I am Dr Death

Re: I am Dr Death

Bob Russell — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:56:44 GMT

Not doing too badly here - just a 10 year old rabbit and metastatic mammary carcinomas but the day is still young! Ooops! A 19 year old cat is booked in for this evening.

Re: I am Dr Death

Tim Browning — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 13:45:13 GMT

I often get three in a row. Usually one should have been euthanised long ago and is in a terrible state, one has good QOL and owner's adament time to go and can't be persuaded otherwise and one is the right time jointly decided on by vet and client. This seems about the usual ratio overall..

Re: I am Dr Death

Joyce Whitehead — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:58:39 GMT

I had one memorably awful Boxing Day many years ago as a relatively new grad, when I say 6 patients and put 5 to sleep. I was running out of places to put the bodies by the end. All, of course, had kept the pet going for Christmas, then realised that actually they were too ill to go on.

Re: I am Dr Death

Tim Cheyne — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:48:41 GMT

[quote user="Martin Jones"]

......., and have better drugs for the purpose. [/quote]

Very true; some of the pre-barbiturate methods were not nice.

Tim.

Re: I am Dr Death

Wren — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 11:44:23 GMT

I[quote user="Martin Jones"]

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]

On the plus side it's the only treatment I give that has a 100% succes rate.

[/quote]

So far.

When I was seeing practice, I was shocked by the number of vets with a story about a farm collie which had climbed back out of the freezer and gone home etc. You never hear these stories any more - are we better at it, more professional or just more secretive? I thank the gods, truly, that it's never happened to me, but then I'm known for my paranoia about it.

[/quote]

I always remind students that it's impossible to overdose a PTS and Pentoject is cheap as chips. So if you think '10ml should do it' then why not give 20ml?

I was also called back two hours after I'd PTS'd a donkey as they were convinced it was still alive. It was rigid and cold.

Re: I am Dr Death

Tony Knapp — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:40:27 GMT

It's catching, 3 PTSs booked already and it's only 10:40am, and that's out of 6 visits.

Re: I am Dr Death

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:47:44 GMT

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]On the plus side it's the only treatment I give that has a 100% succes rate.[/quote]

A colleague of mine was called back to a cow that hadn't had enough Pentoject.

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]I'm waiting for my 4th euthanasia of the day to come in. What a fulfilling day![/quote]

Today I have put down 2 cats. I have seen 6 small animals today. That will give me a much higher death rate than you!

Re: I am Dr Death

Martin Jones — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 17:20:27 GMT

[quote user="Mark Holmes"]

Maybe the practice of bagging them up has put a stop to it!

[/quote]

Kind of puts the wheelie bin incident into perspective. I think we're just better at it, and have better drugs for the purpose. There definitely seems to be more effort to uphold the meaning of euthanasia - 'good death' - than some of the intraperitoneal shockers I saw years ago.

Re: I am Dr Death

Mark Holmes — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:59:43 GMT

[quote user="Martin Jones"]

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]

On the plus side it's the only treatment I give that has a 100% succes rate.

[/quote]

So far.

[/quote]

Maybe the practice of bagging them up has put a stop to it!

Re: I am Dr Death

Martin Jones — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:49:55 GMT

[quote user="Laurence Webb"]

On the plus side it's the only treatment I give that has a 100% succes rate.

[/quote]

So far.

Re: I am Dr Death

Laurence Webb — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:45:10 GMT

Yes, I'm on call tonight so alcoholic comforting will have to wait another day. Might get an opportunity to fill the freezer to the brim the way things are going.

On the plus side it's the only treatment I give that has a 100% succes rate.

Re: I am Dr Death

Alan Tevendale — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:44:43 GMT

I know what you mean but I wouldn't say I get frustrated by people saying that. It's not exactly a great way to spend your day. There are certainly parts of the job that are a hell of a lot worse than PTSs. I always try to get students to try to understand the ins and outs of PTSs as I think for any inexperienced vets these must be one of the most nerve racking and challenging parts of the job. Done well the client should leave happier that they have done the right thing. Done badly the client will leave upset, angry and often regretting having the animal PTS all together.

Re: I am Dr Death

Gillian Mostyn — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 16:23:39 GMT

Don't you find you get a lot of satisfaction from a 'good' euthanasia? Obviously they aren't ever happy events, but, done well, they can be one time when you make a real impact on a client for your technique and sensitivity.

I get frustrated when people say 'PTSs must be the worst part of your job'. Not at all!!

Re: I am Dr Death

Alan Tevendale — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:10:01 GMT

My best (or worst depending on the viewpoint) was six species in one day. I hate those sorts of days as always feel a little down. The whisky might be just the thing you need after such a depressing day.

Re: I am Dr Death

Mark Holmes — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:40:28 GMT

Look on the bright side... it might result in a christmas bottle of whisky from local pet crem services. I got one of those a couple of years ago, wasn't quite sure how to interpret it but it was very nice!

Re: I am Dr Death

Martin Jones — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:35:29 GMT

Cue multiple shouts of 'No, I'm Doctor Death' a la Spartacus

Had one of those last week, so have empathy with you. And remember, the afternoon hasn't got into swing yet. You're not, by any chance, on call tonight?

Re: I am Dr Death

Michael Woodhouse — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:35:18 GMT

You mean a 'freezer-filling' day?