PrintAugust 18, 2009
Where Should Treatment Decisions Get Made?
Our beloved little kitty, Maxie, left us on Friday. For those of you who have experienced the death of a pet, I am at the seeing ghosts stage of grieving. With all the debate on end of life decisions and death panels dominating the news cycle these days, in our case, the decision came down to this: the deteriorating physical condition and quality of life of the cat (terminal cancer) outweighed the additional days or weeks of companionship. This decision was made by those who live with and loved the kitty. No veterinarian told us we had to do this, or when exactly to do it, though they described in a very helpful way what was happening, and prescribed medications that made the cat more comfortable. Of course, the cat was not a participant in the ultimate decision, other than with the signals she was giving us as to her condition. And in our case, no financial considerations were part of the decision. Those who think that some right wing group is...(Read Full Article)
