Pet Health Community

My Daizey is leaving us tomorrow. Shes a beautiful red chow mix that Ive had since I was 7, she'd be 17 in november. She's had lymphoma for 2 yrs now and Ive come to realize that there's nothind else I can do and as a vet tech that's hard even though I tell people all the time "you'll know when". We had a swing on our back porch that Daizey would jump on and hit the wall, and chew on the arm rests of it while she swung- she got in so much trouble for that but I love it because it will always remind me of her when I sit there. Im going to miss her so much, I feel so guilty for doing this to her.

So sorry to hear about your dog. My wife's cat Bubby left us on Valentine's Day this year. Our friend left the apartment door unlocked and he got out. We searched all over the neighborhood for him, but never found him. While me and him never got along, (he was a big time alpha male who saw me as an intruder) he was a great companion to my wife. She has bipolar disorder and Bubby could always gauge when her moods were changing. If she was becoming manic,, he'd lay in her lap for hours begging to be petted or along the back of her recliner trying to get her to calm down. If she was depressed, he'd be all playful, getting in her face, come on mom let's play type behavior. She loved him dearly, having adopted him as a kitten from a shelter in the town she lived in. He was something else. I think we both miss him, probably her more than me.

Home2Strays, I am sorry to hear that it's Daizey's time. I know when people tell me something like "16 years is a long life for a dog," you feel like it's not nearly enough.

It's good that you're thinking of the happy ways you'll remember her. I have a hairbrush with teethmarks I've kept for decades to remind me of my beloved Penny (a Sheltie).

Try not to feel guilty. Dr. Hohenhaus's recent blog, Saying a Good Goodbye may help you feel better about your decision.

Let us know how you're doing tomorrow. We understand.

Byroney

Hello Matthecat and thank you for sharing about Bubby with us. I am so sorry he's gone.

My daughter is bipolar and has a cat, and I agree with you that the cat really helps my daughter. She also adopted her cat from a shelter like your wife did.

It's very generous of you to recognize how much Bubby helped your wife, even though you and Bubby weren't best pals.

Take care,

Byroney

Thank you, I will definetly check out the article. We did put her to sleep today, we brought her favorite wet food and fed her there til she couldnt eat anymore (and she napped for a few minutes, forgot she ate and took a few more pieces) and then we sedated her i.v. and she just fell asleep over a few seconds and then he gave her the last shot and she was gone. I kept thinking she'd pick her head back up, that it wasnt real. I didn't think anything could hurt this bad. Ive had her as long as I can remember and it was so surreal coming back home without her.

Home2Strays, when I had to have my last Italian Greyhound put to sleep, it was just like you describe. He seemed so peaceful, but it sure hurts to have to have to make that decision and say good-bye.

I kept thinking I saw him long after he was gone. Finally, I decided he wasn't with me in body, but his spirit was. However, I know your relationship with Daizey was very personal and unique to the two of you, so I can't possibly know exactly how you're feeling.

Make sure to be kind to yourself and reach out to support when you're having a tough moment. Your vet or local humane society may be able to direct you to grief resources.

Post here if you need a boost from others who know what it means to lose a furred loved one,

Byroney

I have so many beloved pets that are now at the Rainbow Bridge...Tiny, Jack, Patsy, Benjy, Cinny and Muffin.
Each one was special in their own way and each one
loved always. It is such a hard thing to have to put them down, but we did not want to see them suffer anymore.
Now have our little rescue puppy from the Humane Society...someone threw her in a trash can and fortunately for us, someone heard her cry. She is such a loveable little thing. How could anyone do such a thing?

Welcome An_230517 and thank you for sharing about Tiny, Jack, Patsy, Benjy, Cinny and Muffin. I know how special each one is, and it's clear you loved them dearly.

I am so glad to hear about your latest pup finding a safe and loving home with you. Would you care to share her name with us?

It's sickening that someone threw her out as trash. But then you have to remember the good in people countering those who do terrible things: There's the caring person who rescued her; the Human Society who got her healthy and ready for adoption; and you, the person who made her a part of your family.

Byroney

Wish I'd seen this a couple weeks ago.

On the 6th of this month we had to put down one of my cats. (I had four, now we're back down to three).

Grey Mist (Misty). She was about 11 or 12 years old a beautiful medium hair with (of course) grey fur except on her chest, belly and between her legs. She also had small dots of white on a couple toes.

We adopted Misty from my Aunt's house about a year after our Manx died. Misty was the product of a sister/brother thing where my aunt didn't even know Misty's mom was pregnant with Misty until Sissy tried to have her kitten on my uncle's lap.

Misty learned a lot of tricks, she knew them better than I did sometimes. I taught her to 'paw' (shake), lay down, sit, and had sort of taught her to wave. She would also play 'fetch'. Back home in NC we have those milk jugs with flip off lids and we would play fetch with Misty with her 'frisbees'. Her absolute favorite game.

We put her to sleep two weeks ago when she had a really hard time breathing, sounded like she was choking or gagging on something. She'd had problems before but normally we would be able to pet it out or rub her throat but nothing worked.

I know she's better now... I just hope we did the right thing....

Thank you for sharing some memories of Grey Mist with us, lizzyerd85. She sounds like a very special and beautiful cat. Her tricks definitely showed her talent. I love the way you described her and her frisbees!

Please try not to second guess your decision. You made it with your heart and Misty's comfort in mind.

Byroney

In the last 6 years I have lost 7 babies. In 2005 I had a sable collie that a friend was taking care of while we were on vacation. Korbie somehow managed to get out of their 8 foot privacy fenced in back yard and got hit by a car two days before we came home.

2006 was a horrible year. We had a house fire on June 3rd, I will never forget that. The day of the fire I lost all three of my cats to the fire. Aerie, a blue tortie calico, and her older "brothers" Gypsy (russian blue mix) and Gizmo (maine coon mix). Aerie. altho 5 years younger than the boys and all of maybe 7 pounds wet, was the ruler. A very typical Queen of the roost. She'd smack the boys on the head just because she could, and they'd shoot her looks like "what the heck did I do??" Gizzy was more like a dog than a cat (the maine coon in him), and CeCe was your typical you-will-pet-me-when-I-am-ready cat.

I got the call the house was on fire when I was at dinner with a friend. I raced home to find my terrier/blue healer mix on oxygen at the ambulance. My friend is a registered vet tech, and the EMT's were so awesome. They let her have everything but controlled drugs. Melynn (my friend) got Brindle stableized (IV catheter, ambi-bag, fluids, all that {which I will never forget seeing Melynn trying to put the IV in that was human child size and her swearing because it didn't flash back like the vet stuff does}) and we got her to VSEC (Veterinary Specialty and Emergancy Center). They were so nice, dropped everything to get Brin oxygen. I had to leave my Baby Girl there overnight. When I came to visit her the next day they told me she was blind and paralyzed in the back end. She had too much carbonmonoxide poisoning and there wasnt anything they could do for her. Melynn, the vet she works for, and I, along with my friends who got her for me at 6 weeks old 7 years prior came to help euthanize her, That was so hard...4 in 24 hrs. I hope no one ever has to go thru that.

After the fire the three dogs that made it thru, my blue merle headed white collie Aragorn, the Keeshond, Argent, and the mini dachshund, K (short for Josephine Kuechenmeister, she was named after my grandmother) lived in realitive peace for about 2 years.

In 2008 we had to euthanize Argent, our little Dutch boy that would warn us when, well, a leaf moved. He took his ancestory to the extreme lol He wasnt as hard. Still hard, but he was almost 14, had liver and thyroid disease, was to the point he no longer had bowel or bladder control, and was suffering. Melynn helped to ease him on. I still remember being woke by a silver (hense the name Argent) ball of fluff with a black nose when I got him at 17 as a surprise.

Recently, April 24, 2011, my king of men (ok dogs, but he was named after Aragorn from Lord of the Rings) had to be euthanized. The last three years we had done everything from meds to water therepy to help his age related hip dysplasia, he was also hypothyroid and had bad cataratcts over the last year. He had just turned 13. When therepy stopped working and my BigDog couldn't get up on his own anymore we knew it was time. Again there was Melynn to help. Bless her. I just within the last 3 weeks felt ready enough to get his ashes back which she's been keeping for me.

All the babies cremains are in their special places in my curio cabnet, which my cousin has dubbed my shrine. Shrine, curio cabinet, whatever you want to call it my babies are with me not only as their ashes, but in spirit.

I grew up with with a black tri collie named Cricket. we had to euthanize her when she was 13. I was 17. She's always been my rock thru all this. Cricket, keep them safe and give them wings.

Hello, Kychara and thank you for sharing about your cat and dog babies with us. I can't even imagine losing four beloved friends in 24 hours like you did. As you said, I sure hope no one else ever has to go through that.

Each one of them sounds very special and very loved. I have to admit I have a special fondness for merle-headed white Collies, as they are both unusual and beautiful. It's pretty clear that you did everything you could to keep King Aragorn comfortable and happy until it was his time in April.

Take care,

Byroney

Dear Home2strays,

I will be thinking of you tomorrow, I will have you in my prayers..

I lost Mikey the beagle dog last September to lymphomia, I have to say the only thing that brings me comfort is that I believe he did not suffer and that an angel must have been with him when he passed (he was in the ICU at the doggy oncoligists office) His words of compassion also helped me through..at 9:00am Mikey was stable and at 9:30 he passed...the vet told me he just slept away...

As I write this I have a lump in my throat, I miss him so much...I have bad days when I hold his ashes in one hand and his picture in the other and cry...I think what we go through when we lose out much loved furbabies is very normal to pet owners who feel their pets are like children...although I have come across some people who even question getting their animals their yearly shots much less get them chemo...To them I say....Look you may not agree with me but I know I don't agree with you!!!!

I got Mikey when he was 2 years old, I worked in a shelter in the city I live in and I have a really soft spot for beagles...I read his paperwork hie owners filled out as to why they were bringing him in...He was not a good hunting dog...he ran away from the hunters a lot....well he was gun shy...which is common in hunting dogs...he was only 15 pounds...well as I always say Mikey I loved you before I even saw you...I knew he was going to be mine...

His Mommy and Daddy walked through the door and my friends said "thats your beagle"...I took him from his daddys arms I still remember the smell he had...Like fresh shampoo..they bathed him before bringing in..he was still damp.

His "birth mommy and daddy" were so happy knowing I was taking him home...I think they really loved him just really wanted a hunting dog...Mikey was a good hunter but was afraid of a pot dropping on the floor...I put him in his temporary home in the shelter (he needed to be neutered) and checked on him all day...sometimes he was sleeping so I just looked through the glass...at night when I was going home I would get him out and just hold him...

The day he came home my furbaby family was complete...I had 2 other beagles.

Mikey was the last of the beagles....Madeline died very young she had epilepsy and the last seizure she had never stopped and Dopey had cushings...he suffered till I thought it was time to stop the suffering...

I would love to get another beagle, first of all...I am not ready...I still think I am looking to replace Mikey and I know I can't so I just wait till the time is right for me...and I have a cocker spainel who is 10 years old...she has health problems and I wonder if I should wait for her sake....I wonder if she could handle a young beagle...they are a little hyper when they are young...

I am looking forward to reading the other posts..and my prayers are with each and everyone of you who lost a loved one...

God Bless
Colleen

Home2strays,

You are in my thoughts and prayers...I am so sorry for your loss...

I do remember when I went to the vets office after Mikey had passed and the hardest thing I went through was that after I walked out that door I would never see him again...so I didn't want to leave...I just could not imagine not seeing him...It was like a bad dream and I was praying I would wake up and he would be right next to me...

It took months for me to realize he was not going to wake me up in the middle of the night to go out...when I would get up in the middle of the night I would be very quiet so that I would not wake him...then I would realize....he was not there to wake up...

I pray that you have peace...

God Bless You
Colleen