Emotions in Veterinary Medicine

It never ceases to amaze me at some of my clients’ interaction and emotional attachment to their animals. I want to tell you a story that epitomizes this relationship. Last week, I was called out to euthanize two pigs for a lady in Nashville. In my typical practice, I might work on a pig one time every three years, generally as a favor for a client with other animals. My experience and knowledge of swine internal medicine is very limited so I dont feel like I can help a whole lot. Today, however , the scenario was much different. One pig named Pearl was a 17 year old female with a variety of internal diseases. Pearl’s owner had definitely gone the extra mile with Pearl in her unwavering care and commitment to this animal. Just two years prior, Pearl was taken to the University of Tennessee vet school for removal of an ovarian tumor. At the same time, Pearl was treated for squamous cell carcinoma of the skin. Pearl lived comfortably two more years due to her owners diligent care and commitment. The other swine named Jimmy was 18 years old and suffered from debilitating arthritis. Jimmy was being treated with the drug Adequan. Adequan is a relatively expensive and effective arthritis medicine for horses and dogs.

After the euthanasia, I asked myself: “Why did this lady do so much for these animals?” After pondering this question, I concluded that, for some of us, our relationships with animals sometimes extend and even transcend our normal personal relationships. Animals expect very little from us. With minimal ability to realize, animals do not know the different emotions that are created and developed thru the human-animal relationship. They pretty much act the same way towards the owner as long as everything stays the same. On the flipside, as time goes by, the human emotional attachment grows stronger and stronger. This ever strengthening bond is what triggers the attachment and commitment to the animals well being. It’s pretty rare to see two pigs live to be 17 and 18 years of age. I am fortunate to have clients like this in my practice.