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Ramblings of A Country Vet |
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Ramblings of A Country Vet |
KILLING THE MESSENGER: BUT AT LEAST I CAN SLEEP AT NIGHT
Treasured readers, for the last couple of months, and for reasons totally unknown to me, I've had a large increase in the number of times I've fallen victim to the dreaded affliction known as "kill the messenger syndrome." (This same syndrome very likely afflicts most other medical professionals, as well as army generals, politicians, and stock analysts).
Maybe all of this angst is the result of the exceptionally crappy weather we've been having this year; maybe it's because my old buddy, Rudy, was voted off the island too soon on the hit TV show, Survivor; or—and this is the most likely cause—maybe it was because poor ol' Howard Dean's Democratic primary bid crashed and burned before it even got off the runway.
Whatever the reason, there's been an annoying increase in the number of clients who didn't like what I've had to say about the subject I'm discussing below, and these pissed-off people have resolved to never ever again set foot in my practice. And it's beginning to bug me.
Messenger syndrome results from wanting to kill the messenger when he/she is the bearer of news or opinions that the person receiving the message doesn't want to hear. The phenomenon is first mentioned in ancient Greek plays by Sophocles and Euripides as far back as 442 B.C. In the Shakespeare drama, Antony and Cleopatra, the beautiful Egyptian queen, Cleopatra, upon hearing the news that her beloved Antony has married Octavia, flies into a rage and tries to kill the messenger.
One of the most bizarre examples of the messenger syndrome that I was able to document involved yet another theory regarding the tragic assassination of our late great President Kennedy. I'll quote from the Web page, http://www.rense.com/general10/jfkufo.htm. "JFK Was Shot To Prevent Him From Revealing The Truth About E.T.s And UFOs."
According to the Web site, President Kennedy (and please, I'm not making this stuff up) was going to announce to the world that the U.S. government had made contact with aliens from deep space. "But other government insiders apparently felt the truth about UFOs would cause widespread panic. And they were willing to kill to keep the information secret."
As regular readers of this column know, the only way that I'll euthanize an animal is if it is terminally ill, aged, or suffering; if it is a rabies suspect and needs to be tested; or if the animal is vicious, is emotionally unpredictable, or has bitten a person. It is with this last class of problems that I've been getting all of the grief.
I'll start out by reminding my gentle readers that I went into this business of veterinary medicine to save animals and relieve their suffering. It took eight grueling years of college, a tremendous amount of personal time and emotional commitment on the part of both me and my wife, and a great deal of money.
And so, when a client comes to me seeking advice or help on what to do with a biting or nasty pet, it breaks my heart when I have to strongly suggest putting the pet to sleep. EVEN IF THE BITING HAS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE!
I routinely suggest euthanasia for a biting/snapping/vicious pet for many reasons. The first reason, which is the one I learned in vet school, is for legal reasons. If I were to give some advice or drug therapy for a biting pet, and then it goes on to attack a person, a good lawyer will figure out a way to blame me.
The second reason, and this is the main reason, is for my peace of mind. If I were to counsel a client on ways of preventing their pet from biting (and there are ways of doing so), and then the beast bites a child (and it's always a preciously beautiful little girl who gets bitten in the face), I wouldn't be able to sleep at night.
And finally, in my over twelve years of dealing with this problem, there has been one absolute and immutable law: a pet who bites once always get worse!
Nearly all of the people to whom I give this advice choose to disregard it. And that's OK with me; I've given them my professional opinion, so the monkey is off my back. Many resolve to be more cautious and just live with the problem. A few clients curse and swear and storm out of my office after I give them this advice.
But when all is said and done, nearly every one of these owners of biting pets eventually end up coming in, maybe in three months or maybe in three years, for me to put the pet to sleep. Again, it's usually after the nasty Dalmatian, Chow, Rottweiler, or whatever breed, has trashed some poor kid's face.
There are alternatives to what to do with a biting dog, but they are a real pain in the butt, and all are quite risky. But if an owner is dedicated to their pet and wants to invest the effort (and I have had a few extremely patient, saintly, and compassionate owners who've made the effort with a wide range of successes), I send them off to one of the many behavioral and counseling services available in our area.
Thanks again
Copyright © 2004 by Richard Orzeck, DVM
The information in this article is based upon the author’s personal experience and his best interpretation of veterinary data at the time of writing. It is not intended to render veterinary advice or service. Specific needs and questions concerning your pet’s health should always be addressed by his or her best friend, your local veterinarian.