Just got back from putting the dog "to sleep." :(

I've only been through this once before; and it's not easy.  Never is, from what I hear.

The old guy (and he was old -17 and a half) had generally been in great heath.  A little arthritis, going blind in one eye.
Just had his blood work done two months ago. Results were  "Phenomenal for his age," according the the vet.  And even as recently as two weeks ago, when another Dr. was giving a listen to his heart, we were told that  "He has the heart of a young dog."    

But alas, false delusions; 17-1/2 is 17-1/2.

Today, Fritz had a sudden and massive stroke.   Long story short, the decision was pretty black- and-white. 

We just got back.
 
Damn, he was [i]fine[/i] only two hours ago.

But that's the way it goes.

Still hurts, though.  [img=/images/smiley/msn/cry_smile.gif][/img]

I have never had a pet myself, but a very good friend once went through a similar experience as you. She said it was like some family member had died, andat first I thought she was joking. But I soon realised that many humans do share a special bond with their pets, especially dogs. I can certainly understand how you feel.

Stinks, don't it.

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[b]Zebonka12 wrote: [/b]



 



Stinks, don't it.



 

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Definitely. And I remember that you had to go through this in the relatively recent past....

17 1/2 is a mighty fine innings for a dog,it was obviously looked after very well

dont know if this will make you laugh or make things worse but whenever a dog dies of old age i like to recall the death of my old dog Duke to people.She was 17 and died on Guy Fawkes Day about 20 years ago now,this is her tale of woe..

i got up as usual to go to work [4am] and because i was a postie my eating habits for the day were different to everyone elses,i would usually have my lunch at 4am before i went to work as i would be asleep during the afternoon period of the day.
as per the norm,my mother had 'made' me a 'meal' and on this particular occasion it was a Shepherds Pie.if you are not familiar with what one of those is i shall try and describe my mothers attempt..it was meant to be lamb mince with a coating of potatoe over the top and baked in the oven.it looked 10x worse than it sounds and at 4am i didnt fancy eating it one little bit so i gave it to our basset hound Duke to eat.
i came home from work 6 hours later to find that the dog had died of.according to the vet,"serious food poisoning".aparantly the mince that was in the shepherds pie was rancid and had killed the dog! now,i'm no Sherlock Holmes but even i realised that the pie was meant for me and not for a pooch and that it should of been me lying on a slab having my guts probed and that my mother had tried to kill me and that i had avoided the swerve ball and killed the dog instead!
moral to the story,always cook your own meals,never eat anything made by my mother and find a place of your own to live as soon as you can and always feed the dog a shepherds pie!

I'm very sorry for your loss...

:-(

I am so very sorry. I've been through this several times and it's never any less brutal. It probably doesn't help but that Fritz WAS well just hours earlier is actually wonderful when compared to a long illness. He was happy, comfortable and loved for 17 1/2 years because of you. Try to remember that part above all else.

I'm sorry to hear that Beautiful Soup.  Its a horrible decision to have to make, even when it is obvious that it has to be done.

Very sad :(

My family always had pets. The loss of one of them is like a real tragedy. You get used to it, the pet becomes a member of your family.
And when the time comes it's always like this-  [img=/images/smiley/msn/cry_smile.gif][/img]

Sad to hear...

I feel for your loss dude. I can still hear my old dogs shuffeling around and jumping down from their baskets sometimes. At times I can smell them, so I belive they´re still around after they leave this life.

Awwww...so sorry to hear about you loss. I'm a big animal lover and have had dogs all my life and do know how painful it is to lose a family member. Sounds to me like it was sudden and at least the poor fellow isn't suffering.
Here is a little poem, and hope it helps you to cope a bit:

Weep not for me oh master dear.

I have not gone I linger near,

As long as you've a memory,

Within your heart I'll always be.

Thanks everyone for your condolences, poems...and yes, [b]JoxerTheDeityPirate[/b], even the shepherds pie story!

I'm a little less "numb" this evening. But just a little.

I sure feel your pain, and coincidentally we both lost our pets the same day due to a stroke.

We had to put down our 13 year old Golden Retriever, and the constant thought of her no longer being around us is tearing me apart. I don't want to put salt on your wound, but the saddest part of losing a pet is going back home and seeing their food plates empty, their leashes hanging, their bed on the floor, and just about every single little thing that reminds you that they are no longer there. My wife and I constantly looked forward for the weekend to spend time with Mystic (our dog). She lived with my in-laws, but we never skipped a single weekend without her, even during those days when I was working 6 days a week and I hardly ever had time for anything, but being with Mystic was absolutely necessary for me for emotional support and it sure helped me a lot to have her around.

All I can say is... BE STRONG!
It won't be easy. As for myself, my wife and my in-laws dealing with the loss is devastating, but we know that we have to hold on to each other, and stay together for emotional support.

so sorry to hear that :( its always painful for a pet to leave this earth. I had ot have my dog put down years ago because she kept biting people, and it gradually got worse to where she was a danger. the fashion it was done didnt make it any better.

i love my cats so much. my one cat is ancient (just turned 17). i cant imagine the day either of them go but i will be a royal mess. i love them so much. theyve seen so much with me, and are my only comfort at the end of the day. Ive prepared myself for any time to hear the news about Simi. she seems healthy, still plays, still runs around, sometimes has the ocasional arthritis that bothers her, but shes doing good. and as far as i know, shes still eating.

my younger one, im not sure how she could handle life without simi. theyre simalayans, so they buddy up with others or a specific person.

i HATE it when dad makes jokes about Simi being old or dying. even moreso when people say "animals done have souls" or "its just a pet". all i have to say to those people, is to kindly fuck off until they find some compassion. or a soul.

sorry, im going on a tangent. but as i said, its never easy, and youre never prepared for it. its devestating, but you at least know there are people here who have felt your pain. best wishes to you.