Euthanasia and your pet

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

I've known for awhile that it was only going to be a matter of time before I'd contributing to this thread. All that unconditional love comes with a pretty steep price.

Adios Dude. You were one hell of a dog.

After putting The Dude down, I drank a ton of beer and threw this together.

Thanks for sharing.
It takes time but after awhile your memories will bring more smiles than tears.

[Suzles]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

I've known for awhile that it was only going to be a matter of time before I'd contributing to this thread. All that unconditional love comes with a pretty steep price.

Adios Dude. You were one hell of a dog.

After putting The Dude down, I drank a ton of beer and threw this together.

I am so very sorry for your loss. There were some truly beautiful photographs in the video and I hope that watching it gives you some comfort for all the joy Dude obviously brought into your life. I loved him jumping the benches in the park - he looked such an awesome dog.

[Vena]

Originally Posted by Ramsayfarian

I've known for awhile that it was only going to be a matter of time before I'd contributing to this thread. All that unconditional love comes with a pretty steep price.

Adios Dude. You were one hell of a dog.

After putting The Dude down, I drank a ton of beer and threw this together.

What a wonderful dog. Looks like there were a lot of great times. Beautiful video.

[Ramsayfarian]

Thanks for all the kind words people. I found creating that vid very therapeutic, not to say I didn't cry like a baby going through all my photos.

Putting him down was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do, but he clashed with my new couch.

Just kidding, bad jokes are a coping thing for me. He had cancer, hip issues and his kidneys had pretty much stopped working.

Thanks again everyone. BTW, I found Dude at the SPCA. I made the mistake of going whilst hungover. He caught my eye as he was the only dog in the place that wasn't barking. Had to wait a week until I could take him home, so I drove across town every day and hung with him for a few hours.

I picked him up the day they neutered him. He kind of looked at me like he was glad to see me, but was also pissed that I didn't pick him up before they operated on him.

The Dude abides.

[metallicat]

I can't even watch that video, it's too hard. Sorry for your loss.

[Devils'Advocate]

My cat has a swollen pad that is leaking blood and won't heal over. The vet says that it is due to a tumor on the paw. They are sending a sample to pathology to see if the tumour is cancerous. If it is cancerous, then the leg will need to be amputated and that surgery would cost $1,000.

If it is benign, it still needs surgery since it is leaking blood and could get infected. So at the least, the pad needs to come off, and that surgery isn't a whole lot less at $800.

And I DON'T have the cash flow to pay that kind of money. I'm tapped out completely solely on the tests they have done thus far.

The cat is 14 years old. I could see paying this kind of money on a cat that had it's whole life ahead of it. But I can't see justifying $800 on a cat that is in her later years.

In a way, I think it would be better on me if it WERE cancerous because I would feel like a total ass putting a cat down because I can't afford paw surgery. But on the other hand, I really, really can't afford the surgery and it would be wrong to make her walk on that tumor every day for the rest of her life.

Edit - I have had this discussion here and elsewhere before and the typical response has been "If you didn't have the money to pay for your pet's health care, you shouldn't have brought an animal into the home". But in this case, this cat was a stray that I took in 12 years ago (the vet at the time guestimated that she was 2). I think she has had a better life over those 12 years than if I left her roaming the streets. Maybe I could have put her in a shelter, but if so, she may have been put down 12 years ago.

[HeartsOfFire]

I feel you man. My brother's cat, that he got for his 10th birthday, had the same problem as he got older (12 years). Poor guy just started limping around everywhere on really bad days.

In our case, the tumour turned out to be benign, but it didn't matter much. It was just the first of a slew of problems that cascaded one after the other a year later. Medical procedures would have cost in the 4 figures, easily. At 12 years old, we couldn't justify it as a family. He was an ill cat from the get go. He had a heart murmur all his life, and we had to carefully monitor his diet as he was just on the cusp of feline diabetes, and he always wanted to eat. But he was always a sweetheart.

After I had moved out, a consensus was reached to put him down after the problems finally resulted in the destruction of some age old furniture via not having the strength to get to the litter box. Much to the anger of my brother.

I miss Basil.

[theonlywhiteout]

I'm so sorry for your loss Ramsay. I had to put down my beagle Barney 10 years ago due to cancer. I wish I could say time heals all wounds but I still can't talk about the day I put him down, I always winding up reliving the painful drive to the vet when I saw him for the last time. Just typing this made my stomache turn. Just remember that you gave your dog a wonderful life and that he loved you and was loyal to you until his last breath.

[Cowperson]

We lost a great friend yesterday, my hiking buddy of 12 years, Abby.

We thought we had one cancer surrounded and she was improving with the prognosis of another 18 to 24 months of quality life but a second, more aggressive cancer burst inside her, causing massive internal bleeding and overcoming her within days. We could have extended her life by a few more months with another operation but her quality of life would have been fairly poor so the choice was fairly clear and we elected to end her pain.

Hoist a glass to Abby and a life well-lived.



Below, Abby and the only home she ever knew . . . .




Abby, front, with Keeper, out river-walking in Threepoint Creek on a hot day . . . .



. . . . and always mischevious . . . .



Keeper and four cats are still with us. Keeper is a cancer survivor from two years ago.

Cowperson

[Reaper]

My deepest sympathy for you, Cowperson.

Thank you for sharing with us.

[Regulator75]

Sorry to hear, I always enjoyed your photos of your furry friends.

[Suzles]

So very, very sorry. I follow your girls on their website. So sad.

[Dion]

My condolances on your loss, Cowperson. Having grown up with dogs in the family I can appreciate how tough this loss is for you. Dogs become a part of ones family and they are greatly missed when they are gone.

[dissentowner]

Losing a pet is never easy, stay strong Cowperson.

[ken0042]

My condolances Cowperson. I really enjoy seeing the pictures of your dogs.

In the past I have said that in my next life I want to come back as one of your dogs. You gave your buddy a great life; she probably isn't even aware she is in heaven; because it probably doesn't seem all that different to her.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Sorry about your loss, Rick. I hope Keeper doesn't get too sad.

[hayduke's dad]

Very tough to lose a pet. Especially after a long time with the family. To some people dogs are dogs but to people like us dogs become part of the family.

2 years ago my 10 year old lab was diagnosed with diabetes. We had a choice and we decided as long as she wasn't suffering we would try the 2 a days insulin and strict diet.

I figured if we got 3 or 4 months out of her. 2 years later she is still going strong. never lost her sight like most diabetic dogs. $300 a month but she is one of us.

Putting down a pet is the hardest thing to do and i am not looking forward to the day I have to make the choice for my Jesse

[Buff]

Sorry for your loss Cowperson. I'm sure your sorrow is shared with many long time members of CalgaryPuck. You have shared some great stories and pictures of Keeper and Abby through the years that it feels like they are also a part of this community.

[theonlywhiteout]

this thread always breaks me up im sorry cowperson for your loss.

[Cowperson]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

Sorry about your loss, Rick. I hope Keeper doesn't get too sad.

Unfortunately, Keeper seems to sense what has happened and is showing every characteristic of depression . . . . . little energy or enthusiasm, staring vacuously into the distance for long periods, not noticing when you call her, laying around for long periods . . . . .

Later today we replaced her collar with Abby's, giving Keeper a sniff first, and that seemed to help.

They had been "sisters" for 11 years.

Keeper is a cancer survivor of two years but is also showing her age as well, very much the old hound dog, content to hang around the deck and woof at passing coyotes, deer and barking farm dogs. Her hips are making it difficult now for her to climb stairs and her days of long mountain walks are starting to recede.

Keeper, left, is missing Abby, her longtime buddy . . . . .




Cowperson