Why do we put animals out of their misery but let humans suffer?

[Freshton]

A relative is currently dying a slow and horrible death from terminal cancer. In palliative phase and last few days now as can't swallow or take any liquids.

It's truly opened my eyes. I had no idea how medieval things were still when it comes to death. I've been truly horrified at what people are expected to endure in their final weeks and what their relatives have to witness.

I can't understand why we put animals to sleep to spare them suffering but humans still have to deal with this slow and undignified end.

I've never been much in favour of assisted dying as not had to think about it but after seeing what I've seen, I really hope something can change. I'll be haunted for the rest of my life by what I've seen in last few weeks.

Also to add. She was physically incapable of moving to end her own life

This is what my thoughts are

'Human beings are not comparable to humans'- i disagree.
I work with animals and euthanasia is part of my job , i am not suggesting animals are more important -though some wouldn't agree !
but as sentient beings humans have a moral duty to prevent animals from suffering.
The action of euthanasia in my experience is not taken lightly and is not abused, it is a privilege to be able to let something pass painlessly in peace surrounded by those that love them the most.
I certainly hope that the time comes when we can do the same thing in a similar way to a consenting human being, having someone tell you that in a very short while they are going to take your horrendous pain away and you will slip away peacefully.
I am a realist and know that there are gray areas surrounding human euthanasia but after being present with a loved one during their final days , watching them in truly horrific pain i absolutely know that euthanasia should be a right.

It is cruel and as u say u wouldn’t let a dog suffer like that. Why do we let humans suffer like this.

So thousands in the UK should die painful degrading deaths because you dont agree with the system in Canada? Switzerland seem to have found an assisted dying programme that works, why can't we emulate that?

You remind me of those who argued that allowing abortion would open the door to the legal killing of babies. They were wrong too.

I worked in Palliative/ End of Life care and believe we should have a choice.

someone related to my SIL recently organised her end of life, ( she had Parkinsons & was suffering. She knew there was no recovery possible).
This is In The USA. I believe it was legal.
basically announcing she would be ending her life by starvation from X date, the estimation was 10 days.
I am honestly aghast that this was esteemed ethical, where some kind if self administered drug is not

I’ve been nursing 37 years and definitely believe we should have a choice.

A friend of my SiL had an assisted death in California so perhaps it depends on the state?

Having witnessed the vet sweating and panicking while repeatedly missing the barbiturate OD and the cat was still conscious despite two benzo shots. He ended up going into her neck. It was horrific and not remotely dignified.

The vast majority of disability charities and medical organisations are opposed to assisted dying. It puts vulnerable and mentally ill people at too much risk.

Yes. Medically assisted dying in humans also can be problematic and not always peaceful..Vomiting, prolonged (up to 7 hours) period of dying, seizures, and regaining consciousness are all reported. https://academic.oup.com/bmb/article/142/1/15/6580517

I wouldn't want to have or be involved in assisted dying due to religious beliefs, but there is a middle ground where people just aren't actively treated and are instead made comfortable. There is no way it's acceptable to be fitting PEGs to frail, bedbound elderly people who have had strokes.

It takes careful nursing and significant effort to force someone to remain alive. I believe, in many cases, this shouldn't be done and nature should be allowed to take its course. I've explained why they don't though and I can't see it changing anytime soon.

Advance Decisions can be made and attached to your medical records. Whether these are fully respected, I don't know. Doctors would rather actively treat than get into trouble for not treating and the person dying. Same goes for the ambulance service. I have an Advance Decision, although I'm not old or particularly sick. I hope I can conceal any illness and just get on with it quickly at home, but that's not always possible with things like strokes.

That's their assertion, not a fact. It doesnt take into account the views of the many disabled people who are campaigning for assisted dying. Those who pass through the doors of Dignitas are almost all disabled (disease will do that to you) but I've never seen any evidence presented that to show coercion plays a part in that.

You've hit nail on head. Part of reason it's so distressing is lack of support and resources, and overeliance on charities. We're dealing with about 4 different people - charity, local district nurse, GP, oncologist at hospital. It is a fragmented system

Her care was not bad. Her carers were given 30 minutes to come in, sponge bathe her in the morning, apply cream, change her, and place her back into bed. To change her, they had to put her into a hoist. Then they still needed to prepare breakfast or a snack, hydrate her, and leave for the next client. Most of the carers would stay longer whenever they could, but many times they were rushing between calls.

On many mornings, the lady would have removed her adult diaper during the night and smeared the contents across herself, the bed, the walls, and even the ceiling. Most of the time, the carers simply did not have enough time to do everything that was needed. Even if they had, they still weren’t allowed to carry her outside because she couldn’t safely sit in a wheelchair, and a stretcher wouldn’t fit in the lift.

No individual person is really to blame. We’ve found ways to prolong the duration of human life far beyond what nature intended, but not its quality. That is a societal issue, not an individual failing.

You have clearly never experienced anything remotely like this firsthand. Stop instructing other people on how long they should be forced to suffer until you’ve spent years agonising in a bed yourself.

Totally agree. When they are clearly going to die in the next week/s, why prolong it? I’m confused by what is allowed and what isn’t.. my family member with terminal cancer kept being offered the sedation to put him to sleep, and then one day he took it, we said goodbye and he went. So it is allowed sometimes?

As a disabled person and someone who has watched parents slowly die horribly I totally want the option of being able to choose.
And get very annoyed at those who decide I should not be able to.

Thats a good starting point (as long as the person has agreed) but its not always possible to keep people comfortable. My dad had the sort of death you are describing - it took 5 weeks and he was a skeleton with bedsores when he died, and that was with 121 nursing, hospital bed w special mattress the lot. A big shot of morphine would have been kinder.

I used to sit by my mother's care home bed, several years after she last recognised anyone, fed herself or spoke intelligibly, and wondered exactly that.

As my brother said, had we let an animal live in that manner it would have been criminal.

Agreed. I watched my mum's horrible death and I'm still traumatised and equally terrified I'll get the same illness. She did not need to live out that last month

Honestly, I think it's because we have a higher tolerance for getting it wrong when it comes to animals.

A vet strongly recommended putting my friend's dog down. They got a second opinion and the diagnosis was wrong. It turned out that the real issue could be easily treated and the dog returned to full health. The potential of this happening with a human patient is far less tolerable to most people.

People also put pets to sleep because their care is too difficult to cope with (weeing and pooping in the house, increased separation anxiety etc). There's a worry that people who require a lot of care might feel pressured to request euthanasia for similar reasons, even if they don't actually want to die.

I do agree that euthanasia should be available to people though, it would just need to be incredibly well managed.

Me too.

I really hope we can have assisted dying in the UK, like Switzerland.

I think there are a lot of vested interests in the present status quo, not least the huge 'care' industry which is run for profit often providing low quality care to people, many of whom would have chosen a dignified death if that had been an option.

I support Dignity In Dying which is campaigning for choice, with appropriate safeguards.

If you travel to another country where assisted dying is legal, you can’t take your family with you because they can be prosecuted on their return. Absolutely crazy. It either means you have to die peacefully, alone, or suffer just to have your family there for your last moments. People should absolutely have the right to choose