Re: I Feel Like I Lost My Best Friend Yesterday Because I did

July 2, 2010

I am so sorry about the loss of Butchie, it's SO hard to loos a beloeved

friend like this.

Jackie

I am feeling very sad today. Yesterday I cried buckets and couldn't stop

for very long.

I had to have my beloved cat Butchie put down yesterday after being with me

for eleven years and two months. He would have been 13 years old in

October.

It was a roller coaster with him all week. On Monday he wouldn't eat

anything and was lethargic. He was walking around a bit from room to room,

but he wasn't at all even interested in chicken baby food which he always

loved and would come over and meow for even before I opened the jar!

He was the most affectionate, loving boy a " Mom " could ever have! He was

always there to cheer me up no matter how sad I got or how I cried all those

years.

He chose ME at the animal shelter - I didn't choose him as I look back at

that day so fondly. He was so thin but had such beautiful eyes. I wasn't

there for a cat - my friend was. I had taken her there because I

knew how to get there and she didn't. Anyway she took him out of the cage

to see how he reacted to her as we sat about a foot apart. He leaped off

her lap and put his tiny paws around my neck rubbing my face and purring

like a purr engine. She said " he wants you and he's SO cute! " I said yes

but I have two dogs or did you forget? I don't DISlike cats and I love all

animals as you know but you're the one here for a cat, I'm not.

Well I melted and I took him home. She, on the other hand, found no one.

It was fate.

He loved my dog Sandy immediately (a 32 lb. terrier mix and sweet as

sugar). He did NOT like Rosie who was a 36 lb. Australian Shepherd Mix who

was feisty but also sweet. He went right over to Rosie first and swatted at

her as if to say " keep your distance - I don't like you " and then he went

over immediately and got up on his two hind legs and licked Sandy on the

nose! He then motioned towards the dog bed and they went to lay down back

to back. This was highly unusual for a strange cat to two dogs immediately!

I was told at the shelter that 99% sure he would hide!

I was so happy with him all those years. I prayed for him to gain weight

and with the baby food I started giving him every day and wound up giving

him for three months, he DID gain weight within a week and it was very

noticeable!

Anyway I took him to the vet Tuesday who did a blood test and urinalysis and

called me later to tell me he had diabetes and his blood sugar was so out of

wack that I needed to bring him back there for hospitalization for 'a few

days'. This from the vet herself. I was told he would be 'fine' after a

few days of hydration, intravenous and after a day they would give him

insulin and then I could take him home in 2 or 3 days. It cost me $308 a

day! The receptionist was a bit curt to say the least and demanded $616

immediately! I had always paid them for years and never bounced a check so

I was shocked at being treated so. I told her I could only give her $308 as

the bank closed at noon on Tuesdays and I couldn't transfer the $308 from my

other account 'til the next day. She said 'be over here first thing

tomorrow morning with the $ then! Oh and by the way both of your cats need

rabies shots! We won't charge you for another thorough exam on Butchie

because we just did one on him but we will on Shadow. I know they're inside

cats but it's the law that you need rabies shots for them because the state

requires it AND licensing! " . No it is NOT the law you need rabies shots for

cats in Maine nor do CATS need licensing! Those were lies. You need that

on DOGS even if they are inside dogs but not cats. No such law. I told her

who was going to bite them since they are 100% inside cats and have NO

contact with any other animals.

I called the vet the next morning after a fitful night of not being able to

sleep worrying about him and my other cat Shadow who has been his 'sister'

for 2 years now as a friend for Butchie as my 2 dogs have long since passed

(one dying at 16 1/2 years old in my arms with no warning she was even

sick - old age I think) and the other dog had to be put down with cancer at

18 1/2. So anyway Shadow kept looking for Butchie and it was heartbreaking

to see her moping around and so sad.

The vet said the next day that he was 'holding his own' but it 'might take

several WEEKS for him to get better'. I told her at $308 a day I could

NEVER afford that. She said 'how much CAN you afford " ? I said " three days "

and she said 'okay then'.

The next day he was a 'bit better' and had tolerated insulin when they gave

it to him but still was not eating and was on intravenous still. I continued

to worry and pray for him.

Then the nasty receptionist called me. She said, " We want you to transfer

him to Scarborough Animal Hospital on Friday night for the holiday weekend

as we won't be open " . I asked her why the game plan had changed and she

said " he's holding his own but we need a few more days of hospitalization to

make sure he's a bit better before we send him home " . I asked her how much

that would cost and she said she 'didn't know' but it was 'more than I was

paying there as this WAS considered an emergency hospitalization'. Huh?!

Well she called me back to say $500 a day for two days! I told her I can't

afford that and I was going to take him home. She then said, " If you do

that, you are taking away his hope and there IS no hope! Why don't you just

kill him right now and be done with it! " I was livid! I told her I loved

him and I was taking him home. She then said " we won't charge you for

Tuesday since you didn't bring him in until 4:00 because we didn't have the

test results 'til then so he's good until Thursday and then you can give us

another $308 and then think about the other hospital, okay? " I said I would

be picking him up Friday afternoon period. I knew he was too sick to move

take him home yet and they had me over a barrel.

I called yesterday morning to find out that he was still 'just holding his

own' and 'still not eating anything' and had went into diabetic shock when

they tried to give him insulin in the middle of the night the night before!

I cried. I knew at that point there was no hope and he was dying. They

didn't TELL me that but they didn't have to. I swear in the middle of the

night that night he had visited me. I was wide awake and I saw him! It

wasn't solid but he was there alright. Anyway I cried hysterically and told

the office manager I had decided either to take him home to pass with me or

have him euthanized. She said that he may last several DAYS here suffering

and not eating or drinking and did I WANT that?! I said no of course I

didn't want him to suffer. She said, " Because we already charged you for a

bag of intravenous you won't be using, the cost of putting him down will be

$150. I said okay - what else could I say?

When I got there the receptionist who had been such a rotten person to me

already said, " before we do anything, that'll be $185 and that does not

include cremation. Do you want a mass cremation for him - that will cost

you $158 more or a private cremation that will cost you $232 not including

the $185 for putting him down. " I was in shock! I had asked to speak to

the office manager since she had told me it would be $158 total and she said

" she goes home at 3:00 so forget about what she told you " . I wanted to talk

to my cat's vet but she told me it was 'her day off'. I reluctantly paid

$185 but told her I was taking Butchie's body with me. My friend who

brought me there (my car is being worked on and I have no car 'til tomorrow

night) just shook her head.

They brought Butchie to me hooked up to the IV and placed him on my chest to

say goodbye. The vet's assistant was the one who had taken care of him the

whole time. She said he was a very sweet boy and the perfect patient. When

I saw the IV, I told her " you were basically keeping him alive on a machine!

You KNEW there was no hope from the beginning didn't you! " She admitted

without a doctor around that they knew his body was shutting down from the

tests and yes that's what they had done. I was taken! I was in such grief

that I just cried and held him for the last time. He wasn't responsive much

at all to me and only lifted his little head up a few times to look at me.

He was almost lifeless. I was so hurt. I was so sad. I still am. I told

her I only wanted 10 minutes with him and for this to be over for both of

us. She didn't come back for a half HOUR! I held his lifeless body and

sobbed. Finally a doctor came in, introduced himself as Dr. Lee, said I'm

sorry for your loss and wish we had met under better circumstances " and left

saying he would 'give us a few more minutes'. I told him no - I had had a

half hour and I wanted this over. He walked over and stuck a needle in the

IV and said " it's quicker this way " . It took another half HOUR for him to

almost pass while I sat there and finally he started shuddering and was

having difficulty breathing. It was horrible to watch with him laying on me

making it worse even still. The doctor came back in and took him off me and

he was still alive but barely! The doctor took out his stethescope and said

'two minutes or less now'. The vet's assistant came back in and said " would

you like me to wrap him in an old towel and put him in the cat carrier? " I

shook my head yes.

I walked out to my friend who was waiting and she told me a horror story of

another woman there who was visiting her daughter for the week from Mass.

whose dog had a stomach virus it turned out. They charged HER $400 just for

a blood test, urinalysis, x-ray and antibiotics! He didn't even NEED

hospitalization! She said she was in shock about the cost there! I had

always gone to that vet but the vet I had had left about a year ago and he

was decent. They never treated me like these people there did. My friend

told her what they had done to me and she said it was outrageous, which of

course it was. Obviously I am not taking my other cat Shadow EVER to that

vet again.

Butchie lies in the pet carrier in my tub at the moment until the animal

control officer comes (I called the dispatcher last night and lied telling

him that I went out to dinner and came back to find Butchie had died on my

bathroom floor, had placed him in his pet carrier with a towel and he said

he was sorry for my loss and would have the officer pick up Butchie's

remains this morning. I kept the door to the bathroom closed last night so

that Shadow couldn't get in there. I don't like to lie but I could NOT

afford cremation! They take him for free! I live in an apt. and I have no

place to bury him here and my friends all live in apartments as well except

one and she lives in a mobile home park so she can't bury Butchie there as

she doesn't own the land.

I get my car back tomorrow night. I plan on driving myself to the animal

shelter Saturday morning and getting a new sister or brother for Shadow.

They have so many cats 1 year old or older that they are giving them away

for free including an exam! I am not taking whoever it is to that vet! I

will seek out the vet that used to work there who would volunteer many hours

at the animal shelter or use the vet my one friend uses for their cats but

that's 10 miles from here.

What do you think I should do about this vet if anything? I am tempted to

go to the Better Business Bureau about this.

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From Randi Kreger, Owner BPDCentral, WTO Online Community and author SWOE

and the SWOE Workbook.

July 2, 2010

Marilyn - I'm so sorry to hear that you lost Butchie. The ordeal you went

through with the vet only makes it worse. If it helps any, I believe that the

pain we feel when we end the suffering of our beloved pets is the hardest part

of the price we pay for loving them and being loved in return. It's both a duty

and a privilege to be able to help them when old age or disease makes their

lives painful or limits their ability to live joyfully. You have done what was

hard for you, but you have done what was right for Butchie.

>

> I am feeling very sad today. Yesterday I cried buckets and couldn't stop for

very long.

>

> I had to have my beloved cat Butchie put down yesterday after being with me

for eleven years and two months. He would have been 13 years old in October.

>

> It was a roller coaster with him all week. On Monday he wouldn't eat anything

and was lethargic. He was walking around a bit from room to room, but he wasn't

at all even interested in chicken baby food which he always loved and would come

over and meow for even before I opened the jar!

>

> He was the most affectionate, loving boy a " Mom " could ever have! He was

always there to cheer me up no matter how sad I got or how I cried all those

years.

>

> He chose ME at the animal shelter - I didn't choose him as I look back at that

day so fondly. He was so thin but had such beautiful eyes. I wasn't there for

a cat - my friend was. I had taken her there because I knew how to get

there and she didn't. Anyway she took him out of the cage to see how he reacted

to her as we sat about a foot apart. He leaped off her lap and put his tiny

paws around my neck rubbing my face and purring like a purr engine. She said

" he wants you and he's SO cute! " I said yes but I have two dogs or did you

forget? I don't DISlike cats and I love all animals as you know but you're the

one here for a cat, I'm not.

>

> Well I melted and I took him home. She, on the other hand, found no one. It

was fate.

>

> He loved my dog Sandy immediately (a 32 lb. terrier mix and sweet as sugar).

He did NOT like Rosie who was a 36 lb. Australian Shepherd Mix who was feisty

but also sweet. He went right over to Rosie first and swatted at her as if to

say " keep your distance - I don't like you " and then he went over immediately

and got up on his two hind legs and licked Sandy on the nose! He then motioned

towards the dog bed and they went to lay down back to back. This was highly

unusual for a strange cat to two dogs immediately! I was told at the shelter

that 99% sure he would hide!

>

> I was so happy with him all those years. I prayed for him to gain weight and

with the baby food I started giving him every day and wound up giving him for

three months, he DID gain weight within a week and it was very noticeable!

>

> Anyway I took him to the vet Tuesday who did a blood test and urinalysis and

called me later to tell me he had diabetes and his blood sugar was so out of

wack that I needed to bring him back there for hospitalization for 'a few days'.

This from the vet herself. I was told he would be 'fine' after a few days of

hydration, intravenous and after a day they would give him insulin and then I

could take him home in 2 or 3 days. It cost me $308 a day! The receptionist

was a bit curt to say the least and demanded $616 immediately! I had always

paid them for years and never bounced a check so I was shocked at being treated

so. I told her I could only give her $308 as the bank closed at noon on

Tuesdays and I couldn't transfer the $308 from my other account 'til the next

day. She said 'be over here first thing tomorrow morning with the $ then! Oh

and by the way both of your cats need rabies shots! We won't charge you for

another thorough exam on Butchie because we just did one on him but we will on

Shadow. I know they're inside cats but it's the law that you need rabies shots

for them because the state requires it AND licensing! " . No it is NOT the law

you need rabies shots for cats in Maine nor do CATS need licensing! Those were

lies. You need that on DOGS even if they are inside dogs but not cats. No such

law. I told her who was going to bite them since they are 100% inside cats and

have NO contact with any other animals.

>

> I called the vet the next morning after a fitful night of not being able to

sleep worrying about him and my other cat Shadow who has been his 'sister' for 2

years now as a friend for Butchie as my 2 dogs have long since passed (one

dying at 16 1/2 years old in my arms with no warning she was even sick - old age

I think) and the other dog had to be put down with cancer at 18 1/2. So anyway

Shadow kept looking for Butchie and it was heartbreaking to see her moping

around and so sad.

>

> The vet said the next day that he was 'holding his own' but it 'might take

several WEEKS for him to get better'. I told her at $308 a day I could NEVER

afford that. She said 'how much CAN you afford " ? I said " three days " and she

said 'okay then'.

>

> The next day he was a 'bit better' and had tolerated insulin when they gave it

to him but still was not eating and was on intravenous still. I continued to

worry and pray for him.

>

> Then the nasty receptionist called me. She said, " We want you to transfer him

to Scarborough Animal Hospital on Friday night for the holiday weekend as we

won't be open " . I asked her why the game plan had changed and she said " he's

holding his own but we need a few more days of hospitalization to make sure he's

a bit better before we send him home " . I asked her how much that would cost and

she said she 'didn't know' but it was 'more than I was paying there as this WAS

considered an emergency hospitalization'. Huh?! Well she called me back to say

$500 a day for two days! I told her I can't afford that and I was going to take

him home. She then said, " If you do that, you are taking away his hope and

there IS no hope! Why don't you just kill him right now and be done with it! "

I was livid! I told her I loved him and I was taking him home. She then said

" we won't charge you for Tuesday since you didn't bring him in until 4:00

because we didn't have the test results 'til then so he's good until Thursday

and then you can give us another $308 and then think about the other hospital,

okay? " I said I would be picking him up Friday afternoon period. I knew he was

too sick to move take him home yet and they had me over a barrel.

>

> I called yesterday morning to find out that he was still 'just holding his

own' and 'still not eating anything' and had went into diabetic shock when they

tried to give him insulin in the middle of the night the night before! I cried.

I knew at that point there was no hope and he was dying. They didn't TELL me

that but they didn't have to. I swear in the middle of the night that night he

had visited me. I was wide awake and I saw him! It wasn't solid but he was

there alright. Anyway I cried hysterically and told the office manager I had

decided either to take him home to pass with me or have him euthanized. She

said that he may last several DAYS here suffering and not eating or drinking and

did I WANT that?! I said no of course I didn't want him to suffer. She said,

" Because we already charged you for a bag of intravenous you won't be using, the

cost of putting him down will be $150. I said okay - what else could I say?

>

> When I got there the receptionist who had been such a rotten person to me

already said, " before we do anything, that'll be $185 and that does not include

cremation. Do you want a mass cremation for him - that will cost you $158 more

or a private cremation that will cost you $232 not including the $185 for

putting him down. " I was in shock! I had asked to speak to the office manager

since she had told me it would be $158 total and she said " she goes home at 3:00

so forget about what she told you " . I wanted to talk to my cat's vet but she

told me it was 'her day off'. I reluctantly paid $185 but told her I was taking

Butchie's body with me. My friend who brought me there (my car is being worked

on and I have no car 'til tomorrow night) just shook her head.

>

> They brought Butchie to me hooked up to the IV and placed him on my chest to

say goodbye. The vet's assistant was the one who had taken care of him the

whole time. She said he was a very sweet boy and the perfect patient. When I

saw the IV, I told her " you were basically keeping him alive on a machine! You

KNEW there was no hope from the beginning didn't you! " She admitted without a

doctor around that they knew his body was shutting down from the tests and yes

that's what they had done. I was taken! I was in such grief that I just cried

and held him for the last time. He wasn't responsive much at all to me and only

lifted his little head up a few times to look at me. He was almost lifeless. I

was so hurt. I was so sad. I still am. I told her I only wanted 10 minutes

with him and for this to be over for both of us. She didn't come back for a

half HOUR! I held his lifeless body and sobbed. Finally a doctor came in,

introduced himself as Dr. Lee, said I'm sorry for your loss and wish we had met

under better circumstances " and left saying he would 'give us a few more

minutes'. I told him no - I had had a half hour and I wanted this over. He

walked over and stuck a needle in the IV and said " it's quicker this way " . It

took another half HOUR for him to almost pass while I sat there and finally he

started shuddering and was having difficulty breathing. It was horrible to

watch with him laying on me making it worse even still. The doctor came back in

and took him off me and he was still alive but barely! The doctor took out his

stethescope and said 'two minutes or less now'. The vet's assistant came back

in and said " would you like me to wrap him in an old towel and put him in the

cat carrier? " I shook my head yes.

>

> I walked out to my friend who was waiting and she told me a horror story of

another woman there who was visiting her daughter for the week from Mass. whose

dog had a stomach virus it turned out. They charged HER $400 just for a blood

test, urinalysis, x-ray and antibiotics! He didn't even NEED hospitalization!

She said she was in shock about the cost there! I had always gone to that vet

but the vet I had had left about a year ago and he was decent. They never

treated me like these people there did. My friend told her what they had done

to me and she said it was outrageous, which of course it was. Obviously I am

not taking my other cat Shadow EVER to that vet again.

>

> Butchie lies in the pet carrier in my tub at the moment until the animal

control officer comes (I called the dispatcher last night and lied telling him

that I went out to dinner and came back to find Butchie had died on my bathroom

floor, had placed him in his pet carrier with a towel and he said he was sorry

for my loss and would have the officer pick up Butchie's remains this morning.

I kept the door to the bathroom closed last night so that Shadow couldn't get in

there. I don't like to lie but I could NOT afford cremation! They take him for

free! I live in an apt. and I have no place to bury him here and my friends all

live in apartments as well except one and she lives in a mobile home park so she

can't bury Butchie there as she doesn't own the land.

>

> I get my car back tomorrow night. I plan on driving myself to the animal

shelter Saturday morning and getting a new sister or brother for Shadow. They

have so many cats 1 year old or older that they are giving them away for free

including an exam! I am not taking whoever it is to that vet! I will seek out

the vet that used to work there who would volunteer many hours at the animal

shelter or use the vet my one friend uses for their cats but that's 10 miles

from here.

>

> What do you think I should do about this vet if anything? I am tempted to go

to the Better Business Bureau about this.

>

July 2, 2010

So sorry for your loss Marilyn. I've been there - it is such a hard thing to

make the decision and witness the death of a beloved furry companion. Sometimes

our pets are the truest friends and most loyal we'll ever know. And having it

all happen at a cruel, incompetent, and greedy vet clinic is absolutely

horrible. I know you are grieving right now, but you might feel better if you

went for blood on this. There's the BBB and there are also numerous online

directories where people look up vets where you can put ratings and your opinion

of them. That will really hurt their business where it counts. Also the owner

of the clinic should be made aware of what his staff is doing. From the

incredibly crass receptionist to the method of putting him to sleep (it should

have taken five minutes after the injection, tops).

Still, Butchie appeared to you to let you know it was time which is a

blessing...and I do believe their spirits are with us.

Peace,