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peregrinerose

How do you say goodbye?

By peregrinerose, in The Bonfire

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KrisHanson    0

KrisHanson
my heart is breaking for you. It is a very hard situation. I found out my boy, Loki, had leukemia 2 weeks after my dads funeral and one week after I had gall bladder surgery. I was told to love him every day and expect two weeks. He hung on almost two years. He was MY dog, my husband knows that he was a momma's boy. (Even with a family you can still have YOUR dog.) During his last months we lost another dog suddenly to hemangiosarcoma and I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I think he felt he had to help us through loosing our 6 year old hound suddenly and be there for me through surgery and chemo.

Loki told us it was time the week before I went back to work after chemo.

Fezzik will tell you when, and it will be the greatest gift you can give him. As the human companion we owe this to our pups. Hard for you, but what he needs.

Hugs to you and Fezzik

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mpohl    1

mpohl
Ridiculous post!

When was the last time you felt as compelled towards a human being?


Quote

The one constant in my life, my rottie mix Fezzik, for the past 9 years, by far the pivotal
point in my life, was diagnosed with terminal lymphosarcoma. He has
at worst a few days, at best a few weeks.

As soon as I bought a house, the
first thing I did was march to the humane league and adopt the biggest
dog I could find. He had on his kennel 'Hi, my name is Bob, and I'm a
good boy. I just need someone to give me a chance.' I'll never
forget those words or the look on his face when I crouched to pet him.
It was love at first sight. When my ex met him, his first words were
'there is no way that dog is ever going to be in our house'. It was
the first time I ever overruled him. My dog came home.

When my ex would get aggressive with me, Fezzik would shove him away. I
threw the ex out the day he kicked Fezzik because I made him angry for
asking him to do laundry. Hitting me... fine. Hitting the dog...
that's a game ender.

Fezzik hated the guys I met online... with one exception. The man I
married. I even used the dog as an excuse to sit closer to Chad on
our first date. Fezzik was never allowed on the couch. Except that
night. It gave me a good reason to nuzzle a bit closer to this man
that really captivated my attention from the second our eyes met at
the front door step.

Fezzik has been there through a divorce, a bad relationship, a good
relationship that hit horrible times, a double fatality that messed
with my head, the drama with Tyson... everything. He is my constant.
He loves me no matter what. His head, with the exception of the last
two days, is always on my lap. His head always in my hand. His eyes
follow me everywhere, and I'm the only person he listens to.

My heart is breaking, because he's in pain and I can't help him. He's
on prednisone and an antibiotic to help keep him comfortable, but
according to the vet, within days to a couple of weeks, it will be
time to let him go. He was the most amazing companion a girl could
ask for. He is my first dog. The only dog that's ever been totally
mine. It's a Goldschlagger night, as that's what I drink when in a
horrible state. The last time I drank the stuff was after seeing a skydiving double fatality.

Why can't Fezzik be immortal??

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shward    0

shward
Quote


Ridiculous post!

When was the last time you felt as compelled towards a human being?


When was the last time that you had a human give the kind of love and devotion that a dog gives? Have you ever had a dog? The loss of a dog can't be explained, only experienced. Don't judge another's feelings, that is their experience. Not your's.

Life is short, eat more bacon, have more sex and jump anytime you can!!

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RhondaLea    3

RhondaLea
Quote


Ridiculous post!



That was uncalled for, as well as being incredibly mean.

Quote

When was the last time you felt as compelled towards a human being?



I can't speak for her, but speaking for myself--having had to put down a 19-year old cat two weeks ago, not because she was otherwise unhealthy but because her kidneys were failing--the answer is "never."

I expect the only situation in which I would feel greater grief is if my daughter or grandson were to die.

Animals offer unconditional love and trust--something that cannot be said for humans, especially those humans who seem to have no heart at all.
If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

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Belgian_Draft    0

Belgian_Draft
As others here have said, Fezzik will let you know when it is time. It can sometimes be hard to accept the massage they give you but accept it you must. It is our responsibility to endure the emotional pain in order to spare them the physical.
Try not to dwell on the loss and what might have been, rather rejoice in the life you had together and think of how your life would have been without him.
I have been where you are and know it is not easy. In one case my canine companion gave me the greatest gift ever. After consulting the vet and making the appointment for euthenization, I awoke the next morning to find my friend had passed during the night in his sleep, sparing me the task I was so dreading.
Your friends will be a great help in getting through this. Do not hesitate to call on them for support.
HAMMER:
Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a
kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the
object we are trying to hit.

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opurt    0

opurt
Don't let him suffer.

Regarding euthanasia at the vet's, it's a calm process. I bought my friend a thick cushion from a fabric store. On it I put some puppy absorbent pads. On that I put a plush towel. He couldn't walk so that's where I put him. He was quite comfortable. I was petting him and making silly talk, like we always did. The vet got the syringe with the anaesthetic primed. He looked at me, and I told him to go ahead. He gently administered the surgical anaesthetic in a front leg. My friend's eyes slowly closed. There was a moment of tenseness, then he completely relaxed. He looked like he had smile on his face. I made sure he didn't see me upset. I kept petting him. After a few minutes, the vet took his stethescope, took a few listens, and indicated he was gone.

Our local SPCA has a cremation facility. The vet and his assistant helped me put the cushion with my friend on it, in the back seat. It was a 30-40 minute drive. I felt a sense of relief that the storm had passed. At the SPCA, the attendant took the body. The next day, I got his ashes. They hold a place of honor. I have one regret - I wish I would have clipped a lock of his hair. Over the next days as we cleaned the house and put his stuff in a storage steamer trunk, I'd find a few hairs. I saved them. Now, years later, it's nice to have them. Even though they were nothing but an annoyance when he was on the planet.

Get some powerful pain medications for him. Make sure he isn't suffering. Let him go a bit sooner rather than later, IMHO. Don't let him see you upset. The transition is something all beings must go through. Make his as pleasant as possible. The best we can do for our companion animals is to give them the best life we can, and give them the best death we can. Later, when the storm has passed, you can think of his life and smile, and you can think think of his death as being the best one you could give him.

This essay on the loss of a cherished companion, "The Journey", by Crystal Ward Kent, is worth a read.

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david3    0

david3
Quote

Keep him doped up as much as you can, the best thing you can hope for is he dies at hime, hopefully in bd with you! much more of a peaceful/lovong way to go than a white room and a stainless steel table!



I am fortunate to have a great friend who is a veterinarian (and skydiver). When the time came he made a house call so that Chief would be at home in his favorite place. I am so grateful for that. I am surprised more vets don’t offer that. I think a lot of people would take them up on it at almost any price.

I don’t think you say goodbye, with everything Fezzik has given you, I think you say “thank you”.

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opurt    0

opurt
I'm very sorry for your loss. My sincerest condolences.

Cancer is the scourge of our age. I know a lady whose husband died in 2000, after a five year battle. A week or so after that, her son took ill. Within 18 months, he too was gone. Two terrible blows. After some time, she started seeing other people again. I last talked to her in person in 2007, and she looked vibrant.

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skygirl1    1

skygirl1
:( I am native american and we never say good-bye to family, friends, loved ones including our beloved animals. Your best friend will always be with you and loves you unconditioanlly and that is a blessing you will have until you join him......never say goodbye==say farewell until we meet again my friend[:/]
He is immortal, we all are, we just graduate to peace and happiness.......he will be with you always;)
" Mean people SUCK!"

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OlympiaStoica    0

OlympiaStoica

Very sorry ... I find myself in a very similar situation ... I could tell you "be strong" .. I'm unable to follow my own advice.

I've always had a special place in my heart for dogs ... even getting bitten by a German Shepherd when I was only 4 years old didn’t change that.

A year and a half ago I rescued a tiny little dog named Minnie. I wasn’t looking to adopt … I went to the drop zone one day and saw this little creature who was extremely thin and very sick – someone rescued her from their relatives … they were going to take her to the shelter; considering how sick she was, she never would have made it.

Just like that, I became mommy to my little Minu (as I call her now). It took 8 months of antibiotics to get her advanced double ear infection under control (extremely painful). Since the original owners didn’t spay her, she also has breast cancer – she is too sick to have surgery, so now we are on borrowed time. A couple of months ago, when she couldn’t walk, after several tests I found out she has auto-immune disease. I’ve spent a few thousand dollars for her care and I’d spend many more just to have more time with her – it’s too late.

She is on prednisone now – she is pain free (relatively) for the first time in years … She is happy and super-sweet … she can’t take this medication for a very long time (it will cause other problems), so I need to prepare myself to let her go. I’m doing a terrible job at it … I can’t even think about it for one second without crying. I don’t think I can do it …

I know this isn’t much consolation … I don’t think there is anything one can say to console you [:/] ...

O

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shah269    0

shah269
I'm very sorry to hear about your good friend being ill. Nothing worse than loosing some one so close.
Best wishes and big hugs!
Life through good thoughts, good words, and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep chaos at bay.

The only thing that falls from the sky is birdshit and fools!

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