Hi all. Some of you may remember that a mere 4 months ago I had to say goodbye to my darling nearly-17 year old Sophie, cocker spaniel of my heart. And some may also recall that her lifelong companion, Rufus, was still with me and going strong.
Well, he’s winding down. His heart is too big for his chest, and to keep him from coughing his lungs out he needs diuretics, which are weakening his kidneys. My old man hasn’t kept anything down in 36 hours, he’s unsteady on his feet, and just seems to have lost any puppy joy.
Sigh.
This sucks… this price we pay for loving animals. Damn things nearly always die on us.
Michelle, I wanted to get yoru attention in case you had any ideas, or whether you agree that his inability to even keep water down (in spite of anti-nausea meds!) is an indicator that it’s over. I didn’t even try to give him this morning’s medications (digitalis, lasix, the anti-nausea and one other) because I figured he’d barf them up just like he did his water.
Thank heaven for my house-call vet. It’s SOOOOO much easier to say goodbye in the comfort of home. I just wish she’d call me!
Oh, and on top of this, my separated boyfriend and I have had a big breakthrough in our relationship and are supposed to go see our therapist today. Let’s see…will that be before or after I kill my dog?
Part of life…
I know it may LOOk like I’m not doing anything, but at the cellular level, I’m actually quite busy,
Oh jeez, Stoidela, what an awful thing! I’m so sorry to hear about your dog. This is an issue I know we will be facing in the not-to-far-distant future, as I am almost certain this will be the last Christmas for our 15 year old Akita-mix.
He’s lucky that you are his human. You have given him love and care for so many years, and now, even in the midst of your own pain, you are thinking of him and his.
I wish there was something I could say or do. Please know that my thoughts and good energy is sent your way today as you deal with both these stressful events.
I know where you’re coming from…a couple of months ago, I had one of my beloved cats die with no warning and then had to have the other put to sleep a couple of weeks later. The first one had been with me for nearly thirteen years and was, we thought, in perfect health – playing with me one night and found the next morning. The other one was diabetic and receiving twice daily insulin shots. The vet said it was a failing liver that carried her off but I think she lost interest in living after her playmate died. (Damn, I’m misting up again just writing about it.) Anyway, she declined steadily and one morning I found her laying on the floor, unable to hold her head up. Just as a special torture, we were on our way out the door to go to a kid’s birthday party. I gathered her up and Mrs. Chef drove us to the emergency animal clinic, where we had her euthanized. Needless to say, I was not exactly the funnest person at that kid’s party.
I miss them both terribly. Mrs. Chef has started hinting about getting some new cats from the shelter but I don’t think I’m ready.
This is so sad, Stoidela…
I know from experience when you lose a pet it’s devastating. I still get all teary-eyed when I hear stories like yours, remembering my old Golden Retriever, Max who we had to euthanize over 3 years ago…
I’m sorry.
-Katy
Stoid…I’m so sorry. Like katy and Chef, I still get upset when I remember putting my dog Gretel to sleep, and it was almost 4 years ago. She was my childhood companion, and I’ll never forget her remembering one last time how to kiss me as she lay on the vet’s table.
Best wishes to you…I’ll be thinking of you, hon.
“Jesus Mary Joseph…you’re a biker chick!” - co-worker, upon hearing of my tattoo.
How very sad, Stoidela, to be losing a friend after a lifetime together. You can take some small comfort in knowing you have done the right thing, and a good thing, in knowing when it’s time to say goodbye. I don’t look forward to the day any of my own pets becomes sick, and I hope to be able to show the same grace, dignity, and caring that you are right now. My thoughts and prayers are with you, and I know your precious friends Rufus and Sophie will continue to romp and play in your own memory. God bless.
Thank you all, your’e very kind. And I know we know… we animal lovers, it’s our special sorrow that we have to keep saying goodbye. And so often have to take the action ourselves.
My heart goes out to you today, Stoidela. I hope you hear good news from your vet and that Rufus will rally back. If you do lose him, I’ll ask my kitty Chico and my doggie Tiger to keep him and Sophie company in heaven with them when I say my prayers.
“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” - Anne Frank
Aw geez, that really sucks. I’m afraid that when the time comes for my beagle, I just won’t have the nerve to do it. I’ll send my husband, who pretends he hates the dog, then sneaks him treats when he thinks I’m not looking.
Nothing like the pitter patter of doggie feet when you come home, is there?
Everyone has to do it their own way, I guess, but I think the most loving thing is to be with them. I’m so lucky I have a vet who does housecalls, so it all happens right here at home where they are perfectly comfortable.
Stoidela:
I’m really sorry that this has to happen to you again…and so soon after Sophie went.
I don’t know what breed Rufus is, but our dog (Tuffy) had a similar problem. After his “real” human (Byron’s mom) died, Tuffy came to live with us. He did very well for a little while, and then started becoming very ill, almost out of the blue. I assumed that it had to do with separation anxiety, and just tried to give him lots of love. After a while, though, he had a hard time keeping down food. Not long after that, he’d barely eat anything at all, and still throw it up. It got to a point where he’d barely eaten two or three bites in several days, and he was having trouble getting around. About six weeks before this, his vet had told us that Tuffy had a degenerative kidney disease (can’t recall if she gave it a name) and that we should expect to see a serious decline in his health. The day we put him down, he hadn’t eaten in three days, and still managed to find something to throw up.
Tuffy had been around for a long time. Byron’s mom had gotten him when Byron was still in high school. It was a very difficult thing to do, putting him down.
We still have our Miniature Pinscher, Samson, who was used to being an only dog anyway, and though he’s getting older (he’s nine) he’s still as spritely as he was when he was just a baby. After he goes, though, I don’t think I’ll want to have another pet for a while. Old habits, I guess…
Anyway, blabbering over with, I wish you luck in your relationship with your boyfriend. It seems as though you’re going to need (a physically present) someone to talk to once this is all over.
“Wednesday the 15th - Chris made one of her rare good points today.” Guanolad
Well, he’s gone. He went easy…for him. Sure wasn’t easy for me. My head, my eyes…I’m trashed.
I’m eternally grateful that I have Maggie, my Golden Retriver that I just rescued a little over a month ago. I think that’s why Rufus went… he wanted to be with Sophie, but he waited until he knew I had another friend to keep me company after he was gone.
My vet completely rules. Just as with Sophie, she lit a candle, said a lovely poem, made a pawprint in clay with his name. Then she wrapped him up in a nice quilt with the rose I had gotten for him and took him to be cremated. She will bring his ashes back to me in a week or so and I will mix them with Sophie’s and seal the urn so their earthly remains can be together just as I’m sure their souls are.
I have no idea if there is an afterlife…but even if there isn’t for us, I hope there is for dogs, because dogs deserve it.
I’m sorry it took me so long to respond, but I didn’t get to bed till 11:30 this afternoon, and I just woke up a little while ago.
I am very sorry for your loss. Like most everyone else who responded, I too have lost beloved pets. Two of my cats died within a month of each other earlier this year. Both deaths unexpected and I was not there for either one of them. I think abut Sunshine and Domino every day and I still get upset when I think about finding their bodies.
You did the best thing for your friend today by letting him go. It really sounded to me like it was time.
I crave an art that passionately transcends the mundane instead of being a device for self-deception.–Griffin, from The Griffin and Sabine trilogy.
