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saving badly injured pets Anonymous
I read it's becoming more common that vets are in need of blood donor cats. The reason was that cat owners, and also other pet owners, don't any longer accept that badly injured pets would be put down, instead the pets will undergo long and complex surgeries.

What would you do if you had a cat that was run over or otherwise got badly injured? Use all possible means to save it?

If I had a pet that was so badly injured it needed blood transfusions, I don't think I would go that far. But I understand the pets can mean a lot to some people, lots more than for the average pet owner.
>> Anonymous
If it's badly injured I'd just stomp on its head and put it out of its misery.
>> Anonymous
>>65867
ditto. It seems a little greedy and capricious to let the animal suffer more than it already has.
>> Anonymous
Rape it.
Kill it.
Rape it again.
Bury it.
Dig it up in a few months.
Rape it again.
>> Anonymous
Just over this last christmas, my cat started to act weird. He no longer ate, and spent all of his time by the heater, drinking lots - I mean LOTS of water, yet hardly going to the bathroom.

When we finally got him to the vets, later that week, they did a blood test.

All of the elements that would normally be expelled by the kidney were in such high quantity, the computer no longer had them regeistered, simply '250< mg' or such.

We had the choice of putting him on dialysis, or home care, which would be a long, painful, and untimately downhill battle until he died.

I chose, instead, to let him go. And I am proud that I did. I still have his collar, right there, beside me.
>> Anonymous
brought to you by the Silent Hill ASPCA
>> Anonymous
>>65893

No, it's not. No more than it is to try to save badly injured humans. Even if you believe that human life is much more valuable than an animal's, that doesn't make this less so.
>> Anonymous
i'd do it depending on the situation.
i mean if the thing is really suffering, i'd put it down.
but if its something that won't take an insane amount of healing time and constant pain, and if i have the money, i don't see why not.
>> Kingman
Honestly if cats and humans were compatable for a blood transfusion and it was my cat...I give my blood in a heart beat.
>> Anonymous
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If an animal is in pain and is not going to be able to live and be happy then I would put it down. My dog needed a blood transfusion in order to have a large tumor removed and I did it. The cancer had already started to spread though and 6 weeks later she died, but for those 6 weeks she was perfectly happy and pain free. She was only weak and not herself on the last day. I would do it again.
>> Anonymous
>>65907
You forgot the last step: Post pix on /b/.

Anyway...
I'm not rich, and if any of my animals had to have an expensive procedure that would keep them alive for a few more months, I'd probably have them euthanized instead. I know someone who has a pomeranian with congestive heart failure. She keeps bringing the dog in for surgeries just to keep the poor animal at death's door for a little bit longer.
>> Anonymous
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Every situation and every patient is different. There are plent of reasons why an animal would need a blood transfusion; anthing from blood disorders like IMHA to being hit by a car, to having some sort of splenic tumor.
I work for a Veterinary Internal Medicine specialist that is housed inside of 24 hour Critical Care facility. I can tell you we have some pretty dedicated and sometimes over the top pet owners who will go to no end. In situations like that it's best to know and understand what the mortality rate and actual prognosis of the situation is.
Blood transfusions I do not think are too extreme of a measure as long as you keep the whole picture in prespective.
If you animal doesn't respond or gets worse, fine, you tried.. don't keep going with it. But the procedure it's self is fairly noninvasive and as long as you have a group people that do things properly (like cross matches and blood typing) there is very little risk.
I have a 3yr old beagle mix I aquired from our hospital who someone left there because she had parvo. She became anemic and we did a blood transfusion. She now donates blood to other parvo puppies that need her hyper senstive blood and she's fat and happy. I couldn't imagine not having her.

Badger dog pic enclosed. :)
>> Anonymous
Humans can understand that they are in pain when injured and sick and it will get better. We can't be sure that our pets do. I wouldn't risk prolonging an animal's pain if I weren't certain of a swift recovery and years of blissfully pain-free life to come. Especially not for a $2000+ operation or hundreds worth of prescription drugs. Especially not when up until some unforseeable disaster it's lived a life of luxury. Lives end. I love my cat but if he needs 20 titanium screws to repair his skeleton or a kidney transplant I'm gonna say goodbye.
>> Anonymous
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Protect your cat with cat armor.
>> Anonymous
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>>66761
I like the 15th c. plate better that that Saracen armour
>> Anonymous
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>>66761
There are also options for the weaboo, as well.