How do I learn to keep it together

[akitavet]

so I am working at an animal ER as part of my experience. Almost everything is going great. I get to see lots of cool surgeries. I get to handle animals and assist in procedures, imaging, etc. The problem I am having is that when we have to euthanize an animal, I am not sad if we do it, but if I see the owners, I cant help but get emotional. We have a LOT of this since its the ER and they go to their regular DVM unless they are really really sick. Any advice? Anyone else have to get over this? How did you do it?

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[twosoakers]

as long as you can contain it so that you don't sob openly in front of them (no spilling of the ducts), i don't think you should get over it. empathy is a beautiful thing.

 

[wildfocus]

agree with twosoaks...

one of my first euthanasia's was an in-home visit. i hadn't been around dying since india, so it was really hard to keep it together (for a multitude of reasons), but somehow i did -- that is, until we were getting into my boss' car to go back to the clinic. i couldn't move and was just balling. he had to physically get back out of the car, open my side, and shove me in. eight years later, i still get choked up sometimes when o's are present, but instead of letting it all go, i try really hard to concentrate on the moment, and focus my energies to the patient and to the owners and to the vet - praying in my way, i guess. even after, when we are cleaning up and preparing the animal for burial/cremation, i silently thank the patient for making their owners lives a little more complete...

hookey? sure. comfort to the owners in a time of need? absolutely!

 

[ratbandit]

I used to work at an animal shelter and one time I looked at the yearly euthanasia report- my initials were next to more than 1,000 animals that year. That's a lot of euthanasia! Honestly, I think its easier if you do it every day, it's when you only have to do it once in awhile that it gets harder. When I worked in a clinic, seeing the owners upset was what made it harder for me, but I just think about how lucky the animal was to have a happy loving home. When I would have to euthanize an animal that I really liked at the shelter for space reasons, I would just let myself be upset about it and remind myself that I tried my best and did everything I could for him/her and that's all you can do. I think some people, like my cold hearted self have a switch to turn off the emotion. I loved working at the shelter, but I wouldn't go back. I still get sad when I think about some of the real bummers at work.

 

[philomycus]

Our Humane Society just burned down last night, most cats died It brought a tear thinking how they suffered.

 

[VelcroSky]

Our Humane Society just burned down last night, most cats died It brought a tear thinking how they suffered.

Oh my god, that's terrible!

 

[4theanimals]

Our Humane Society just burned down last night, most cats died It brought a tear thinking how they suffered.

Thank god fires don't happen in these places to often. I can't imagine. Here is the story. It says the firefighters went through the fire and saved some animals. So typical of fireman. Also gives some info on where to make donations.

 

[Emio]

Our Humane Society just burned down last night, most cats died It brought a tear thinking how they suffered.

i'm so sorry

after going through an animal arsonist fire situation myself, i can at least say most of them were unconscious from smoke inhalation before the fire got to any of them. doesn't help too much, but hopefully they didn't suffer too terribly.

and i firefighters.

 

[Hollycozza]

That's horrendous about the humane society

One of the saddest euthanasias I had to assist with was a 7 year old Cavalier with heart failure, who belonged to a convent and came with several weeping nuns

 

[philomycus]

I have volunteered their for 6 years....I still can't belive. it. I hope it wasn't arson.