This review is so hard to write that I've started and stopped and I can't get it the way I want it to be; it just seems jumbled and like I'm babbling. But understand that I am still in a great deal of pain from the loss of my best friend. And I want you to know what an incredible job this vet did to make a painful experience as good as it could be. So please excuse my jumping around and maybe even including information you don't need. I just want you to know how perfect she was, and it's hard for me to get my thoughts together.
If you need to help your pet pass from this life and go on to their next adventure, I can't recommend Dr. Friedman highly enough. My dog wasn't just any dog: he was my 12 year companion dog, the love of my life, my ride or die, my rock, my life. I watched both of my parents die of cancer, my best friend die, numerous other friends and family and NOTHING is more painful to me than this loss, losing THIS best friend. I don't know why, it just is. So I searched and searched for the right vet to come to my house and let him pass in peace, on his bed, with me holding him.
My brother and his wife were there, watching, crying quietly. They said it was the most beautiful thing (and the saddest) they'd ever witnessed in their life. I lay on the floor and cradled my 95 pound dog, telling him how much I loved him (after he ate an ENTIRE bowl of vanilla ice cream).
Dr. Friedman has the perfect presence. She speaks only when necessary, and in calm soothing tones. But she is strong and smart. Realize that she isn't just there to be sweet, although she is genuinely kind, she is giving the strongest medicine there is, and you want her to be confident and to know what she is doing. And she does. There can be some uncomfortable moments with these drugs (I'd researched so I knew) and she explained exactly what was going to happen (nothing terrible, you can read up on how euthanasia is done and you'll understand, she does it the same way every other vet does). For example, he might look back and forth with the first drug given; once I knew that, it wasn't upsetting. But he quickly fell into a deep sleep and started snoring, the most comforting sound EVER. I've always loved to hear him snore. That part was really a gift. He was so relaxed he snored; not every dog does that, but I was so happy mine did. She confidently yet gently explains everything that is going to happen so you aren't worried. Let her guide you. You can trust her.
Because of my attachment to my dog, if she had done ANYTHING wrong, even the SLIGHTEST thing, it would've had an out-of-proportion effect on me and you would've heard about it. I'm telling you, it was PERFECT.
She checked to see if his heart had stopped, which I appreciated. I mean, you want to really KNOW, right? And his heart kept going even after it should've stopped. I knew he was worried about me so he wasn't leaving, because I had started to cry (I was holding it together pretty good before then), and I felt like my crying was making him stay (his job was to take care of me, how could he leave if I was crying, right?). So I told him he could go. I said I would be okay, I promise, you can leave. And I FELT him leave his body; she checked, and his heart had stopped. She told me he was gone. And then she didn't flinch as I started to wail in grief. And I mean WAIL. She gave me time with him, as much as I wanted, and then she and my brother took him down the stairs and out to her car. At my request, she had previously made all the arrangements to have his body cremated, so there was nothing left for me to do but mourn.
I'm giving you this much detail because you should know what happens so you are prepared. I've heard from friends and the procedure she used is exactly the same as the other vets; it's just the way she did it that was so perfect. My puppy dog got to leave this world with the love of HIS life (me) cradling him in my arms, in HIS bed, in HIS home, with his family surrounding him, and the nice, smart lady giving him the exact correct amount of medication so that he was withOUT pain, withOUT fear, withOUT distress of any kind (and he HATED going to the vet). He went to sleep with his love holding him, and then he gently left his body. We should all be so lucky.
I am SO GLAD yelp took me to Dr. Friedman. I'm so sorry for those of you reading this, because I know that means you're facing losing the love of your life. You can trust her. She is strong, kind, knowledgeable, and will give you the most beautiful last moments with your baby that you could ever ask for.
Learning to live without him....I'm still working on that. read more