I oftentimes see threads about how people's pets die and they're pretty broken up afterward and I'm thinking it'll be the same for me.
This is probably going to be one of the last pictures of Shadow while she's alive.
Shadow has been mostly deaf for the last 3 or so years, she's been having trouble walking, slipping on the ground and ending up on her behind, she's also had trouble going up stairs, but she managed. Once in a while, I would have to go help her out... She also has a few lumps over her body, which I tried to convince myself are lumps of lipids rather than cancer.
2 days ago and yesterday she peed on the floor which she never did before, so that's when we started thinking maybe something was wrong (even more than before). She's a 13 year old mini Shetland sheepdog, so she's already past her life expectancy. She has had a good life, so at least I'm not worried about that.
Later last night she walked funny, until late at night she tried to go up the stairs and kept falling down. At first, I tried to help her down, because sometimes she sleeps downstairs. For some reason, she was really determined to go upstairs, so she kept falling down the stairs until I brought her up.
A few hours later, I heard her falling some more, a bunch of times. I thought she was falling down the stairs, but she was just trying to stand up but couldn't get her behind up, the sound I heard was her being unable to stand up completely, and falling back down. I lifted her up because she was shaking from trying too hard, that way she could rest her back legs. She apparently peed herself when she was laying down too, so I had my arm covered in piss. Then I carried her outside and she started walking around couldn't go straight... she'd bump into things so I had to stay next to her so she wouldn't walk into the pool... That's when I knew it was her last night. She puked too, possibly from the strain or whatever.
I brought her back inside and she insisted on trying to walk for a while, so we baby proofed the house and blocked corners and stairs so she wouldn't bump into them and hurt herself... She never complained of pain or anything, but she probably has some sort of neuro problem... Her eyes are flickering from left to right like Pruitt Taylor Vince since last night... I also think her behind is mostly paralyzed, which is why she doesn't feel it when she pees, and would explain weakness in her back legs (which we noticed before but got much, much worse last night).
We're putting her down later today. Part of me wants it done ASAP because we can't know for sure that she's not in pain right now. She does look peaceful right at the moment though, but she has lost any autonomy, and it looks severe enough that we can't give it a few days. She is dying...
I'm trying not to wake her up because she seems to think she can walk and if I'm around her she'll try to follow me... but watching her trying to walk is just heartbreaking... this poor little creature doesn't understand what's going on.
When I took her out yesterday and saw her walking from left to right, my whole body was shaking, feeling like shit... I guess that even though I knew she was on her way out, part of me wished that it would be easier for her. For some reason, I couldn't imagine it would be difficult.
Sorry to hear that. Good luck and remember your dog had a happy life and will likely be happy right up until the end. The only flaw with owning a dog is the fact that they do not life as long as we do.
I was there with our first dog, she went in a similar way. Two months after we were all still randomly walking around the apartment, looking for her only to realize that she's not there anymore. Third month we decided to buy a new dog, to fill the hole.. and soon enough, she did just that.
I hope you can find a way to somehow fill that hole, too.
meh. I am very sorry for your loss. It makes me sad, part of the reason even though I think I want a pet, I don't want one. :-( Hopefully she will rest in peace!
i really feel for you....had to put mine down a couple years ago, they really become family dont they? Your doing the right thing, in hindsight I feel that we kept ours alive too long and should have put him down sooner :/
Corny as it sounds the best advice I can give is to remember that they cant suffer anymore :/
so sorry bud
PS. My dad cooked our dog a HUGE steak the day before. really good memory, maybe feed her her favorite?
Hope she goes peacefully my friend, animals do really become family and you grow attached to them, it sucked when my dog went and cats too. Ive started a "new" family recently with a cat and a pup and now im dreading them leaving me years down the road
On August 08 2013 00:54 PAtrIOt_37 wrote: PS. My dad cooked our dog a HUGE steak the day before. really good memory, maybe feed her her favorite?
Given that she vomited last night and she doesn't eat very much, we'd rather not give her anything heavy. We gave her bread and some eggs, a little bit of bacon even. But she barely touched it. She would usually devour that stuff.
From the way you wrote it she had a good life and lots of affection. Make sure somebody she knows is close to her when she is being put to sleep. Losing your dog hurts a bit, but eventually all they give you are good memories and don't expect much, so there's nothing to regret.
Shadow for sure had a wonderful life and great owner(s). It hurts to let her go... so it did to me when our Viki passed away about four years ago. May Shadow rest in peace.
My dog is aging fast and I'm trying to enjoy every moment I have left with it, but I'm trying to prepare myself for the inevitable and nearing end. I don't know how am I going to let go I and really feel your pain.
It breaks my heart to read this blog. I've been unfortunate enough to witness two of my dogs slowly dying in the past as well . I remember them vividly.
She's awake now, stumbling around a little bit, her eyes are still going from left to right... She's not eating, I tried to give her some meat from my plate and she was not interested in the slightest.
Going to the vet a 6PM... Hopefully she won't realize what's going on. I've never had to live this before but in the past, I've had friends who said their pets could tell when they were going to the vet for the last time and they freaked out. Ugh.
My last dog had to be put down because he had severe epileptic periods. It was ok for a year with medication, but then they didnt work anymore. He felt them before they took over and ran to me for help, it made me cry.
Mine is barely 2 yo, and think practically everyday about how is not gonna be here forever. Such unfortunate to hear she's having too much trouble on her last moments. I always been hopeful dogs should die peacefully at their owner's bedside like they all deserve. Stay by her side dogs really know how to appreciate that, and be strong.
I'm sorry you have to go through with it. Just know you're doing it for her. I know your pain. After losing a dog people usually want another one shortly. He/she will make you happy and that's what Shadow would like you to be. Love dogs...
That's rough, man. My parents' dog (and by extension my dog as well) died in much the same way. She didn't have lots of health issues before it, but she stopped eating for a few days. Even cheese she'd barely lick at. Her hind legs just stopped working and she started peeing on herself. She also had a long and happy life like Shadow. It was sad, though. Luckily I was home for a school break when it happened so I could say goodbye.
I bawled my eyes out when we had to put my dog down a year ago. That was a very sad Friday. I've had him my whole life from when I was like 2 until 17. My cat died about a month after that. I still have one cat left that's going strong. She's not very old, but she was around for my other dog and cat. I always think of them as the main 3 pets (kinda like in Diablo). She's the last survivor of the main 3. She lives to continue the legacy. We got another dog about a month after my cat's death, but it's just not the same.
I remember our lab that we had to put down. She was incontinent and her arthiritis was getting worse. She was a rescue that ended up on our property that we had for about a year before she fell to pieces. It was one of the shittiest days I've ever had as a human, hearing my parents come in and tell us what they had to do and what I didn't fully feel till that night when she was no longer with us.
A cat I had since I was 4 died a couple years ago, it was about 15 years old. It barfed up blood in the basement, stumbled to the middle of the room and fell over, gone. It really is a horrible feeling losing a pet, my condolences.
I know how you feel A few years ago, I had to make the call to put down the dog that I had grown up with... a yellow labrador. And then Marley & Me came out, and it was a bad move to watch it x.x
Dogs are unbelievably great pets and friends. It seems you were a great friend to your dog too RIP.
Sorry man! I went through something very similar a year ago. Now I have beautiful 4 month old puppy. I hope all the good memories stay with you. Soon it will be time to make some new ones! I don't know you but I love you. You take really good care of your friend.
When I took my last dog to the vet the last time I think he knew what was going on, but he took it very well. He wasn't even strong enough to stand up anymore (I carried him out to go to the bathroom the last few days). I was sitting in the vets little room with him on my lap. And he was going to poop, so he jumped off my lap, even though his legs couldn't even hold him up. So he just kind of landed and his legs went out and he pooped on the vets floor. One big last healthy poop. Kind of a good memory now too. He is dieing and cannot even walk but he refused to poop on me. True friendship
On August 08 2013 17:07 Wrongspeedy wrote: When I took my last dog to the vet the last time I think he knew what was going on, but he took it very well.
We had to have my first dog put down years ago now. He became very, very ill and it got to the point it was obvious he was in pain and we just had to let him go. He was always a great family dog and adored me and my immediate family but he hated anyone outside and would usually go nuts. Wouldn't usually bite unless someone pestered him but he'd bark and growl a lot.
One of the few times he didn't was when he was taken to the vets that one last time. I wasn't there myself (parents took him around) but apparently when he was lying there about to go...he just lay there quietly and licked the vet's hand. We think he knew, but was ok with it.
This thread made me cry a bit, I'm sorry for your loss.
Your story touched me within deeply. I wish you and your dog the best farewell one can think of. Without pain and stress.
For your Shadow:
"I have dreamt so very much of you, I have walked so much with you, Loved you and your shadow, so much, That nothing more is left to me of you. All that remains to me is to be the shadow among our shadows To be a hundred times more of a shadow than our shadows have been, To be the shadow that came and came again into my sunny life every day."
The house feels empty. I guess that's what everybody says but it's true. Still, I don't think I want another dog. At least not now... Her 13 good years have definitely been worth the tough ending if I can say that, but it's still not easy.
Plus, she's not really replaceable. From the very beginning she was incredibly well behaved and we went to training classes with her to get her to sit and do a bunch of things. She never did any circus tricks or anything crazy, but she still got a bunch of awards for being well behaved and obedient. It sounds cheesy but she truly was amazing. She wouldn't bark at other dogs or be annoying in any way.
When we walked her, we could make her stand on our side rather than in front of us, which was really nice too. She would largely ignore other the dogs, even when they barked and flipped out... A few people would walk their big dogs unleashed and sometimes she would even "defend us" from those when they got too aggressive and looked threatening, even when she was clearly outmatched. She never fought of course, but it was nice.
From time to time, I would put treats in the backyard instead of giving them directly to her. When I did that, sometimes she would eat part of it and bring me the other part of it, and she would push it toward me with her nose, giving it to me. It was the most adorable thing.
She was born smart, but we also trained her well... And now we're all too busy to take as good care as we did with Shadow when she was a puppy. That's not to say we would neglect a new puppy, far from it. But Shadow was special and we got to treat her like she deserved.
yeah a new puppy is never ment to replace a lost pet. they are truly irreplaceable. the more i hear about shadow the cuter he sounds. the treat from the backyard thing is adorable!
This songs portrays the kind of feelings I get looking back to all the fond memories with my first dog. You may not be there yet but eventually you'll see it that way too I'm sure
EPT
![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/viXAJZx.jpg)
sounds like a good dog and you sound like a good owner. it's just time.
