Dog's Final Day Proves We Should Live Every Day Like It's Our Last

[f0ur sixer]

I had to put my 13 year old chocolate lab down July 3rd. We got her when she was a pup so it was a good long relationship. It was hard to let her go but I didn't want to have her suffer any longer. She had fluid in her lungs and couldn't breathe. It wasn't bad until she would get excited then she would freak out when she couldn't recover her breath which in turn she had no control over her bowls(sp?). I just try to remember that she lived a great life and we enjoyed her company. That story just brought back the emotions I am still trying to put under.

[Scott Mc]

Damnit! I couldn't finish it either. Made me tear up at work. Great story though.

[GhostTX]

Awesome.

My favorite short story related to this:

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners; Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer.

I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt Shane could learn something from the experience.

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.

Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me - I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.

He said, "Everybody is born so that they can learn how to live a good life - like loving everybody and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, animals already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."

[black2002ls]

I read through it the other night. I have thought about it many times with our two dogs and the cat. The cat is notorious for getting out of the house. Living on a busy street it crossed my mind a lot. A few times I have left the house, worried I left the gate open and someone would let them out unknowing. Just thinking that something could have happed got to me.

Some people don't understand how attached we are to our dogs. For Jenn and I they are our kids. They love us unconditionally, they are waiting for us every time we come home, and they curl up with us on the bed. To think of not having them there is a little sad.

[idrivea4banger]

I had to stop eating my lunch halfway through the story. That's rough.....

[talisman]

I've had other dogs, but I'll say that my BC's have been unique....they are so smart that it seems you develop a different type relationship with them, I think closer in some ways. My last one "Donut" was an amazing dog...and unfortunately I couldn't be right there with her when the time came, that has worn really hard on me for a number of years now. Funny thing, she's still in my dreams fairly often.....and now, even 8-years later, I still sometimes mistakenly call Arrow Donut....so much so that she even responds to it....as-if she knows.

I remember you posting about Donut in the past. I've almost called Ramona, the recent rescue BC, Scully, and any number of the variety of nicknames Scully earned through over 13 years many times. I always seem to catch myself halfway through.

Ramona has already earned a few nicknames herself, and I'm not sure if I just learned so much from owning Scully, but Ramona is better behaved at a little over a year than Scully was as an adult. lol I can literally just give her a LOOK and she not only knows what I mean, but responds appropriately (especially if she is in trouble!). It is crazy, I've never seen another dog that was so intuitive before. She is also great with hand signals, which wasn't really intentional, I can just be a little animated sometimes. lol She's perfectly happy pretending she is a lap dog while I watch a movie, or sprinting full out like a damn lunatic making lap after lap after lap of my backyard.

I'll never understand people who don't like, or mistreat dogs.

[Baron Von Crowder]

I lost Scooby 2 years ago, and have caught myself calling my other mastif (duke) by Scooby's most common nickname, Doo.

[black2002ls]

I remember you posting about Donut in the past. I've almost called Ramona, the recent rescue BC, Scully, and any number of the variety of nicknames Scully earned through over 13 years many times. I always seem to catch myself halfway through.

Ramona has already earned a few nicknames herself, and I'm not sure if I just learned so much from owning Scully, but Ramona is better behaved at a little over a year than Scully was as an adult. lol I can literally just give her a LOOK and she not only knows what I mean, but responds appropriately (especially if she is in trouble!). It is crazy, I've never seen another dog that was so intuitive before. She is also great with hand signals, which wasn't really intentional, I can just be a little animated sometimes. lol She's perfectly happy pretending she is a lap dog while I watch a movie, or sprinting full out like a damn lunatic making lap after lap after lap of my backyard.

I'll never understand people who don't like, or mistreat dogs.

My new pup, Bennie, we rescued makes figure 8's. We thought he was a dachsund when we rescued him. We are not sure what he is now. He is 40 lbs and twice the size of Zoey our papered Dachsund. Bennie is a 40 lb ball of muscle and fast as hell. He is a hoot to play with in the yard.

Anyone who can mistreat or abuse a dog or any non domestic animal should be shot!

[Rick Modena]

Not reading it...

[Nash B.]

[Frank]

We lost 4 pets 2 years ago within a few months. One cat, 12 yo, had cancer, had to be put down. I found him as a kitten in a junkyard and brought him home. Our first pet as a couple.
One dog died suddenly while I was in the hospital. Wife came home to find him seemingly paralyzed and he passed shortly after she found him. I never got to say goodbye and I had to ask my best friend to go pickup my dead dog, haul him across town and bury him for me. Talk about a good friend. My wife's cat of 26 years died at home. We were in the process of moving so we preserved her and took her with us and buried her at the new place. My dog of 17 years that was my Mom's was just so decrepit, it was time to put him down. . My husky of 13 years has deteriorating hips and will eventually have to be dealt with in the next year or so if he is in pain again.

[dmh165638]

They did it right there at that park? That one little shot is all it takes?

There is a local DFW pet hospice (Beyond the Rainbow) that will do this anywhere you like. They are pretty awesome people and do it at a cost cheaper than what the vet would charge and can handle the remains, if you choose, including cremation. They put my mom's Golden down and they drove clear out to Possum Kingdom to do it. They put her to sleep on her bed right next to the waters edge. Much better than lying on a cold vet table especially if going to the vet scares your pet. They are caring for my 13 year old rescue dog now. I thought the end was near about a year ago so they brought a vet with them to my house to check her out. A few medications and she did a complete 180. She is now under their regular care.

[JC316]

We lost 4 pets 2 years ago within a few months. One cat, 12 yo, had cancer, had to be put down. I found him as a kitten in a junkyard and brought him home. Our first pet as a couple.
One dog died suddenly while I was in the hospital. Wife came home to find him seemingly paralyzed and he passed shortly after she found him. I never got to say goodbye and I had to ask my best friend to go pickup my dead dog, haul him across town and bury him for me. Talk about a good friend. My wife's cat of 26 years died at home. We were in the process of moving so we preserved her and took her with us and buried her at the new place. My dog of 17 years that was my Mom's was just so decrepit, it was time to put him down. . My husky of 13 years has deteriorating hips and will eventually have to be dealt with in the next year or so if he is in pain again.

Thats rough. I had a similar deal back in 07-08. Started when heart worms got my 5 year old rottweiler, then my 10 year old cat got flattened by a car, then my 11 year old cat had to be put down due to tongue cancer, then 7 year old cat died of leukemia, and finally my 12 year old cat vanished into thin air.

[kobuzz]

My best friend of 15 1/2 years. Still breaks my heart to this day. I was lucky enough to be there from feeding with an eye dropper as a puppy to laying on the floor with him as he was put down. I can't even describe how much I miss him.

[mk5.0]

My best friend of 15 1/2 years. Still breaks my heart to this day. I was lucky enough to be there from feeding with an eye dropper as a puppy to laying on the floor with him as he was put down. I can't even describe how much I miss him.

I just had to put my dobie Louie down about a month before my son was born. It's still hard on me now thinking about it.