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Old dog


Scruit
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Sorry to hear this.  I feel for you and your wife.  Dogs, being man's best friend, truely become more than just pets, they become members of our family; and losing a family member is always very hard.  You gave her a great life.  From your posts, its easy to see how much you and your wife cared about her.  You did the best that you could do for her.

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I am deeply sorry to hear of your loss. Some folks just don't understand how close animals can be to our heart's. They are not just dogs, they are family. I did not know your dog so I cannot feel your exact loss but I have lost dogs myself. Each relationship is unique, just like the one between you and your pup. I know how devastatingly deep that feeling of loss can go and I truly feel for you. Just remember, all dogs go to heaven. How could those wonderful souls not? After all, dog is God spelled backwards. Peace be with you and your family.

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Sorry to hear this.

It does suck, but think of the joy and the loving home you have provide for your pup.

 

The day we got back from our vacation in May 2013, we made the choice to put down our dog, Kinser, of 17 years,

It was bitter sweet, just getting back from a great vacation then getting home to see the dog just laying around, no energy.

He had a hard time walking, so I carried him outside and up the stairs every time for the last 6 weeks, Couldn't see or hear to well.

 

The wife and I held him at the vet and we were there till the end.

One nice touch, the vet gave us a plaster paw print of Kinser.

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Sorry to hear man, but know that her suffering is over and she's in a much better place now.  I know it's hard, lost 2 in my short life and I cannot start to imagine losing "my" dog that I have now. 

 

The whole thing is never easy but cherish the good memories and know that she will live on forever in those. 

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Sorry to hear this I feel for you 

 

We had to put down our 5 year old american bulldog last Tuesday not sure what exactly was wrong but she went to the vet the week before because she wasn't eating and had black tar like stools and he thought was an infection so antibiotics got her to eat and drink but health wise she just got worse and then got to the point all she did was cry couldn't walk or stand (try loading 140lb dog in the car that can't walk) when we put her down she just seemed so relieved when she saw the vet come out to the car. He said it was more than likely cancer.

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Scruit;

 

I'm so sorry for your loss.  I've had 4 dogs in my life put down and one had congestive heart failure at 17 years.  I still cant imagine what you are going through as everyone has a unique relationship with their dog.  You made the right decision, but I know it's still hard.  Prayers and thoughts goes out to you and your family.

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The vet old me an otherwise healthy dog with a mild case of congestive heart failure could live another 6mo to a year on treatments, but the treatments are hard on the kidneys.  Bean's kidneys were out of whack too, so the treatment for her heart would most likely have caused kidney failure.

 

I keep thinking that maybe we made the wrong choice, that if we'd waited for the cardiologist that maybe he'd have said something different, or given her a magic pill that fixed her up 100%.  I know it's not logical, but I can't shake that feeling.  My wife accused me of the same, in a fit of emotional anger.  Now I feel worse.

 

She was deaf, arthritic, had a bad knee, couldn't run, could hardly walk more than 50', she had lost 15% of her bodyweight in the last month, her kidney numbers were wrong, liver numbers were wrong, had an enlarged heart and a valve prolapse.   Beyond that, she just wasn't HER.  She would mope from place to place and not take enjoyment in anything except fro rare days when she seemed more normal.

 

That night she suddenly started breathing very rapidly for no reason, like panting but without sticking her tongue out.  She wasn't overheated.  WE monitored that for a while then she starting wincing with every breath.  Then her breathing became very labored and she couldn't stand up straight.

 

I took her to the emergency vet.  They took the symptoms and did some tests - came back that her lungs were almost completely white on the x-ray, not the black they are supposed to be - she was only able to breath a tiny fraction of the efficiency she needed.

 

After discussing treatment options.  Effectively, we could have her seen by a cardiologist and start an aggressive treatment plan, but that the drugs she needed would have cause kidney failure in her.  I decided that I should call my wife in - when she arrived we gave her the download and chose to have her put to sleep.  They gave us a chance to go back and say goodbye, but that made things worse because she was on aggressive oxygen treatment so inside the little plastic bubble she was much more lively, almost like she wasn't sick.  of course as soon as they took her out she would have suffered again.  She wagged her tail when she saw us. We all broke down.  We said out goodbyes, walked away, and I signed a piece of fucking paper that said kill my fucking dog.  

 

Now she is buried in the back garden, so she is home with us again.  

Edited by Scruit
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Being a logical person is nice sometimes, but it can be annoying in situations that are emotional by necessity.

 

I know the stages of grief, and I'm checking them off as we go through them.  I'm still mired in guilt.  Why did I opt to have her put to sleep?  I hate myself for that.

 

I know logically it was the right thing to do, but I cannot shake the guilt of making that call.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Spending today building a flower garden over her grave.  We had a small memorial stone made up for her.  I'll post a pic when I'm done.

 

The only thing more depressing than building this garden is knowing I have to build it to accommodate our other dog, Peabar.  She's 12 and just came back from the vet with a clean bill of health - still, there will come a time when we bury her too.

 

What's the point in any of this?

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My parents have a blind, deaf and diabetic cat. We can't place when exactly they got it but it's sometime before 1997. It can no longer get up on the couch and it's back legs don't bend at the knees. I wish they would just put him down because I hate to see him like that.

we got a cat(Trouble) that is 18 going on 19 and is starting to get skinny, hard to tell if she is suffering because she has so much spunk and liveliness in her. Its hard when you have them that long.  Also just realized this post is a year old......

Edited by Dying Shadow
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My mom is a professional pet handler, grooms dogs/cats, & has her own pet store. Needless to say....I've been in your shoes more than once. People say "Ohhh its just an animal!" It's way more than that. Its never an easy decision. As the owner of the pet...once u feel the dog is in more pain than it is in good health, then it is time. I've had to take our dogs/cats over the years to be out down. Rest assured the animal is in no pain what so ever. I regret everytime I've had to go, but what I dont regret is to keep putting the animal thru pain. There's no quality of life in that.

sent from double thumbin' it

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  Also just realized this post is a year old......

 

The original post is a year old, but the story didn't end until two weeks ago when she was finally sick enough that we had her put to sleep.

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