Posted by Dinah on April 2, 2004, at 6:49:58
In reply to Re: Blind dog on Prozac » Dinah, posted by fallsfall on April 1, 2004, at 20:19:58
The truth is that if I were a good mom, I can't help but think I'd choose this point to put her gently to sleep, if they can't get her sight back.
As much as they're my babies, the truth is that she's a dog. She can't look back to yesterday or forward to tomorrow. She doesn't understand what's going on. She can't contemplate the deep philosophical questions of life. She has no obligations to others. She only knows now. And if now is more bad than good, she is miserable. If there's not a whole lot of hope that "now" will become substantially better, she's looking forward to a remaining life of misery.
She hasn't been happy for some time. She's confused and afraid. I have no way of explaining to her what is going on. In her world, she probably has every reason to be confused and afraid. Because she's afraid, she lashes out, and the other dogs respond in kind. Keeping her away from the other dogs is substantially the same as keeping her away from me for most of the time. If she's completely blind the whole cycle is bound to become worse.
I hope they can save her sight. I hope the Prozac works. Because the truth is that I can't bring myself to take the life of a perfectly healthy dog just because she's unhappy. I've only put a dog to sleep at the very end of their lives, when they only have a few more hours or days or weeks to live in pain, no matter what I do.
And I really don't think that makes me a good mom to a dog.
poster:Dinah
thread:331386
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20040331/msgs/331676.html