Losing a beloved pet.

bazzabear said:
I've been through something very similar just a couple of weeks ago. My Jack Russell, Bunsen. 15 years old, and has been suffering from dementia for maybe a year. Finally had to accept we were doing him a disservice by not taking action - there was little quality of life remaining. If he was awake, he would just be constantly circling, sometimes quite frantically.

He had to be sedated, because he was too confused and anxious to be canulated. After a bit of wandering around the room (similar place to what you describe) he came and lay across my leg as he fell asleep - which nearly broke me.

I got through the procedure, had a bit of a meltdown when they left me with him for a while afterwards. Then another when I got back to the car, and another when i got home.

At the time, they asked if I wanted them to take pawprints and a clip of hair for us to keep. I just said I don't know, as I was too numb to answer and they dropped it. Last week a sympathy card arrived from them with the prints and hair inside. Apparently I should have said yes, because seeing them broke me again.

I'm getting better, but still keep feeling hopeless when I remember him and his last day. Like you, we have the benefit of his sister Beaker still being with us.
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Beaker has thrown up a few times over the last couple of days, so we took her to the vets this morning. Had bloodwork done - her kidney function has decreased dramatically, and she's now badly anaemic too.
Any treatment they would give her to improve one of those, would likely make the other worse. And analytes for both are now more than 2x ULN.

It's time to let her go. This wasn't part of the deal when we lost Bunsen. Beaker was supposed to last at least a couple of years to let me recover.

She's on anti-emetics for now, to stop her actually feeling terrible. It's hard to plan what will impact all the family the least badly, but I think I will be taking her in either tomorrow or Monday.
 
@bazzabear

All I can say is a heart felt sorry here. These are supposed to just be animals and yet many of us have them down as equal family members and sometimes, dare I say it, they can mean more than that.

We lost lost Timbo four months ago - a very characterful, loving, 9Kg black and white bruiser of a moggie at 18. He had a guttural growl that could raise the dead and if that didn't have the desired effect on any cat daft enough to take a shortcut through our back garden, he had feet and claws like a dog as backup. We had to pay the vet bills for two cats that thought they could usurp his throne in the past. He was what you'd term a brick ****house. Funnily enough I actually liked our other cat, Snowi, who went earlier in the year at 18 (Kidneys) also, but I got so close to Timbo while caring for him in the last couple of months of his life. He was a fighter all the way but his kidneys were completely shot and seeing him go down to half his weight was a killer. In the end we had to lift his head just for him to drink and then on his last night he was in pain - it was time. Our local vets were great as they had been all along but I fell apart in front of everyone there. I'd not cried in years including family funerals. I thought that the missus was going to be the one having a bawl, but while she had a good cry I was the one who fell apart. To have this grown man bawling his eyes out in histerrics in the practise must have been one to remember for them all. Things didn't improve for me at all as the days and weeks went by and I got depression. I lost a stone in weight and didn't go out at all. To me it felt like I'd turned off the life support for my child. I'd guess inside I was still feeling the loss of Snowi and this greatly compounded things. Without the missus I don't know what the outcome would have been for me to be honest. I was cajoled into talking with friends, family and a couple of doctors too but nothing helped. In the end the missus took a brave decision after some advise from a pstchiatrist friend...we now have two rescue kittens who were lost and wandering at the side of a road at 5 weeks old. Cats Protection had done a fantastic job with them and we were fully vetted and picked them up at 13 weeks old..but at the time I didn't want them at all. I wanted to carry on mourning but they've slowly brought me out of my malaise thank god and have been a complete ray of sunshine, somehow breaking through my bleakness. I'm still feeling the effects four months on but things are deffinately better now for sure and in time I trust I'll be back to whatever normal might be for me.

You have my heart felt sypathy. Take care and stay strong mate.
 
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Like isn't the right emoji for that, but in the absence of a better one...

Thanks mate.

Beaker will be going in on Monday. The antiemetics seem to have made her more comfortable - just weak from the anaemia. So she/we have a weekend of loves to say goodbye.
 
Been about a year since our dog died and the void is still felt.

Finally warming to the idea of getting another but not going to rush it.

You definitely have my sympathy. It's a sad experience but just take comfort knowing your dog had a good life.
 
Not long after I read this thread, and not wanting to think it would happen so soon, one of my boys just revealed a tennis ball sized tumour on his neck over the weekend.

He was slowing down anyway (11 and a larger breed) but he'd only been for a checkup recently and nothing showed. He was just a bit wobbly on walks. Then I noticed a look in his eyes the other week, he didn't look right, stopped woofing at the door, left his food.... Now every lymph node is lumpy, and the vet has advised us to make arrangements.

He's on steroids, which will hopefully perk him up for him to get some quality of life back for a short period before we get to say goodbye.

The anticipation is hard. No way to turn back time, for us we just have to remember he was a fantastic role model for our other 3 dogs and a favourite of the family and the local pub landlord. At the moment it's all about him and making sure he's comfortable. Will make sure he has a tasty last meal, if he's able, and also give him one last bath (he loves to be pampered).

This is going to be a difficult but hopefully peaceful week.
 
Just over two months later unfortunately I'm going through it all again with my other White Shepherd, Roo.

We've been away on holiday and got back late Wednesday night, went to collect her from my mums on Thursday afternoon and knew something wasn't right as she didn't get up to greet us, my mum said she'd been absolutely fine until Wednesday evening when she refused her food.

We took her to the Vets on Saturday, as she was still barely eating anything, £320 later after scans and blood tests she came back home with us with antibiotics which it seems are not working, they diagnosed kidney disease along with a water infection...

She's still bright eyed and alert but simply refuses food other than the occasional small piece of ham, she's drinking excessively which is apparently down to her kidney function...

I'm praying for a miracle although I don't think I can leave her much longer. :(
 
Scania said:
Just over two months later unfortunately I'm going through it all again with my other White Shepherd, Roo.

We've been away on holiday and got back late Wednesday night, went to collect her from my mums on Thursday afternoon and knew something wasn't right as she didn't get up to greet us, my mum said she'd been absolutely fine until Wednesday evening when she refused her food.

We took her to the Vets on Saturday, as she was still barely eating anything, £320 later after scans and blood tests she came back home with us with antibiotics which it seems are not working, they diagnosed kidney disease along with a water infection...

She's still bright eyed and alert but simply refuses food other than the occasional small piece of ham, she's drinking excessively which is apparently down to her kidney function...

I'm praying for a miracle although I don't think I can leave her much longer. :(
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Ah, two almost at the same time. Just keep doing what's best for Roo, you'll never replace them but eventually you can have another friend to add to the family. Sorry to hear.
 
It's the speed of these things that's frightening. I assume it's from their wild days, hiding signs of weakness until they can't any longer, ends up making everything then feeling far too quick.

My boy is now comfortable, looking rather sad and has hourly dignity breaks to the garden to keep the mess to a minimum. I'm getting mad at myself for being upset, but then realising it's totally normal when you love the bloody things so much.

@Scania no matter what's going on now, nothing can take away all the good years you've had with her. She'll know that your with her, she trusts you and knows you'll do what's best for her. So sorry to hear you're going through this again so soon.
 
Roo, last Saturday, having not eaten for a few days, diagnosed with kidney disease which eventually were swollen up enough to paralyse her rear quarters to the point where her back paws were cold to the touch....

Despite this, she remained good natured, alert and beautiful.

B0wbEda.jpeg



After, no more pain, sleep tight.
dMlBhzl.jpeg


It's the price we pay for owning such unconditionally loyal and loving creatures that simply do not have our life span.

Rest in peace my girl.
 
Scania said:
Roo, last Saturday, having not eaten for a few days, diagnosed with kidney disease which eventually were swollen up enough to paralyse her rear quarters to the point where her back paws were cold to the touch....

Despite this, she remained good natured, alert and beautiful.

B0wbEda.jpeg



After, no more pain, sleep tight.
dMlBhzl.jpeg


It's the price we pay for owning such unconditionally loyal and loving creatures that simply do not have our life span.

Rest in peace my girl.
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I’m so very sorry for you, such an awful time :(
 
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