I hope the sadness passes as soon as possible. You and your family gave him a great life. That's all you can ever do. The memories are always there!
I guess it's my turn to do a sappy post
- Thread starter JuleZ '02 HEEL
- Start date
Sounds like he was a lucky dog to have you. Thanks for taking good care of him
Heartbreaking to hear this. Hang in there.
@gteeitup I am so sorry about this. I know this is very difficult, like losing a family member. I hope you can think back on the memories and all the joy your pet brought you and your family, and smile, and be thankful for having him in your life.
There are some wonderful people and comments on this thread. Quality over quantity in terms of this being a great thread.
I think i'm in the depression phase, and the past comments here are helpful.
Our accidental labradoodle's February wellness-check looked great for an Eleven yr old. We had her since she was 9 weeks. She was still fast and spry, she'd make an amazing short-stop, she seemed so healthy. But at 5PM yesterday something seemed "off". By 8pm the Vet was in the midst of explaining surgery options, chemo/radiation ideas to fight a cancerous tumor , mid-way she just stopped and asked - "terribly sorry your dog has lost so much blood she's in cardiac arrest, do you want us to attempt CPR?". I had to deliver the news to my wife while she was boarding a plane.
The words just didn't make sense. She was happy on our walk the nite before, gobbled all her food this am. And she never let out a single whimper or whine, just seemed kinda drowsy, then eventually wobbly, then less and less responsive while i'm battling the daycare pickup, dinner & bedtime routine for the toddler.
Fortunately something told me to take her with me to pickup the kiddo, so at least she was with me all day.
Apparently she'd hidden this hemangiosarcoma, a cancer that hits labs and retrievers really hard. It had ruptured, she bled out internally, leading to sleepiness, shock, cardiac arrest, pain-free fortunately.
Spent all day going thru photos and vids. She had an amazing life til we had a toddler when quality-time fell off a cliff for her - i'm feeling tons of guilt about that, but she played hard from mountains to sea, rain, snow, hot, cold.
The suckiest part is that she's the exact thing I reach for when feeling like this.. Huge gaping heart-hole, missing unconditional love and loyalty, comradery. WFH is gonna blow.
She ate her own poop if you didn't get to it first, she wasn't super cuddly until you were on the floor trying to do exercises, she'd cause shoulder injuries trying to pull toward food if leashed, and she was perfect.
I think i'm in the depression phase, and the past comments here are helpful.
Our accidental labradoodle's February wellness-check looked great for an Eleven yr old. We had her since she was 9 weeks. She was still fast and spry, she'd make an amazing short-stop, she seemed so healthy. But at 5PM yesterday something seemed "off". By 8pm the Vet was in the midst of explaining surgery options, chemo/radiation ideas to fight a cancerous tumor , mid-way she just stopped and asked - "terribly sorry your dog has lost so much blood she's in cardiac arrest, do you want us to attempt CPR?". I had to deliver the news to my wife while she was boarding a plane.
The words just didn't make sense. She was happy on our walk the nite before, gobbled all her food this am. And she never let out a single whimper or whine, just seemed kinda drowsy, then eventually wobbly, then less and less responsive while i'm battling the daycare pickup, dinner & bedtime routine for the toddler.
Fortunately something told me to take her with me to pickup the kiddo, so at least she was with me all day.
Apparently she'd hidden this hemangiosarcoma, a cancer that hits labs and retrievers really hard. It had ruptured, she bled out internally, leading to sleepiness, shock, cardiac arrest, pain-free fortunately.
Spent all day going thru photos and vids. She had an amazing life til we had a toddler when quality-time fell off a cliff for her - i'm feeling tons of guilt about that, but she played hard from mountains to sea, rain, snow, hot, cold.
The suckiest part is that she's the exact thing I reach for when feeling like this.. Huge gaping heart-hole, missing unconditional love and loyalty, comradery. WFH is gonna blow.
She ate her own poop if you didn't get to it first, she wasn't super cuddly until you were on the floor trying to do exercises, she'd cause shoulder injuries trying to pull toward food if leashed, and she was perfect.
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Damn, dude. That sucks ass. Pain of losing a pet is is hard to describe to someone that's never lost one. I'm sorry you're having to endure this.
I'm sorry to hear about this. This thread is kind of the antithesis of the Political Thread. Everyone here agrees that our pets have a special place in our lives--it just never seems to last long enough. I'm sure she had a great life in your household and even when a baby came along, that was just one more collection of smells and sounds to keep her entertained.
I admit that when I first read your post, this part did make me laugh a little--because of how I read it..."She ate her own poop if you didn't get to it first, "
so sorry for you and your family having to go through this…i’ve learned, due to my own family pet sorrows, that they hide it when things are most wrong…there’s truly no way to prepare for this when they’ve been a part of your family for what seems like forever.
I'm really sorry to hear that. And, I appreciate that you shared it. It's been over a year, and I'm still there. All we have is reflection, memories, and sharing our own experiences with them, with others. The unconditional love is the best. It sounds like you gave her a really great life. That's the part you need to focus on as much as you can. That's so important. You gave her the most she could have ever gotten... someone to care for her. Feeling guilt is a choice we make. She never held anything against you. They aren't capable of it. It helps me in my grief.
March 3, 2022, I had to have my buddy of almost 17 years put down. I've been in sort of a funk for over a year now. I still haven't made peace with it. He had pancreatitis and the end was pretty sudden. Finally, I had to give the vet the "green light" to end his life. That was, without a doubt, the most difficult thing I have ever had to do. I wept like an infant/mental patient, saying "I'm sorry!" over and over and over. His fur was drenched with my tears... and snot! I fell apart in a way I never knew I even could. I can scarcely think of it without breaking down (including now). I'm fortunate to have had (and still have) a lot of support. But, I don't know if I can ever do it again. I feel like an old widow now. I was closer to that dog than any other person, or pet, in my life (that includes parents, grandparents, everyone). And, it was a long run. It's like there's no way to follow that. I had several ex gf's throughout his stint as my 'surrogate wife' basically tell me I'd never truly commit to anyone else as long as he's alive. He would always be first. And, a few got rather harsh toward me and in return got "There's the door! He's staying with me till one of us dies, and there's not the slightest doubt about that."
But, a little silver lining... The intensity of loss you feel is a way to measure the amount of the love you had. The vet told me that. It definitely helps me.
I'm truly sorry for your loss, blazers. We've all been there before.
"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."
Dr. Seuss
"Say not in grief 'she is no more' but live in thankfulness that she was."
Hebrew proverb
yeah, my vet told me nov 1st of 21 “you have exhausted every avenue(nasal tumor) and he’s not showing any interest in showing you how bad he feels…that’s the sign”
that broke me, for months…but it also made me realize how special he was and they are.
you’ll push through…there’s no measuring stick, you just do.
that broke me, for months…but it also made me realize how special he was and they are.
you’ll push through…there’s no measuring stick, you just do.
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I saw your post 6 yrs ago and was afraid of this.
I liked what my wife said as I've been balling - "she deserves our grief". Sounds like your pup deserves well over a year's worth.
It's great that now we have so many ways to preserve the memories. And, your wife is so right. She deserves it all. And, take comfort from that!
I had forgotten about this thread! I see my contributions and remember how I felt.
And, I'm going to switch my avatar to the little guy!
Shakey, this is for you!
My thoughts are with all of y'all that have lost your friends. Grief is the love that's left over with nowhere to go, so the more we love, the more it hurts.
Hey bud, really, really sorry to read this and see that you've been added to this undesired club. It's just one of those things that's hard to verbalize and understand unless you've been there and the rawness of it right now to you is absurd. No words are gonna provide instant relief.
Two things I want to emphasize from your narrative. First, it sounds like she had a great, full life that ended without a difficult, long and drawn out conclusion. As hard as it is, try to be thankful that there was pain free joy and love literally until the end. Secondly, don't do this:
Two things I want to emphasize from your narrative. First, it sounds like she had a great, full life that ended without a difficult, long and drawn out conclusion. As hard as it is, try to be thankful that there was pain free joy and love literally until the end. Secondly, don't do this:
I try to give you crap about plenty of things, but you should be guilt free on this front. Your toddler was one of hers and part of her pack. She loved your little one because she was her little one as well. That was quality time for you and the pooch. Hang in there my man.
That decision to euthanize your pet is a tough one. I've been there, and no words describe feeling the life leave a pet.
On a side note, I had a recent decision to make that would have been the wrong one.
Routine checkup for my 13 years old lab. She by all appearance had gained weight over the last 2 years. I tried cutting back her food, but nothing seemed to help. About 3 months ago, the vet told me she had a hard spot just inside her chest cavity and belly. I agreed to an ultrasound, only to find out she had a large tumor. He is old and had not performed a surgery like that in 15 years. Suggested going to an animal hospital in Wilmington. I checked 2 places. One said it would be around 6k to remove it. Another vet said I needed to immediately put her down. Very tough to decide, especially given her age. I called my vet back. He told me he regretted not helping us, and how it bothered him that night. He decided to do the surgery for us. I told him if she died on the table, we would have no hard feelings.
6.8lb tumor on her spleen. 2 weeks later, she looked like a puppy again. Her rib cage is flared out. That's why she looked like she was fat. He said another would show up in a few years, and then it would be time. Heart breaking, but happy.
The tumor is comparable to us having a large watermelon in our ribcage.
On a side note, I had a recent decision to make that would have been the wrong one.
Routine checkup for my 13 years old lab. She by all appearance had gained weight over the last 2 years. I tried cutting back her food, but nothing seemed to help. About 3 months ago, the vet told me she had a hard spot just inside her chest cavity and belly. I agreed to an ultrasound, only to find out she had a large tumor. He is old and had not performed a surgery like that in 15 years. Suggested going to an animal hospital in Wilmington. I checked 2 places. One said it would be around 6k to remove it. Another vet said I needed to immediately put her down. Very tough to decide, especially given her age. I called my vet back. He told me he regretted not helping us, and how it bothered him that night. He decided to do the surgery for us. I told him if she died on the table, we would have no hard feelings.
6.8lb tumor on her spleen. 2 weeks later, she looked like a puppy again. Her rib cage is flared out. That's why she looked like she was fat. He said another would show up in a few years, and then it would be time. Heart breaking, but happy.
The tumor is comparable to us having a large watermelon in our ribcage.
Just read this post and man the pollen is bad here I probably should dust.
RIP
RIP
I was hoping this thread would never have to be bumped again, especially after I just got a puppy a couple of months ago. As someone who has lost a dog before, I already know I'm going to fall apart when that day comes. Hopefully it will be many years away, though.
I’ve experienced this a few times as I’ve always been a pet person. My heart goes out to anyone who has to go through it. But the joy those pets gave me outweighs the pain of losing them. I generally don’t wait long before I adopt another one.
