok one day, and then quite clearly NOT ok the next. Every pet is unique.

There are a few signs that it is definitely time though…

• When your pet stops eating altogether.
• When your pet can no longer get up to go to the toilet.
• When your pet is crying out in pain.
• Or… when you simply look at them and know it is time.

Take heed of these signs! And if you are not sure, please talk to your vet.

And now we will step back to the attachment issue…

Our pets have no fear of death- for them it is as natural as breathing.

It is usually us who have a fear of losing the unconditional love that our pets so freely bless us with. And sometimes this can make us keep our pets alive longer than perhaps we should. I also believe our pets love us so much that they will hang on through any amount of suffering for us.A good question to ask yourself is if you are willing to let your pet go. I encourage you to be willing to.

So- It’s time… What next?

Now you need to either take your pet to the vet, or have a vet come to your home, and gently put your good friend to rest. I prefer in home euthanasia, as it is so much less stressful for our good friends- since I started home visits, I have helped many a gallant old soul pass in the peace and love of their own home space.

Afterwards it is normal for you to be sad, and to grieve- our pets are members of our family! You may need to dig a grave, and bury your friend, or in some areas there is access to pet cremation and burial services. I find it is a lovely thing to have some sort of ritual or ceremony to celebrate the life of your good friend.

I also think it is a good idea to involve the whole family, kids if you have them. I believe that one of the greater reasons that pets share our lives is to teach us about life, and death. It’s a great opportunity to learn about the reality that we all must face one day. Some people avoid being there, or keep their children away… And whilst I honour their choice, my truth is that it is better to face, accept, and embrace the feelings of sadness, grief, and pain that come up- otherwise one tends to lock them inside, and this is not healthy.

What if I don’t believe in Euthanasia?

It’s ok to let old humans die naturally, so I can’t at all see how it can’t be alright for you to allow your old pet to do the same, as long as you make sure that adequate pain relief is provided. I actually think we are more compassionate with our pets, to be honest.

Life Goes on…

I always encourage people to consider getting another pet, especially if they only have one, and even more so if they are old and live alone. Who knows- if you believe in reincarnation, they might even come back again!

I hope you enjoy every minute of the time your pets share with you…

Until next time,

Dr Edward

You might notice that Bert looks a little bit bedraggled…

This morning he woke me up, yelling for HELP- I had left the toilet seat up, and he had fallen in! He did NOT look very happy- so I fished him out, and then gave him a small bath, and shut the lid-

So- Remember, if you have a kitten, always put the toilet lid down!

Until next time, Dr Edward

This is Beau- a dog we used to have… And you will learn why by the end of this post.

Oh- He’s So, So Cute! We just have to have him…

And this is how most of us choose a pet! (Hint- this is NOT the best way to go about it!)

In my day to day work as a veterinarian, I see quite a few people who have some problems with new pets. So- today I am going to share a few tips that might help you approach this more sensibly. Believe me, this may make your life a lot more comfortable, especially when you consider that your average pet is a long term investment- on average, anywhere from 9 to 15 years (or even longer).

The MOST Important Thing to Consider is… PERSONALITY!

So- forget about all those things you thought you wanted! Most of them are simply eye candy, in any case… I must admit that the sex of your new pet can be important, especially if you already have other pets. So do bear this in mind. Still- it is not nearly as important as you might think. If you look around the people you know, it is clear that their personalities vary widely, within the men, and the women.

It’s exactly the same with dogs, and cats!

Most people think that a given breed will produce a certain personality. Whilst this is true to an extent, you will find that there is a very wide range of personality types within the overall “vibe” of the breed personality. It’s almost as if a given breed really only colours the individuals personality with an undertone. (Not always in a good way, either- “line” breeding can concentrate or produce unusual traits.)

Every animal is unique- We have just had a litter of kittens in our house- and it is totally amazing to see just how different the personality of each is.

What Sort of Pet is the Best (for You)?

This will depend on so many things- your house, your yard, how much exercise you like to do (if you are choosing a dog), how much time you have to spend on training and playing, your family (little kids?), and… well- I could go on for a lot longer. I suggest that you actually consider all of these things, and then write them down, and take a few moments to have a good long look.

For instance- if you live in a unit, in the city, and only have enough time for 2 or three walks a day- say 45 minutes all together, then a breed that is high energy, has a strong work focus, and intelligent- (eg Border Collies, Labradors, Jack Russels, etc) is quite likely  to destroy your home, and be driven stir crazy by the lack of exercise. A small white fluffy of some sort might be better!

And as for cats- a very vocal, demanding Siamese might be less suitable than a quite, retiring Rag doll, or Persian.

You need to consider long coats versus short coats, and veterinary bills, and food, and everything else you can think of.

PLEASE- let go of what you thought you wanted! And have a moment of honesty about what sort of animal best suits you.

How do You Tell?

Step 1.

Ask the people selling the pet all about the parent’s personalities. And go into depth! One good way is to ask them to tell you what they would be like if they were a person. Ask them how they behave with other animals, with strange people, around food, with children, thunderstorms- and anything else you can think of. Ask about the health history of both parents (look out for allergies in particular). It is a very good idea to do this before you even see the puppy or kitten.

Because they are so, so cute, and then you’ll be lost!
Step 2.

Meeting them for the first time-It would be ideal to meet both parents as well, and see what they are like.

***HINT- take someone you know with experience with animals along with you, for a more detached point of view***

Beware! one of them will be the first to bounce out and approach you! This one will take a lot more time and attention, and exercise, and likely get into loads more trouble, than the other one that is hanging back a little (hopefully not scared or timid, just calmer, more self assured). Check them all out, very carefully, clap your hands, see how they respond when you pick them up, have fun!

To be honest, one of them usually seems to choose you, in the end.

Then What?

You will need to train and socialise your new pet… I will go into this in depth in a future post!

And Beau- the lovely black Lab at the top of this post. Beau was always very nervous, and unable to cope with change, or anything at all strange- he barked at a towel I hung on the washing machine for an hour one afternoon! When Beau arrived, I was in the throes of separating from my ex wife- and he never got socialised. Now with 19 out of 20 Labs, I might have gotten away with that.

But not this fella!
He was great with me, awful with everyone else, and very difficult to train. (He was always his own dog!) Then we moved into town, and he became very, very aggressive through the fence to anyone walking past. One day I dropped a bag of turkey necks on the lawn, went back to pick up something, and…

He bit me quite badly on the hand.

I have a 5 year old child, and I couldn’t accept the risk. He was unrehomable, so I helped him back to spirit, put him to sleep. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done, and we both miss him dearly.

I only share this to illustrate how his personality was totally NOT Labrador like!

Good luck with choosing your new pet!

cheers for now, Dr Edward