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OUR
VETERINARY TEAM WILL:
Be dedicated to helping those
who are suffering
Be available 24/7 for phone
consultation in emergency
situations
Offer home care
Be friendly and respectful
towards you and your special
furry companion
Discuss options and help you
make informed decisions about
the best care for your pet
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Amir
Shanan, DVM
(773) 327-5024
Fax: (773) 348-9867
620
W. Webster
Chicago, IL 60614
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| Dear Dr. Shanan, |
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The following accounts
by clients of their experience with Dr. Shanan's services were
written in the spring of 2004, in response to his request:
"In early
February 2004 we called Dr. Shanan regarding home euthanasia
for Mona, our 20 years old cat. Her hind legs could not support
her. She would not eat and was extremely lethargic. We were prepared
that day to let her go. Dr. Shanan came and assessed the situation.
There was something in Mona's eyes that said she was not ready
to go. Dr. Shanan suggested we give her just a few more days
of support. Within 3 days she started showing improvement! It
is now 4 months since that day we thought would be her last.
She is still a sick kitty but she interacts with the family,
enjoys sleeping in the sun and comes ready when I give treats.
She is still an active part of our family. I know that when the
time comes Dr. Shanan will help us through."
-- Susan LaMantia, Chicago IL
"On Tuesday
April 20th, 2004, I asked Dr. Shanan to come to our house to
put our beloved pet to sleep. As I waited for him to come to
our house I took a picture of Woody, because in my mind I wanted
to have the picture to show to myself the pain in his eyes, so
I would know I made the right decision. When Dr. Shanan arrived
my head kept going back and forth, Am I playing God? Am I doing
the right thing? But I saw how peaceful Woody was with his head
in my lap and laying on his blanket and I told Dr. Shanan to
go ahead. I had my hand on his heart and just felt his little
life slip away. Although I was crying, I felt Woody did not deserve
to suffer and this was the only way. A couple of days later I
heard my husband talking to a friend on the phone. 'It's the
hardest thing in the world to put your pet to sleep, but with
the vet coming to the house made a huge difference because Woody
was not stressed and you are in your own house,' he said, "After
the vet left I cried like a baby but it didn't matter because
it was only Petie, woody and myself.' My husband and I honestly
feel that when you have to put a pet to sleep, home euthanasia
is the only way to do it. I'm so thankful this service exists
- too bad more people aren't aware of it."
-- Petie Monachino, Berwyn IL
"I was prepared
to hate Dr. Shanan for the sole reason that his presence in my
life was vehemently unwanted. It meant that Pea, my sweet and
affectionate 6 years old cat, would die. She had been diagnosed
with Feline Leukemia 2 years earlier, and recently developed
irreversible problems associated with the disease. On one of
Pea's visits to our vet for treatment, the vet told me about
Dr. Shanan and handed me a brochure describing his services including
"End of Life Consultation" and "At-Home Euthanasia".
I wasn't settled on the question of euthanasia, but I knew that
if it came to that, I'd want to do it at home. I made the first
of what would be many calls to Dr. Shanan. Instead of hating
him, I felt that he truly understood what I was going through:
that I had a very intense bond with my pet, that seeing her sick
and the thought of losing her were devastating to me, and that
grappling with the question of euthanasia was agonizing. By the
time we'd ended the conversation we'd scheduled an End of Life
Consultation. Somehow it seemed important that he meet Pea before
she was thoroughly devastated. Pea needed to have fluids drained
from her chest repeatedly. Her quality of life between these
taps seemed relatively normal. One day in November of 2003 the
vet took an x-ray of Pea's chest and told me there was nothing
else they could do for Pea. She suggested it was time to put
Pea down. Horrified, I took pea home. I called Dr. Shanan later
that day and he made me feel that Pea's life still had value.
He bought us more time together, and for that I'm grateful. Pea
had a good last few weeks. I, on the other hand, had a horrible
few weeks. I was sobbing with astounding frequency and force
and grappling with feelings about life and death and the uneasy
power I seemingly had over Pea's. I felt despondent and guilt
ridden every time I left the apartment because I wanted to be
with Pea. I eventually allowed myself only one 2 hour outing
a day. During this time I relied heavily on Dr. Shanan, who never
made me feel that my calls were intrusive or that my concerns
were trivial. He was the perfect mix of philosopher, ethicist,
counselor and vet. I talked with him about my doubts and fears.
About interfering too soon or too late, or not at all. Would
I be helping Pea or betraying her? I honestly didn't know. I
woke Dr. Shanan up at 5:30 one morning thinking it was time to
end Pea's suffering. By the time he arrived at my apartment,
Pea's condition had improved. Dr. Shanan looked at her and said
he didn't think we had to euthanize her. He had gained enough
insight from our conversations to understand the gravity of the
decision I had to make, and he honored that. But Pea's chest
had filled up with fluids again, and attempts to drain it failed.
The quality of life indicators that Dr. Shanan had taught me
to look for were all pretty grim. He came to my apartment on
December 1st and euthanized Pea. He spent a good deal of time
allowing me to cry and say goodbye to pea before he gave her
the first of 2 injections that would end her life. He was kind
and gentle with both pea and me. I'm grateful that he was there
guiding me and supporting me through the most difficult and painful
decision of my life. It's been 6 months since Pea died. I still
miss her and think about her often. And when I find myself thinking
about her death, as I sometime do, I'm comforted by the thought
that it was as easy on her as possible, thanks to Dr. Shanan."
-- Tori, Chicago IL
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