I have to call the vet in the morning for "the talk."

Shodan · November 8, 2018, 6:29pm

And she is with you, and she loves you, and you love her. And she knows it.

Good-bye, Pepper. Good dog.

Regards,
Shodan

filmore · November 8, 2018, 6:42pm

Don’t worry too much about food. Fluids are what will make her most comfortable. Consider simmering some chicken in water and give the broth to her. Make your own, since store broth often has a lot of salt.

If she’s lying down, drip a little water in her mouth with an eyedropper or syringe. It will keep her mouth moist and she may drink a bit that way.

kenobi_65 · November 8, 2018, 7:50pm

I’m so sorry. I’ve walked this road with several pets, and it’s never easy, but it sounds like Pepper’s letting you know that it’s time.

If you haven’t already talked with your vet about this, or found someone who can do this, we worked with a group called Lap of Love when we had to have our cat put to sleep this spring – Kola had always hated the car, and we didn’t want his last day with us to include a stressful trip to the vet’s office. I can’t recommend Lap of Love highly enough – they were sensitive, caring, and very professional.

Shinna_Minna_Ma · November 9, 2018, 4:57am

Last night Pepper wanted to go out, so we walked slowly out of the building. She lost energy, so I carried her over to our bench in the park and put her across my lap. We stayed for the better part of an hour; I just scratched her behind her ears and sat in tears. At least she got out to her spot.

I think she’s really suffering, so I put in a call to the vet to see if he can work us in today instead of waiting for Sunday. I warned all the kids that they might not be able to see her if I can take her today.

Sunny_Daze · November 9, 2018, 7:41am

I think you are making the right decision not to wait. She is suffering. If the vet can offer anything palliative for the short term (pain relief, fluids), then perhaps you can wait a few more days, but her quality of life sounds horrid. I wish you strength.

Shinna_Minna_Ma · November 9, 2018, 12:30pm

My daughter and I took Pepper over the vet this morning. Pepper is at peace now. The vet was very gentle and allowed us all the time we needed with her. We left her with her pink blankie, which she loved to lay on.

Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and wishes.

Baker · November 9, 2018, 1:00pm

There’s a great big hole in your life now and it will take a while for it to fill in. I’m sure Pepper knows you did the right thing. Maybe Pepper can meet my Nathan. I’m so sorry for your pain.

beowulff · November 9, 2018, 1:00pm

Sorry for you loss.

ekedolphin · November 9, 2018, 9:19pm

Here’s something I found a little while ago. I’m so terribly sorry for your loss.

nightshadea · November 9, 2018, 9:50pm

its only been a couple of years since I took in my dog to see why he was sick and it was suggested that he needed to go to sleep because of cancer and we did the vets were so nice and understanding and I was holding him when the shot took effect …… so I know how you feel

it takes a while to get over ……

The_Stainless_Steel_Rat · November 9, 2018, 9:58pm

Sorry for your loss. You did the right thing for Pepper, and you know that, but it still hurts.

This drawing is something worth having, IMHO: https://www.reddit.com/r/wholesomememes/comments/7tnaxg/death_and_the_dog/

kenobi_65 · November 9, 2018, 10:04pm

My condolences to you and your family.

Shinna_Minna_Ma · November 10, 2018, 8:59pm

On behalf of myself, and Pepper, thank you again, to everyone for your condolences and wishes.

Baron_Greenback · November 10, 2018, 11:22pm

Pepper remembers you, and guards you.

The last thing I remember is My Person bringing my to the Sharp Place.

I never understood why My Person would bring me to the Sharp Place. The smells were sharp, and they poked me with sharp things. That’s why I called it the Sharp Place. It was a bad place. I didn’t like it.

I don’t know why My Person brought me there, that day of all days. I already hadn’t been feeling good. I’d been throwing up, and my hips hurt and my paws hurt. Even eating grass didn’t help. And then My Person brought me to the Sharp Place. I tried to be mad at him, but he seemed so sad about something, so I tried to wag my tail to cheer him up. I didn’t even really notice when the Sharp Man poked me.

Then my eyes got heavy and that was the last thing I remember.

Buddy, a voice said. Buddy, wake up.

I opened my eyes and got to my feet, and I realized my paws didn’t hurt anymore. I tried a wag, and that was fine, too. I sniffed the air. It smelled like the Play Park and like Our Home and the Car Window. I liked it a lot.

Welcome, Buddy, came the voice again, from behind me.

I turned around, and there was a person there. He wasn’t My Person, but he was all safe and good smells, so I trusted him.

Where am I? I said.

You’re in the place that Good Boys go, the person said.

I was a Good Boy? I said.

You were a Very Good Boy, he told me.

That was good. I always tried to be a Good Boy. Where’s My Person? I asked.

He’s still down there, the person said. And he waved his arm and all of a sudden we were in Our Home, and My Person was sitting on the Forbidden Chair and looking sad. Every so often, he’d look over at the Okay Couch, where I was allowed so sit, and his breath would catch because he was very sad. I tried to nuzzle him, but my nose just passed through his hand.

What’s happening? I don’t understand, I said.

The person sighed. You can’t be with him right now, Buddy. I’m sorry. It’s the way of things.

I thought about this. So it’s like My Person is on the Person Bed, and I’m not allowed there? I said.

Exactly like that, the person said. But he can be with you someday. If you choose to wait for him.

Of course I want to wait for him! I said. Not wait for My Person? Who did this person think he was talking to?

Hold on, Buddy, the person said. He seemed sad about this for some reason. It’s not that simple. You have a choice. He got down on one knee and he looked into my eyes. There are bad things in this world, Buddy. Very bad things.

Like Neighbor Cat?

So much worse than her, Buddy. He waved his hand, and I saw what he was talking about. He showed me dark things, that were like snakes and rats, only worse. Worse than the Sucking Machine. Worse than the Sharp Place. They smelled evil.

These are the things that want to hurt him, Buddy. They want to hurt everybody. So you can wait for him, or you can keep him safe. But if you choose to keep him safe, then you can’t see him again.

What, never? I said.

The person nodded. Never, Buddy. I’m sorry. Those are the Rules. It’s a terrible choice.

I looked at my paws. I didn’t want to not see My Person ever again. But I wanted to keep him safe even more.

I know what I have to do, I said, and the person waved his hand, and all of a sudden we were in a place with there were as many dogs as I have every seen before. More, even.

These are all the Good Boys who chose to keep Their People safe, the person said.

I looked at them all. I couldn’t believe it, still. But there’s so many of us! I said. How many Good Boys are here?

The person looked down at me. He smiled, but I could tell he was also partly very sad. All of you, Buddy. Every single one.

From a post on reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/WritingPrompts/comments/8iqjeg/wp_when_a_beloved_dog_passes_in_the_hereafter/

Patx2 · November 12, 2018, 1:16am

I’m late getting here. I’m very sorry for your loss, I’m sending hugs.

DesertDog · November 12, 2018, 5:03pm

It’s never easy, but you did the right thing.

We’ve had to shove all too many friends over the Rainbow Bridge, and I also advocate at-home euthanasia. It’s pricier than at the vet’s office but it makes us feel better; as Baron Greenback’s poem says, I don’t want their final thoughts lying on a stainless steel table in the Sharp Place.

E-DUB · November 12, 2018, 5:34pm

Mrs. and I have had to put down two Goldens over the years. The last due to seizures as another poster has indicated. The hardest part of that was when he wasn’t seizing he’d seem like any healthy dog. It took us two years before we could get another dog. Callie is a lab mix who has been with us for almost a year now and is a real sweetheart.