Despite her charming personality, ten-year-old spaniel Olivia had a host of health issues. The team made the difficult decision to put her to sleep and end the constant pain and confusion she was experiencing.
Like many of the pets handed into our care, Olivia’s owners had a change in lifestyle which meant they no longer had enough time for her. She seemed nervous when she arrived but soon relaxed with the help of her carer – and biggest fan – Dave, who helped her settle in, “A few minutes sat with a dog like Olivia, just playing with a ball or doing whatever they enjoy, can really make a difference.”
Our veterinary team gave Olivia a full health check and started her treatment straight away. This began with an examination of her eyes, which didn’t show signs of anything serious at that point. We discovered aggressive cancer in her mammary glands, which we removed at once to prevent it from spreading.
We also treated Olivia’s infected ears with drops and antibiotics and gave her medication for the pain. Soon afterwards, she was placed with a foster for some one-to-one care and attention in a home environment where she could recover. Meanwhile, we continued her treatment and searched for a new owner who would be able to provide ongoing care.
Some time later, Olivia’s eyesight had deteriorated significantly. She was bumping into things in her foster home, which was a huge worry for us. Another look at her eyes revealed she had developed cataracts. Our veterinary team called upon the help of an eye specialist who confirmed our diagnosis. At the same time, her ear infection flared up again and was causing her a lot of pain.
Olivia then started to go blind in both of her eyes and one of her eyes became red and sore. Her ears were also showing no signs of improvement, despite trying out several different treatments. It was another concern to add to her growing list of health issues. With every ear treatment option exhausted, the only thing left for us to do for Olivia was to remove her ear canals, leaving her deaf. Sadly, there was nothing that could be done for her eyes either.
As Vanessa, Veterinary Services Director, remembers we took a moment to meet to discuss how Olivia was doing and what the next best step was for her:
Everyone involved in Olivia’s care met to review her condition and concluded that her quality of life was now so limited, it would be kinder to put her to sleep and end the pain she was in. With the decision agreed, the whole team now turned their attention to what they could do to ensure that her final days were as pain-free as possible.
Although Olivia’s story on The Dog House had a sad ending, her time with us shows the lengths our teams go to for every pet. Sometimes that does mean making very hard decisions on whether to put a pet to sleep and like every responsible pet owner, we'll always act in the best interest of the pet's welfare.
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