SINGAPORE – Losing her two beloved childhood dogs to old age spurred Dr Kelly Yeo’s interest in geriatric and palliative care, leading to her co-founding The Gentle Vet in 2022, which specialises in geriatric care and chronic illness.
Munchie, a female papillon, and Elmo, a male schnauzer, died within a year of each other. Munchie was 16 years old when she died in 2016, while Elmo, 15, lost his battle with intestinal cancer in 2017.
Munchie’s passing was especially traumatic for Dr Yeo, who was in her late 20s then, as they were extremely close.
“I had her when I was about 12, and she would sleep with me every night. Her favourite place to sleep on my bed was atop my head,” says the 37-year-old.
Munchie’s health deteriorated during the last few years of her life. She became blind and deaf, and subsequently had dementia.
“There was a lot of sadness to see her age in front of you, and there was nothing I could do to fix her condition.”
Munchie’s ailing health took a physical toll on Dr Yeo too. “There were nights when Munchie would wake up and start pacing in circles. It’s difficult for her, it’s also painful for me too, as my sleep was greatly interrupted.
“It was like having a newborn baby that never grows up,” says the mother of two children aged six and eight.
Dr Yeo always had an affinity for dogs, which led her to pursue veterinary science at the University of Melbourne in Australia.
Upon graduating in 2009, she worked in the country for several years in various clinics, learning how veterinary practices are run.
The experience in Melbourne had its ups and downs, and Dr Yeo says having Munchie and Elmo with her Down Under helped.
Almost half of her patients at The Gentle Vet are geriatric pets. Caring for elderly and chronically ill animals requires a practitioner who is mentally strong.
“It is depressing when you lose your patient, especially when you see it happen regularly,” she says.
To cope with the 10 to 15 deaths a year and compassion fatigue, Dr Yeo says she compartmentalises her feelings. She will also take long walks on the beach, telling herself she has to let go of the animals with grace, and they are no longer suffering.
Dr Kelly Yeo, with her schnauzer Alex (right) and a labrador patient (left), co-founded The Gentle Vet, a clinic specialising in geriatric care and chronic illness. ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
“When I was younger, I got angry whenever a client came to the clinic asking for euthanasia,” she says, citing an experience in Australia where a woman requested her healthy pregnant dog to be put down.
“We told her the dog could be saved by performing a caesarean section. But she chose the cheaper and irresponsible option.”
Dr Yeo, who adopted a 12-year-old schnauzer from a local animal shelter in 2023, is thankful ethical euthanasia is practised in Singapore.
“While we cannot stop or cure natural old-age illnesses, we can help make the last years of their lives gentler,” she says.
“What I’ve learnt is never underestimate how much a cat or dog would mean to someone when the pet is sick. You see the whole family crying together, but to some extent, it is also bittersweet as they know they have helped their pet live a little more comfortably.”
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