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Thread: The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

  1. #1
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    Default The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

    When Wiles told other people about her situation, she says, she was often met with bafflement and scorn rather than sympathy, and questions about why she didn’t just put Mia down. But Cushing, while chronic, is manageable. “I have a problem deciding to kill my dog just because of health issues. I don’t understand the mind-set of, ‘She’s got a health problem, we’re going to put her down,’” Wiles says. “If the dog was suffering, it would be one thing, but she is still interested in life.”

    There’s no question, though, that caring for her has made Wiles’s own life more difficult — emotionally, socially, financially. It’s well known that people caring for ill relatives can suffer from caregiver burden, negatively impacting the health and well-being of the caregiver, but the toll of taking care of a sick pet is often minimized or overlooked. According to a new study, that’s a mistake.
    https://www.thecut.com/2017/10/the-i...JNViLc0HWc2OK8
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

    Read this today on Facebook. A very good article on how it feels: the emotional, physical and financial toll it takes on us.
    Joan, mom to my Angel Lena, Angel Gable, Angel Phoenix, Angel Doree, Cooper, Sibble, and now Raina.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

    Most of us make provisions for our dogs in the event we die before them and anybody who tells me that I need to put my dog down because they have a chronic illness, cannot be trusted to care for my dog. Both of my sisters believe my mom's dog should be euthanized because pancreatitis is painful and she has been hospitalized four times in the last year. She's been quite happy, healthy and enjoying life the other 347 days of the last year but I should have her euthanized. Ha! There is no way I would ever ask anybody in my family to care for my dogs when I pass because they are all clueless and are completely untrustworthy. Most of my friends are excluded as well so my circle of friends who I would trust with my dogs is quite miniscule. Caring for chronically ill dogs is not easy on any level but it is really tough when you are also taking care of your 94 year old mom with little to no help from family. My mom has been hospitalized four times in the last year with a serious GI bacterial infection and five fractured vertebrae. I didn't have her euthanized either. I am my dogs' only voice and I could care less what others think, nor does what they think have one iota of influence over any decision I make for my dogs.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

    I have already told my son that he is the only one I would trust to take care of mine if I should die before them. No one in my family understands the things I do for them and how much of myself I give, even my daughter who thinks they're just dogs. They think I'm nuts and I don't care. I might be, but I love them all and I will care for them as long as I am able to.

    My sister used to dog sit for a friend of mine who I used to work with. Then she stayed with her when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. When our friend left for Christmas in 2009, my sister took the dog home with her and took care of her. Our friend passed away down in Florida in January, 2010. No provisions were made for Sara, who was old and had a lot of health problems. I'm sure they would have put her down, but my sister kept her until she passed away in 2011. The sister of our friend never offered my sister any money to take care of Sara, and the vet bills were enormous, but she loved her and took on that responsibility.

    My sister is now the caretaker of our mother who has Alzheimer's so I wouldn't put an extra burden on her with the dogs, even though I know she would do it for me. My son will do just as good a job as she would.
    Joan, mom to my Angel Lena, Angel Gable, Angel Phoenix, Angel Doree, Cooper, Sibble, and now Raina.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

    My babies have a Godmother (cough cough dear friend) and in addition they are in my will plus I have filed with 2nd Chance for Pets. If you don't know about them, here is a link -

    http://www.2ndchance4pets.org/

    It's free with 2nd Chance to make sure your babies are provided for so check them out!
    "May you know that absence is full of tender presence and that nothing is ever lost or forgotten." John O'Donahue, "Eternal Echoes"

    Death is not a changing of worlds as most imagine, as much as the walls of this world infinitely expanding.

  6. #6
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    Default Re: The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

    I feel like this might be one of the more important threads in this section. There are days when I just don’t want to take care of anything, anyone, including me, or any living being in my household. I realize you might be throwing cyber stones at me right now, but those of you who have ever had to do the “heavy lifting “ or basically all the care related to a Cushpup or other sick family member will understand— I hope.

    This is just not about planning for our pups if they outlive us, it’s also about the physical and emotional toll it takes on us as our pup’s day to day caregivers.

    For me this has been intense. Annie not only has cushings which is treated twice weekly with Lysodren, but is also diabetic which means a strict diet and daily injections of insulin. Now she has developed cataracts in both eyes and requires multiple eye drops and salves administered daily. Then last week, we were thrown a curve ball with something going on with her liver which meant three more meds to administer and I finally had to make a daily schedule. The one of the liver meds will go away in a few days. Then what?

    I’m not looking for sympathizers, because we all here would do whatever we could for our pups.

    I guess we all need to realize we will have bad days when we wish we were somewhere else. We need to admit that to ourselves, share it here, and hold each other up! Just posting this has made me feel better for today at least. Blessings to you all. Karen
    Last edited by Katy1; 07-09-2019 at 02:27 PM.

  7. #7
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    Default Re: The Invisible Emotional Burden of Caring for a Sick Pet

    I’m so grateful today that Annie is still with us. We increased her meds so we will see what happens. Blessings,Karen

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