[Magdalen] Price Increase.

[James Oppenheimer-Crawford]

It's a real problem sometimes.  We hate to be crass, but at what point do
we say, "We cannot afford that treatment; put the companion to sleep"?

One vet put it in very caring terms.  He had a pet who needed certain
procedures, and he decided not to do it. If he, the vet, had chosen to go
through the procedure, he would be able to face the pain and limitations
and so forth, knowing the possible outcomes, but the animal cannot do that.
To them, all they know is that they are in a strange place away from those
they love, and in perhaps a lot of pain for a substantial time.  He decided
it was just not right to put his companion through that.

On the other hand, we paid a lot for a procedure that eliminated a tumor
and left the cat able to lead a normal life. There was not any pain, but
the cat had to be away from us for a substantial period of time.  The good
part was knowing that the tech responsible for the entire care during the
program obviously adored his charges, and he did whatever he could to make
their lives better while they had to be with him.

A lot of people simply cannot afford that.  And of course, you have those
who have to go without so that they can give the care to their companion
that they feel is needed and right. It's different for everybody. I had one
woman who unthinkingly acted in a very dismissive manner toward this
subject, and I never saw her the same way again.

Back in the day, things were a lot simpler.  If your pet got sick, you
toughed it out, or, if things looked bleak, you got the pistol out and did
what you had to do.  Mom, to her dying day, recalled her beloved horse,
Major, who was shot by an idiot hunter, and her father went and got a
pistol from a policeman and dispatched the horse himself. At age 99, Mom
remembered, "I told Dad, 'Give him this lump of sugar from me first!' " and
then she burst into tears.

I still feel guilty because I could not let go of my first cat when he was
really ready to go. I held on for a month or so, and he had no real quality
of life. But that memory has made me able to make better decisions since
then.

James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
*“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy

On Fri, Dec 18, 2015 at 6:37 PM, Judy Fleener <fleenerj at gmail.com> wrote:

> One of the reasons we don't have pets is the expense involved.
>
> Once my young granddaughter, about 7 at the time, told us in all
> seriousness, about her coming vacation to Florida, "We were going to swim
> with the dolphins, but tasha (their dog) had to have surgery.
>
> On Fri, Dec 18, 2015 at 12:50 AM, James Oppenheimer-Crawford <
> oppenheimerjw at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Ah, Declawing. It is a topic that causes a lot of feelings to arise, and
> > everyone feels righteous.  My suggestion is not to listen to the
> > proclamations of any position. Everyone thinks they've got this matter
> > neatly assessed, and they're generally wrong.
> >
> > If you feel you need to declaw, there are justifications.
> > If you do not wish to declaw, there are justifications.
> >
> > Can we refrain from telling everyone they have to do it our way or else,
> > just this once?
> >
> >
> >
> > James W. Oppenheimer-Crawford
> > *“A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved,
> > except in memory. LLAP**”  -- *Leonard Nimoy
> >
> > On Thu, Dec 17, 2015 at 3:49 PM, Cantor03--- via Magdalen <
> > magdalen at herberthouse.org> wrote:
> >
> > >
> > >
> > > In a message dated 12/17/2015 1:52:48 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
> > > houstonklr at gmail.com writes:
> > >
> > > Never  thought you would be a proponent of declawing
> > > Lynn>>>>>>
> > >
> > > I'm really not a cat person, but my spouse is and swears by the
> > > declawing procedure.
> > >
> > > I will mention that my forearms and hands look as though I had  landed
> > > at Iwo Jima with all the cat scratches.  He's just started in on  the
> > > drapery and chairs, but there is visible damage.  Not that  puppies
> > > are immune from damage of the chewing kind.  I have a couple of
> > > antique chests that were food for my last Miniature Schnauzer.
> > >
> > > One day post surgery, the cat seems fine.  We'll see how things  go.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > David Strang.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Judy Fleener, ObJN
> Western Michigan
>