Another farewell
Oct. 11th, 2014 09:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
soc_puppet[Content Note: Pet illness, pet death, pet rat]
Yesterday evening, I took Phineas to the vet to have him put to sleep.
I knew it was the right thing to do. He'd been off antibiotics for a few weeks, but wouldn't leave the former site of his abscess alone, and I had no idea they made elizabethan collars in rat size. That alone I probably could have dealt with, but he stopped eating about five days ago, and then, worst of all, his jaw went out of alignment, which made him unable to eat. In addition, while rats do chew to wear their teeth down, their teeth are actually typically lined up perfectly to wear themselves down. Phineas was unable to wear down his teeth manually by chewing on things, and they couldn't wear down naturally, so they started to get overgrown. His balance also started going downhill again.
With all of that going on in addition to the fact that he was an elderly rat, it seemed unlikely that I or a doctor would be able to safely intervene and provide him a better quality of life. I didn't want him to suffer anymore, and it was clear to me that that was the summation of his future: suffering. So I made what was simultaneously one of the easiest and hardest decisions of my life, and Phineas was put to sleep.
Phineas: I love you dearly and miss you already. I hope you get plenty of banana chips over the rainbow bridge, and that the bone rat was gentle when he took you. Please say "Hi" to Dangerous Beans and the others for me, and be at peace, my darling boy.
Links to heartwarming animal stories and pictures and especially to pet!fic very welcome.
Yesterday evening, I took Phineas to the vet to have him put to sleep.
I knew it was the right thing to do. He'd been off antibiotics for a few weeks, but wouldn't leave the former site of his abscess alone, and I had no idea they made elizabethan collars in rat size. That alone I probably could have dealt with, but he stopped eating about five days ago, and then, worst of all, his jaw went out of alignment, which made him unable to eat. In addition, while rats do chew to wear their teeth down, their teeth are actually typically lined up perfectly to wear themselves down. Phineas was unable to wear down his teeth manually by chewing on things, and they couldn't wear down naturally, so they started to get overgrown. His balance also started going downhill again.
With all of that going on in addition to the fact that he was an elderly rat, it seemed unlikely that I or a doctor would be able to safely intervene and provide him a better quality of life. I didn't want him to suffer anymore, and it was clear to me that that was the summation of his future: suffering. So I made what was simultaneously one of the easiest and hardest decisions of my life, and Phineas was put to sleep.
Phineas: I love you dearly and miss you already. I hope you get plenty of banana chips over the rainbow bridge, and that the bone rat was gentle when he took you. Please say "Hi" to Dangerous Beans and the others for me, and be at peace, my darling boy.
Links to heartwarming animal stories and pictures and especially to pet!fic very welcome.
no subject
Date: 2014-10-13 02:44 pm (UTC)I'm sorry for your loss.