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As a hospice nurse, I find your request to have us pay for euthanizing our much- loved pug Butter rather shocking
We would like to emphasize that we witnessed our pug die a horrific, painful d... Read More
,
As a hospice nurse, I find your request to have us pay for euthanizing our much- loved pug Butter rather shocking
We would like to emphasize that we witnessed our pug die a horrific, painful death at the hands of you and your technician.
In your letter you mentioned that Butter was given a standard dose of Telazol. However, you fail to mention the exact dosage. On your letterhead you have Butter weighing in at 2 lbs more than her actual weight.
After receiving the injection of Telazol, Butter did not go into an excitement phase, as you claimed. She did not have an unpredictable response. Butter went into an induced agonal respiratory distressed that is common in brachycephalic breeds. You should have been prepared for this.
Instead you left the room, had to be summoned back, observed what was taking place, took your time to have your tech check her for responsiveness. This part of the scenario especially angers me. You should have put Butter out of her misery immediately, but at that moment, I was too emotionally devastated to say so.
We am requesting that you inform us of the exact dosage of Telazol and any other medications given to Butter that day. We want you to provide the standard veterinary precautions that should be taken into account for flat nosed breeds when given any kind of sedation.
We stand by the fact that the euthanizing procedure you employed was improperly administered by you and your staff.
We will considering pay the $90 charge as long as you provide an invoice reflecting an accurate account of the service that was provided , not euthanizing but a careless botched job.
Most pet owners know that putting a dog or cat under anesthesia gets riskier the older the animal is. But many people arent aware that genetic differences among breeds and even a dogs anatomy can also increase the risk of anesthesia.
For example, the smashed in faces of brachycephalic breeds put those pets at higher risk for airway obstruction than breeds with longer muzzles.
Then there are breeds predisposed to increased responsiveness to anesthesia. This means it takes less of the drug to produce the desired effect, which increases the risk for overdose. There are also breeds that take much longer to recover than other animals.
Another high risk group for anesthesia is pets with heart disease. If heart problems, either acquired or congenital, are known or suspected to exist, a veterinary cardiologist should be consulted before a procedure requiring anesthesia is performed.
The purpose of the following information is to make pet owners and caretakers of these breeds aware of the potential for anesthesia-related risks. Certainly your veterinarian and his or her staff should also be aware of breed-related sensitivities and take all necessary precautions before, during and after anesthesia. But as an informed pet owner, you can provide a double layer of protection in the care of your beloved four-legged companion.
Brachycephalic Breeds
Most brachys (for example, bulldogs, pugs, boxers, Boston terriers, as well as cats with pushed in faces) have some degree of brachycephalic airway syndrome. The stress placed on the airways from the use of anesthesia can result in additional airway contraction, which can cause obstruction.
Brachycephalic pets must be closely monitored from the point of premedication through the final step of extubation. Extubation (removal of the breathing tube) shouldnt be attempted until the pet is awake, alert and swallowing. Removing the tube while the animal is still groggy from anesthesia increases the risk for upper airway obstruction.
Unfortunately, many brachys are overweight or obese and must be ventilated while anesthetized. One way to reduce your brachys anesthesia risk (and increase his overall quality of life) is to keep your pet at a healthy weight.
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