A few hours ago, Janice called from Penang saying Brownie had been diagnosed as having distemper. Hence, the nasal discharge and the bloody poo. She needed advice on what to do. I asked if Brownie had gone to the twitching stage, and Janice said no.
Of course, I offered whatever information I had, based on what I know and have experienced. We have nursed Sean and Tara out of distemper, both are adopted and doing well. We lost Wendy, but we gave her palliative care until she passed on peacefully.
When a few people were pressuring me to have Wendy euthanised, Wani told me over at MDDB’s halfway house, they have successfully nursed quite a number of distemper cases and she believes in using chicken essence, high doses of vitamins, supplements and symptomatic treatment.
We also have the case of BoyBoy, distemper case, nursed back to health by Beh Yen Phin, who had a determination as strong as ever.
But Janice could not find a fosterer for Brownie. And worse of all, the vet was pressuring her to make a decision within five minutes. I was really so sad to hear this – why and how could a vet do this? It is a matter of life and death. How could one be pressured to give an answer within five minutes? I told Janice she had every right to take Brownie away from the vet and consider all her options calmly. I could also blog for fosterers for her.
But Janice was really at a loss. She really could not find a fosterer in Penang. Huey said it was next to impossible too. The community in Penang is much smaller than ours over here in the Klang Valley.
Minutes ago, Janice wrote to say she had had to make the painful decision of having Brownie euthanised.
Here’s Janice’s sharing, reproduced with her permission:
Dr Chan,
We truly empathise with Janice, and we wish Brownie a good rebirth. Rainbow Bridge, Heaven or another realm, we’d like to believe that Brownie is in a better place now.
Personally, I’m truly sad the vet pressured Janice into making a decision within 5 minutes. Sigh…
Updates on Tuesday, 12.09am – Apparently, Huey found out that it wasn’t the vet who pressured Janice into making the decision in 5 minutes. It was due to other circumstances. You can get a clearer picture by reading Huey’s comments in this post.
Brownie’s suffering is now over, but Janice would need time and lots of moral support to recover. Let’s stay with Janice, give her the moral support that she needs, and help her overcome her grief.
I remember the time I lost Kimba in a car accident – it was so sudden and shocking I went into denial for weeks, and depression later on. My friend in Singapore shared these words of wisdom which I found helpful (because it was totally true). He said: Kimba’s suffering is over, but yours is not because you cannot let it go. His words were like a lightning bolt hitting me because that was precisely the truth. The deceased’s suffering is already over, but we hold on to that suffering (images, visions and imagination) and we suffer as a result of it. Here’s where wisdom helps in overcoming grief. But do we have the wisdom to let go? We cannot let go, until we are ready to do so. So, until that happens, here’s where friends can help.
Kindly post constructive and helpful comments.
While there is a very strong school of thought that does not believe in vaccination and it justifies why, we have to look at the circumstances and environment the animal dwells in. Yes, the vaccine is toxic and can cause harm, but so can diseases like distemper, parvo virus, flu and a host of other deadly diseases. Between the devil and the deep blue sea, we need to weigh the pros and cons and do what we feel is best. For pets in a protected home environment, it is a different story altogether.
I had Bobby vaccinated for the first few years until I found out about the dangers of vaccination. Then, I reduced it to once in three years. Now, Bobby is not vaccinated anymore. He is already 15. I stopped the vaccinations when he was 11.
Comments
13 responses to “Rest in peace, Brownie (Janice’s rescue)”
If I reside in Penang, I will ensure that my friends and I don't ever patronise this heartless vet! Surely there other other vets both on the island and mainland Penang (?) Hope Brownie is in a better existence now.
mk
In Penang, it's getting common where people leave their animals (around their old housing areas or their pets) behind when more and more have to move to high-rise which don't allow pets, especially dogs. As a result, people can't take in more animals. It also doesn't help that many who abandoned their pets didn't spay/neuter the animals in the first place.
Every time I get an S.O.S looking for adopters or fosterers, I hope miracles happen. Sometimes we are lucky, many times, no.
This is very sad. I feel Janice's pain because I have experienced the same kind of pain many times over.
W
By the way, I also need to add a little something here, after spoken to my friend who helped send Brownie to the vet. They couldn't keep Brownie there because distemper is highly contagious and they have animals there that they just couldn't take the risk. My friend waited there for quite a while, and said the vet did say that if there is a proper place and someone who can nurse her, we can take her back too. Sadly, given the short notice, we've got no better solutions.
My friend didn't know what to do and where to bring Brownie too since he's got his own dog at home as well. And of course he can't be waiting there for hours. He is not a rescuer, but just a friend living nearby, who responded in the middle of his busy schedule because I asked – and I really appreciate that.
Huey, in any part of Malaysia is a common factor for people to dump animals everywhere 🙁 In Janice case I believe the vet had no longer any interest in the case and wanted to close the case ASAP, Janice and the pup was just an innocent victim…Sigh. I hope Janice will stay strong, and continue her noble work.
First of all I pray Janice can come to term with her lost without too much damage to herself.
Secondly, like someone wrote, I would never go back to the same vet ever again. One of my wants in my vet is compassion. Knowledge is not enough.
Cindy
I truly empathize with Janice as I too had to go through the same decision a few months back, when my doberman was diagnosed with uterus infection. It was and still is the hardest decision I had ever made in my life, but I couldn't put my brother through her heavy medical fees any longer, as he too has a baby on the way.
RIP Brownie♥ and stay strong Janice. 🙂
I forwarded the blog post to my friend who sent Brownie in, he disagreed that the vet should take all the blame.
He explained to me on the situation at that time, and asked me if the vet should actually take Brownie in knowing that it will risk other animals there who are also pets of some other people? Honestly, I could not answer the question. If your pet happened to be there, would you like your vet to do that?
And then he also asked me if he and the vet should hold on longer and wait, and leave Brownie there on the table. And for how long? Will I be able to find him a fosterer or a place to send Brownie to?
Honestly, the only answer I have is no. He then told me that he was the one who asked for a decision, because he is not the rescuer (or even a rescuer himself) and obviously he cannot decide for her, and he doesn't have much knowledge with dogs. The vet explained everything – I'm not sure if it's to him only or to both Janice as well.
After the incident, I evaluated all choices that I have, all ways that I could possibly done. But there is nothing that I can do, or even suggest Janice to do, without risking some other animals life or pushing the responsibility to another person. I screened through my contact list for anyone I know who could possibly help, nothing. If you happen to know anyone in Penang who are always open to foster a sick animal, please let me know. We could really need some assistance like this here.
So please, don't put all the blame on the vet. Even if he took Brownie in for half a day or even a day, there is no way we can find someone to foster. We could not even find a fosterer for a perfectly healthy puppy or dog. At least this is true for me and many others who have been trying hard to rehome and/or find fosterers for dogs and cats.
Hi Huey, thanks for the clarification. Actually, I think we're not disappointed that the vet could not take Brownie in. We totally understand that. Even our panel vets who don't have an isolation ward cannot take in distemper cases and sporo cases. I'm only disappointed the vet pressured Janice into making a decision within 5 minutes. 5 minutes is too short a time to make a rational and calm decision, especially when a life is at stake. I remember once our panel vet called and asked me to remove one of our boarded puppies immediately because one of his boarders was diagnosed with distemper. We went immediately and took the puppy in our car while waiting to find a place to house the puppy. We finally found a factory space to do that.
Back to Janice's case, she said the vet said Brownie's survival chances was only 3%. I do wonder how the vet came up with that figure. Perhaps it was this figure that prompted Janice to make the decision to have Brownie put down.
Dear All,
Thanks for all the kind words and also caring…
Well, first of all i didn't blame the vet but onli blame myself for having to put Brownie down… Its so heartbreaking and i need to take sleeping pills so that i can sleep well. At tht moment, the vet told me her survival chance was onli 3% and they could take her in… I was given 2 choices… 1) i need to take her back n nurse her wiz the medication provided by the vet but Brownie might not survive too given her condition was very critical… 2)is to put Brownie down… The vet ask me for my decision and saying they couldn't take her in, not even to their kennel area… Meaning either i take Brownie back or i need to take the decision of putting her down. Huey was right. We cant even get a fosterer or adopter for a healthy pup/dog.. What's more a distemper puppy… Huey's fren was onli lending me a helping hand to transport Brownie to the vet and i cant b so selfish to ask him wait there til i can finally get a place or foster home for Brownie…
I did ask the vet if its possible tht they giv Brownie the immune booster or any possible treatment n leave Brownie there and i will come back to them later… The vet said they can onli leave Brownie outside and Huey's fren need to b there to wait til i get a solution.. How long can i get hold of Huey's fren to wait outside wiz Brownie? I did ask the vet for her best advice and the vet say provided i got a better place for Brownie or else putting her down is the best solution. Im totally hang and feel so hopeless… Honestly speaking, i still doubt myself for making the wrong decision. Its like i've send Brownie to be put down. Among all the strays tht i've been feeding, she's the closest to me and she realli managed to stole my heart.
Its juz like Dr Chan had said, Brownie suffering had come to an end but my suffering will take a lil longer time to get over.
Stay strong Janice… it will take a while to come to terms with what happened. It is not wrong to mourn the passing of Brownie and feel the emptiness in your heart, after all we are just humans with feelings, emotions. And don't blame yourself for what happened. Sometimes the circumstances in life is such we have to make difficult and painful decisions.
I myself am from Penang but at the moment I am based in the Klang Valley. It is true that in Penang it is difficult to find people to adopt or foster a dog. I myself had to take my father's dog, Lailai, from Penang down to Petaling Jaya when there were no one to look after her after my father migrated to NZ. We tried relatives and friends but no one wanted her. If she had been sent to the SPCA she would have been put down because she was 7 years old then and my father did not spay or vaccinate her. I had to rent a house in PJ and not a flat so that Lailai can stay with me and a few years ago I found a nice place with a park nearby so we can go for walks nearly everyday. My granny dog Lailai passed away recently at age 15 and I had her cremated. Still have her ash in a vase with me, I hope to return to Penang soon and bury her in Penang, where she was born. That is life. We do what we can Janice. So don't ever give up. The next time you help another dog, it will see a Brownie in him or her, and your heart will be healed. Be of good cheer Janice….. kttan
Dear Janice, you were just caught up in a very tight situation, is not your fault for having to make such decision. Please remember you are not alone, we all have made our shares of mistakes in life concerning animals we rescue. I have made mistakes to learn something out of it, this too has to pass but will bring much value in the future. Hang in there and you got to get rid of those sleeping pills, the animal world needs people like you and for that you need to stay strong. Prayers are always the best solution. You will be in mine tonite.
Hi Janice,
From my understanding, it isn't possible to let go until we have grieved enough and until we are ready; when we can see the whole matter clearly with right understanding.
Meanwhile, grieve, if you must. Grieving is part of the whole healing process. Cry it out. We are all here for you. You may actually feel better after a good cry.
Those sleeping pills aren't good for you.
Prayer helps.
Or, focus on helping someone else. Catherina's Jackie needs prayers right now. You may wish to pray for Jackie.
Whenever I suffered from losses like these, I have to keep AnimalCare up and running, so that really helps.
Focus on looking after Brownie's siblings. Have you got them vaccinated?
Take care and be strong.
ky