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This letter originally appeared in The Manhattan
Mercury on August 3, 1999
Veterinary School Offered
Compassionate Assistance in Death of Family Pet
To the Editor:
Little Bit died last Wednesday, July the 28th. It was her
birthday. She had been born 13 years before as a cockapoo puppy but she died as a
loving and loved member of our family.
She had big troubles breathing and moving in the last 10 days of her
life and so, with advice from her doctor at the K-State Veterinary Clinic, my wife and I
made the only decision that we could come to in those circumstances - euthanasia.
After her death, an autopsy was performed and the doctors discovered
a rip in the membrane between her right auricle and right ventricle that was slowly
drowning her in her own blood. They notified us right away so we would know, in our
grief, that we had done the right thing for our little companion in life. That, in
itself, was a huge relief.
We would like to thank the following individuals from the bottom of
our heavy hearts: Dr. Julie Fisher, DVM, and students Denise Fair and Jonathan Carney.
These individuals worked tirelessly and with all the expertise at
their command to try to bring our little girl out of her misery. And, right up till
the last day when they couldn't get the bleeding to stop, we had much hope that they would
succeed. They were with Little Bit at the end so she would have a friendly hand on
her as she closed her eyes for the last time. Thank you all so very much.
We would also like to thank and praise the entire small animal
clinic at the College of Veterinary Medicine for all they did to try to keep our fears
from being realized, right down to the young lady who offered me a box of Kleenex when I
went to pay the final bill. You are all wonderful, caring individuals , and you will
never know how much your understanding meant to Dee and me.
And last, we would like to thank the clinic just for being there for
the frightened owners of animals. We think of ourselves as parents and we appreciate
the fact that you treat us as such. Never again will we think that you might be too
high priced or that the students might not know enough to treat our pets. We are one
couple who are glad you were there and, if she were alive, Little Bit would be thanking
you too.
Bill & Dee Gilbert
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