I think it is is cruel to keep chronically ill pets alive.

[floo]

deleted

[Owlswing]

I think it is very cruel to keep chronically ill pets alive. We once had a cat with kidney problems, the crazy vet suggested dialysis, of course we sensibly had it put down immediately.

I think these poor beasts are being kept alive for the sake of their owners, not for their own sakes! On another forum, a pet owner was saying that their cat suffers from chronic asthma and needs an inhaler. The owner is scared to leave the cat alone in case it can't breath! That poor cat has no choice in the matter, it seems very unfair to me to subject an animal to a life like that.

Seconded

[ippy]

I've often seen people hanging on to their pets for longer than they should, to a person none of them selfish or cruel but sometimes we, a lot of us, cant see the wood for the trees and struggle with an animal that obviously to anyone else should have been sent on its way a lot earlier than they have.

Looking back I may have kept my last Labrador for longer than perhaps I should have done.

Got a Labrador/Springer cross at the mo,  WOW we're both wondering what hit us and she's as strong as an Ox too.

ippy

[jeremyp]

Completely agree, although I do understand why people hang on to their pets for too long.

The same, by the way, also goes for me. I could foresee a situation in which I do not want to hang on to my own life and I hope that I would not be denied the opportunity to end it on my terms.

[Owlswing]

Completely agree, although I do understand why people hang on to their pets for too long.

The same, by the way, also goes for me. I could foresee a situation in which I do not want to hang on to my own life and I hope that I would not be denied the opportunity to end it on my terms.

As the laws stand at the moment you will not have the opportunity.

[floo]

As the laws stand at the moment you will not have the opportunity.

Which is sad unless you are able to terminate it yourself.

[Brownie]

As a long term pet owner I quite agree and dialysis is quite ridiculous for an animal who would not understand why.

I have recently had my little cat, Jenny, put down because of end stage renal failure.  Funnily enough our vet said some people want to go for dialysis but he doesn't agree with it.   However she was very well for several months, chirpy, going out etc, on monthly injections and daily medication.  Then for the last week she went downhill so we had to do the inevitable.  Bless her heart.  Jenny was 15 in May. We still have her mother and her sister who are in good nick, they've recently had annual MOT and jabs.

However, yes, I agree with you.  Animals don't understand and all they want is to feel well.  As long as they do, that's fine, but that doesn't last forever.