Would You Leave?

[BlaznHotAussies]

Earlier in the year, I had to get my horse put down (bad arthritis so he wasn't even paddock sound, poor bub) and chose my BIL to put him down with his high-powered rifle.

Personally, the hardest part was walking out to the paddock to get him, leading him to the gate with all his paddock-buddies following (they were all acting really weird, like they knew what was going on, unless it was just my hyper-emotional/tired state). Then I got him his 'last supper' (yummy lucerne chaff & some Liberty) for him to eat and my lovely BIL did the deed with me standing there with him while he had a mouthful of his chaff & Liberty.

I don't know how vets do it hey. It's SO tough, emotionally. Even my BIL, who's a pretty tough guy (a bikie that's scared of spiders), obviously didn't enjoy putting my horse down who had been a part of my life for 10 years (almost half my life).

My parents recently had my little dog, Poco (Silky terrier x Maltese) put down as she was 16, deaf & blind with recurring ear infections that wouldn't clear up with constant vet visits (it had been a bit of a problem throughout her life but would clear up fairly easily). So it seemed kinder to put her down. My dad took her to the vet because my mum wouldn't have been able to - my dad is less emotionally attached to his animals, then he took her little body to the farm to bury under a huge, beautiful tree. They even made a little cross out of sticks to put over her grave.

Some people can deal with death. Some can't. I have no doubt my mum & dad loved my little dog. But it depends on a person's limits & abilities.

[ellejaytee]

My partner couldn't stay when he had to have his malamute put to sleep. He was utterly distraught. It was 7 years ago and he can't forgive himself for not being there. It tears me up that I didn't insist I would stay with him. I try to take comfort in the fact that he had spent a week at the vets before that so he got to know the vet and the nurses, but it still eats away at me that we weren't there for him