About to lose my first dog

[Luanne]

Today our vet gave us the bad news. Our dog has liver and spleen cancer.

Our Australian shepherd only has days left, not weeks. It's my first dog.  She was born about Feb 2002.   We adopted her from the pound so we don't know her real age.

They shaved her tummy to do the scan test.  They saved me some hair for me to try to make a miniature version of her. 

This hurts so much.  I'll take lots of pictures of her and measure her.  What did you do to help you prepare? If you have crossed this bridge, please let me know what has helped you.

Thank you. 

 

[Guest]

40 years ago on September 20th, 3 days before Rosemary and I got married we met Barny a 6 month old Irish Setter and for the next 14 years the three of us were inseparable. Barny died in Rosemary's lap on a Tuesday morning just before I left for work and although this might sound callous instead of going to work we buried him together and together (after several phone calls) we drove the 200 miles that separated us from Kieran our new Irish Wolfhound puppy. Kieran became a Scottie called Jimmy and Jimmy after a long life waited for me to return home one evening before he snuggled down (as he had so often done in play) between my legs to give his last breath. Baxter came a few days later.......a playful, adorable Miniature Schnauzer!......what a guy..........ironically we found out he had a cancer in his stomach a few days after I had been diagnosed with an advanced bowel cancer............he lost his life, I lost the best friend I've ever had...........aside from Rosemary and Ben!

As I started to read this thread Alfie (Miniature Schnauzer with attitude!) jumped onto the bed for his early morning cuddle.........he's now 3 years old a entered our lives just a couple of days after Baxter left!............He didn't replace Baxter no more than Baxter replaced Jim and so on! Each has there own very special place in our memory and it has been a privilege to have shared some time with them.......in fact each are still with us laying at peace in our garden!

In short........,,,we've found that the best and only way to overcome the devastating loss is to concentrate your love on a new life!

[Guest]

And what I did not say Luanne is that I'm so sorry to hear your news!

[chapchap73]

I'm so sorry to hear this I do echo what Mike said, and I will add one more thing.  Getting another fur baby does not mean you forget the one you lost. Nothing does that.

[havanaholly]

Luanne, nothing "prepares" you to say that last goodby to a fur baby.  Just know that letting her go without further agony is the best way to show your love.  I held The Beautiful Melody in my lap when the vet helped her go gently into that good night before her cancer got into her lungs.

[Dalesq]

I'm so sorry. Our dogs are a big part of our life, and every time we've lost one it has been heartbreaking. We've welcomed new dogs into our home soon after those losses. As others have said, the new friend doesn't replace the one lost, but he or she does help ease that pain. 

[Mimajo]

I am so sorry for your loss.  We have lost several pets over the years, a golden retreiver named Eve, a 12 yr old black labradoe named Sadie (she was my son's pet, he bought her when he was 17 with money he earned over the summer)).  Five years ago we lost our 17 yr old cat named Torie, that was more difficult than the others, maybe because we had her so long.

Mike, it's not callous at all.  After Torie, We bought a little Yorkshire Terrier soon after.  She really helped during the greiving period and is such a joy.  

I have a picture of Torie on my fireplace mantel, gone but not forgotten.  Pictures of our our other pets are throughout the house.

Hope we helped a bit.

[rodentraiser]

I really wish I had gotten another dog a year or so before my Dobe had to be put down. That would have helped so much. I was taking care of a friend's Sheltie at the time, but it wasn't the same thing.

I made my decision to put my Dobe to sleep a week before I did it. He had lymphosarcoma and he was on chemotherapy for a while - that bought us 6 months. But the cancer came back and there was nothing I could do. So I called the vet and made the appointment for a week later. I don't remember doing anything special, just spending more time with him. The day I took him into the vet's, his back legs started to swell and he refused to eat for the first time in his life. So I made the right decision.

This may sound weird, but I took a week of vacation time off from work after I put him to sleep. That was in May. I'm not sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. All I know is I spent a miserable summer and finally in August, I decided to move. I had only rented the house because it had a yard for the dog, but the rent was going up and up and we weren't getting any raises where I worked.

I had my dog's body sent to Bubbling Wells in Napa to be cremated, and they sent back a little redwood box with his ashes in it. I still have that box and it sits up on my shelf with his picture. I still feel like I'm being watched over and protected.

[havanaholly]

When we let The Beautiful Melody go to the Rainbow Bridge our vet sent our payment as a donation to his alma mater's school of veterinary medicine!

[me-barbie]

I think everyone handles loss a pet differently. When my mum called me about my beloved 18 yr old Tigger cat, I said, if she is that sick you have to put her down before I get home. Otherwise, I won't be able to let her go (I was in my mid 20s and going thru a crisis of my own). Our other cat, The Skuz Cat, looked for her for months.

Mom took both our poor old Skuz cat (FIV...one of the first cases) and her beloved Topaz and stayed with them. 

[Luanne]

I appreciate your kind and comfort words.  We have Pepper/ Pepperoni for  7.5 years,  we were hoping for 3 more years with her. The news was so sudden.

 We have 2 dogs, Kaiser has been sick for a while also but the Vet doesn’t know why. Thanks for confirming that a new pet will ease this time.

Since the news from 3 days ago, we’ve  taken pictures and filmed our nightly walks and her in various rooms around the house as she follows me. 

I plan to make and send miniatures of her favorite things from clay: treats, a squirrel running away,  ( she has never caught one, only chased them) her bowl of food.   

For the appointment, I’ll make a lei of flowers for her, read a letter to her  and maybe play some music. 

Thanks for the idea of taking off work  before the appointment. 

I might have a metal/ bronze casting of her hand so I can hold it.  

 

Thanks again,

L. 

[jbnmini]

Oh Luanne- I am so sorry to hear of the impending loss of your dear, beloved pet!  My heart just grieves for you!   {{hugs}}

My daughter and her hubby rescued an absolutely HUGE orange Maine Coon when they lived in Washington state.  He was with them for only 9 months, but Harley def made a lasting impression on their hearts.  After he passed, the vet hospital gave them a paw print and a lock of hair as a memento.  And shortly afterwards, while on a little shopping excursion, they found a little painted rock that looked just like Harley.    they made a little 'memorial' in their curio cabinet and kept his blankie spread over his favorite chair for several months....

Bean (another Maine Coon) soon entered their lives and has been a joy for them.  When they moved back to the east coast, I made a little room box for them to commemorate their time in the PNW.  A lovely young lady in the area (I think I actually met her here on GL!) custom made two cats for the scene - an adorable Bean and a 'sleeping' Harley. 

You will have our deepest sympathies as you walk these last days with your beloved pet.....

[Luanne]

 

Tuesday afternoon, we took Pepper to the foundry to create an impression of her paw for the bronze casting. 

She looked so pretty and was a good trooper. 

When we were done, my husband held her so I could go to the bathroom.  He told me that she turned and looked my way as I was running away. I didn't see this since I wanted to hurry back. 

We made a quick stop by the store to pick up some Autumn color flowers for 'the appointment' the next morning.  

 

When we turned onto our street,  she barked 5 times.

She rarely barked.  When she did, she'd bark just once and she'd wait a few seconds for the the 2nd bark. 

When we first got her, she didn't bark at all for 2 months. We thought she somehow couldn't. 

 

 

When we arrived at the front of our house, she decided for us that it was time.   We didn't make it into the house.  

She didn't lift her head up....She made it easy for us.

We didn't want to, but she gave us enough hints to  move up her appointment one week earlier. We were dreading the walk into the vet's the next morning. 

...

As my husband drove us to the vet, I sat with her in the backseat and held her hand. I put my face close to her nose and spoke to her from my heart. 

15 minutes later we lit a candle and said our final goodbye at the vet's.

...It only took one second.  She went very peacefully.  

 

 I wrote her a note, placed it inside the flower bouquet and laid them next to her. 

We learned of the cancer on Friday, and 4 days later she received a final kiss from me on her nose.

...

...I've been sniffing her hair  and the carpet of her favorite spots in the house.

 There is a company that can replicate her scent from her hair that I saved. They will open next month.

My husband helped me vacuum-sealed the hair to preserve the scent. 

I was able to use lots of your advice. 

Thank you for the hugs,

L. 

[blueirishmoon]

So sorry to hear this. I'm sending good thoughts your way. I know she'll always live in your heart.

[havanaholly]

Luanne, our fur babies accept life's processes a whole lot better than we do.  Pepper was ready, and she wanted you to be ready, too.  How sweet that you'll have the casting of her paw.

[Luanne]

Thanks for the advice here we checked out the animal shelter today.  No match yet but our hearts are open  and are ready to be happy again. 

Thank you.