Euthanasia and your pet

[Minnie]

We lost our Wild Man today. He was 13 and he got nicknamed "wild man" as a pup because he was just nuts (in a good way) - well-behaved but nuts - his actual name was Bailey. We got him about a week after we'd lost our first dog Jake (same breed) - we couldn't stand how quiet it was around the house, everyone was sad & morose, and my husband said "I loved Jake & I'm not trying to replace him but please go find another pup, it's just too weird to not have a wiggly little body meet me so happily when I come in the door after work" and Bailey joined our family a couple of days later. My husband named him but Bailey soon decided my oldest son was his boy and it was ever so.

He'd slowed down considerably the past several months & just in the past few days, I'd wondered if the end was coming. He wasn't sick or suffering, just...different. He gave me this look this morning, there was just something different about his eyes when he looked at me & I told my family I thought he might pass soon. I didn't even have time to arrange a vet appointment - I was going to arrange the appointment around when my eldest son could be there with us. I popped out to run some errands and he went to sleep and just didn't wake up, he was gone when I got home. He was the very goodest of boys.

You'll be missed, Wild Man.

[bigtmac19]

I’m so sorry Minnie! That face!

[Nyah]

Oh, what a cutie. I'm so sorry, Minnie.

[Dion]

Sorry for your loss, Minne.

[Minnie]

Well, here we are again. My daughter lost her Finn last night, after losing Farley June 2021.

Finn was special. He & Farf came to us as a bonded pair, 11 years ago. We weren't looking for 2 dogs for my daughter, but when we/she met them, it was instant love. They returned the favor 100 fold. Farf was a love - dumber than a sack of hair, but the happiest dumbbell you'd ever meet.

Finn was serious & the alpha. He'd get a wild hair up his arse every once in a while and tear around like a puppy, or play fight with my daughter. But mostly, he was her hip barnacle/shadow. He took his job of owning my daughter seriously. I'd often go into her room to check on her, especially when she was unwell, and find him smushed up against her back as hard as he could smush. If not there, then either up against her face, or head tucked under her chin. It was like he couldn't possibly get close enough to her.

We got them the year after her accident, when all her health stuff really seemed to be hitting the proverbial fan, to encourage her to walk more, to help with her foot. It wasn't long before I realized that Finn knew when something wasn't right with her health. He'd become very fixated on her, sit & stare at her, then look at me, then go back to looking at her. When he wasn't doing that, he became a major hip barnacle & would very reluctantly leave her side - sometimes he'd refuse. I learned quickly to pay attention to that behaviour & he was *always* bang on, that something was up.

If she spent any time in hospital, whether in emerg or admitted, it was imperative that whichever hand/arm they'd had the IV in, he needed to try and lick the area to death. Maybe he didn't like the hospital smell, I don't know, but he wouldn't stop trying to "clean" the area until he was satisfied that he'd done whatever it was he needed to do.

He was the best little dog. He was her support, in every way. I don't know who loved who more, it was a gigantic mutual admiration society between those two. His little ears heard a lot of secrets, his fur caught many tears and his cuddles could make a bad day much better.

He was 17, but until this past year, people often thought he was still a puppy. He really started showing his age in the past 6 months, mostly blind, almost deaf & in the past while, we think he had doggy dementia, all his symptoms matched up. He fell off her bed sometime in the morning hours on Monday, we think he may have had a bit of a stroke or something. He could eventually walk, a couple of hours later, but he looked drunk. Then he started howling off and on, a sort of cry-howl. She knew it was time and he passed yesterday, at the vet's. She is pretty devastated and it's entirely too quiet around here - we've gone from 3 dogs to none, in 17 months. Finn got her through many hard times.

A few pics:


His favorite position:



Camping:




Christmas pup:





A hospital admission, at South Health, in 2014 - the nurses found out she had a dog &
let us know that we could bring him in to visit her, so we hopped on that quick as quick -
not sure who was happier to see whom:





Saying goodbye:

[Nyah]

Oh man, Minnie. What a sweet little guy. The love is unconditional and never ending. It's amazing that he supported her through everything and did what he could to help her through it. At the end, it sounds like she did the same for him. I'm sorry for your family's loss.

[WhiteTiger]

Sorry for your loss, Minnie

[Dion]

Sorry for your loss, Minnie. Dogs become a part of the family and it's always a sad moment when you lose them.

[bigtmac19]

Minnie, I'm so sorry for your loss, for your family's loss. What a special story.

[BrolyTheUnholy]

I'm so sorry for your family's pain, Minnie. <3

[Sr. Mints]

I've known it's coming. My little Wendel was diagnosed with congenital heart failure in the fall, and I've been trying to steel myself and mentally prepare for the inevitable. But you just can't prepare for this.

Just about every day for the last week I've gotten packed up to drive my dog to the vet, but he always sprung back after some pain meds. But tonight he just couldn't sit comfortably, was coughing way more than usual, struggling to breathe... It was time.

He hasn't been able to tolerate the cold, even like -1°, so I take him to Home Depot, Michael's, Lowe's, etc. to go for a walks. At first I was feeling guilty about taking my dogs into a store---even ones that say, 'bring your dog.' I'd never done it before, and I probably never will again. But pretty quick we became regulars and many of the staff were so excited to see him.

About 18 months ago my pug died, and it took Wendel six months to get over it. They've been together for about 12+ years. I got another dog just over a year ago, and it took Wendel about three hours to come to terms with this invader, and take him under his wing.

The pug never played with Wendel, but my new puppy is a play machine. I really wish I'd gotten Wendel a playmate five years sooner, cause this last year has brought him such joy. It's also been hard to watch Wendel struggle to keep up

One of the most upsetting things I've ever seen was tonight at the vet, after my dog had been euthanized, the puppy had a stuffed rabbit in his mouth and was trying to push it into Wendel's face to get him to play.

It's just so unfair that a dog with an enormous heart, and without a mean bone in his body would succumb to heart failure.

[RichieRich]

Brilliant eulogy. Hit me in the feels too. Thanks for sharing about your bundle of joy.

[bigtmac19]

I'm so very sorry for your loss. What joy he brought to your life, that will certainly be hard to replace, but hopefully soon all the happy memories will outweigh the sad ones.

[surferguy]

My cat of 18 yrs passed at home yesterday afternoon. While this was no surprise it still hurts. She was with me before I met my wife and was easily my longest companion. I always knew this day would come to be but as I stand here in the moment it is more difficult than I ever anticipated as I am helping my children through this transition. While my 4 yr old doesn’t fully get what’s happening it’s been hard in my 7 yr old as this is his first exposure to the reality’s of life. We are all living core memories today.

This is what wrote to help myself:

Life is filled with moments from grand to somber and everything in between. Yesterday our household experienced a sad juncture with the peaceful passing of our cat Taj. She was a faithful friend for me, my wife and I and for our family. She had been with me for almost two decades.

Notorious for her attitude and often misunderstood, she will be forever legendary.

As her spirit departs to drift on the west winds take a moment to hug those that bring you warmth. Safe travels to our cherished companion. You will be missed.

[bigtmac19]

Originally Posted by surferguy

My cat of 18 yrs passed at home yesterday afternoon. While this was no surprise it still hurts. She was with me before I met my wife and was easily my longest companion. I always knew this day would come to be but as I stand here in the moment it is more difficult than I ever anticipated as I am helping my children through this transition. While my 4 yr old doesn’t fully get what’s happening it’s been hard in my 7 yr old as this is his first exposure to the reality’s of life. We are all living core memories today.

This is what wrote to help myself:

Life is filled with moments from grand to somber and everything in between. Yesterday our household experienced a sad juncture with the peaceful passing of our cat Taj. She was a faithful friend for me, my wife and I and for our family. She had been with me for almost two decades.

Notorious for her attitude and often misunderstood, she will be forever legendary.

As her spirit departs to drift on the west winds take a moment to hug those that bring you warmth. Safe travels to our cherished companion. You will be missed.

I'm so sorry for your family's loss. What a great lifetime you had together. Beautiful sentiments on what she meant to you and your family.