Pigoles
Junior Guinea Pig
Nearly two weeks ago, I had to have lovely cheeky Melvin PTS. I tragically trusted my local vet to operate after she discovered dental spurs after a sudden weight loss. I was shocked and panicked to discover that he needed an operation, and just desperately wanted him well again. My instincts told me he was still in pain after the op, so the next day I asked for pain relief. The vet told me that they don't usually give pain relief (!), but gave me Metacam at a low dose.
I was concerned about the low dose, so the dose was also checked with his usual vet (I have been looking after Melvin for a family member since February). His usual vet also insisted on the same low dose of Metacam. I was afraid to go against the advice of two different vets, and as I am autistic, I struggle with decision making, needing the security of guidance. I hated seeing him in pain, and despite my constant 27/4 care, Melvin deteriorated, refusing some syringe feeds. The final advice of the vet was to PTS, five days after his dental op and I agreed as desperately didn't want him to suffer ... but less than a week earlier my cheeky, curious, lively boy had been trotting around the kitchen to peek inside the open dishwasher ... the shock of his loss is huge.
I'm left feeling that my trust in my own judgement is broken, as having been wracked with guilt over the last week, I know my gut instincts were right, yet the vets advised me incorrectly. My nightmare thought is that Melvin could have recovered (with adequate pain relief to enable him to feed/recover), yet I handed him over for his life to end. The guilt is immense ... I had grown to love that cheeky boy so much and loved caring for him (plus his friend Bella) ... yet at the end, I feel I failed him by my misguided blind trust in the vet, in the worse way possible.
How can I trust my judgement again? I know my sweet Bella needs a new friend for her ongoing happiness, but I am terrified of making another misjudgement ...
I was concerned about the low dose, so the dose was also checked with his usual vet (I have been looking after Melvin for a family member since February). His usual vet also insisted on the same low dose of Metacam. I was afraid to go against the advice of two different vets, and as I am autistic, I struggle with decision making, needing the security of guidance. I hated seeing him in pain, and despite my constant 27/4 care, Melvin deteriorated, refusing some syringe feeds. The final advice of the vet was to PTS, five days after his dental op and I agreed as desperately didn't want him to suffer ... but less than a week earlier my cheeky, curious, lively boy had been trotting around the kitchen to peek inside the open dishwasher ... the shock of his loss is huge.
I'm left feeling that my trust in my own judgement is broken, as having been wracked with guilt over the last week, I know my gut instincts were right, yet the vets advised me incorrectly. My nightmare thought is that Melvin could have recovered (with adequate pain relief to enable him to feed/recover), yet I handed him over for his life to end. The guilt is immense ... I had grown to love that cheeky boy so much and loved caring for him (plus his friend Bella) ... yet at the end, I feel I failed him by my misguided blind trust in the vet, in the worse way possible.
How can I trust my judgement again? I know my sweet Bella needs a new friend for her ongoing happiness, but I am terrified of making another misjudgement ...