Rosie would be eighteen in May. she is a thirty pound balck and grey mixed breed who has been with me through two husbands and longer then my daughter. Tomorrow I put her to sleep. She is going blind. she is deaf. She has old dog syndrome where she gets stuck in corners and such. She wears diapers because she pees when she sleeps, and lately more. She has a tumor on her tummy that hurts if you touch it. she can spend twenty two hours sleeping out of 24. But those two hours she wags and eats. She is still happy to see me. She spends her time mostly in the kitchen. she sometimes shakes, and I think she is hurting. So why if I am doing the right thing do I feel like crap? :cry:
I'm sorry Peppercorns. It's hard to lose an old friend, even when you know you are helping them out. :cry:
Oh Peppercorn, I know you're hurting. And nothing anyone says is going to make you feel better, but here's my two cents. If you've spoken at length with Rosie's vet, and she says that Rosie is in pain, and won't get better, and will only get worse, and recommends putting her down, then you are doing what's best for her. Tonight, when you snuggle with her, just talk to her, and tell her she won't hurt anymore after tomorrow, then say a silent prayer to ask God to make sure you're doing the right thing. We'll be thinking about you....
Peppercorns, I am so sorry. I truly have no clue what to say...and I know that nothing I will say could ever help. This has got to be the hardest decision to make. I keep typing things, and immediately erasing them bc I am at a lose. Again, I am so sorry. You are your baby are in my prayers.
When i was eh...10 or 11 i saw The Omen for the first time. The graveyard scene where the Rottweilers went bezerk and chased the guys out....and then the dogs protecting Damien....i knew then that i had to get a Rottie. There would never be any other breed for me. Many many years pass.....i was 26-27 when i finally got my first one. It was a female. I wanted a male but the breeder didnt have one but i got her anyway. Named her Natasha since it was a good play on words. There is a series of books written by Piers Anthony called The Incarnations of Immortality and what he did was put a person to every incarnation...Time, War, Nature, God, Satan, Death and so on. He personalized every incarnation and made each one nothing more than a person who occupies that "office". Not for me to judge but thats what the books were about and they are a great read. Anyway one of the office holders of Satan was named Natasha and that spelled backwards was Ah Satan. Since the rotties in The Omen series were the protectors of him, i thought it was a perfect name. So im living alone...not married yet and its just me and Natasha. When she was 8 or so months old, she started pee'ing everywhere. She could not hold it for any length of time. I spanked her, i spanked her a lot. I rubbed her nose in it. I put her in a kennel/cage to try to get her to hold it since i knew dogs would not pee where they slept. I would come home from work and she is just covered in pee so i had to give her daily baths. No matter what i tried and as much as i spanked her, she could not hold it. I dont think she held it against me for doing it...maybe she knew i did not understand. She still layed in my lap, followed me everywhere and was at my side every minute of the day that i was home. Finally i take her to the vet to see if there is anything they could do. I was at work when i got the call from the vet. They told me she had a growth on her heart and her kidneys had failed, that they had not worked in quite a long time, possibly since she was born. Did i feel 2 inches tall. So i asked them what they could do. The vet said basically.....nothing. It would never get better and the growth on the heart would get worse and kill her. Crying into the phone, i told them to put her to sleep. The first Rottie i ever had and had waited for for 15 or so years, i had to put to sleep at 11 monts old. Never got to say goodbye. A few months later, i went back to the breeder and he gave me a male puppy for half price since i had problems with the other. I named this one Hollywood because he was so beautiful, he should have been in the movies. At 1 year old, he was a massive dog. I could lay my hand flat on his head and not touch any part of his ears. At a year and a half, he was 130 lbs and the best dog anyone could ever want. My girlfriend at the time had a Basset Hound. What a pair they made. We were walking them one day...Hollywood was maybe 2 months old and the Basset was 2 years old. She was in heat but we walked them anyway. A Lab was chained up to a wire in one of the yards and he broke free when he smelled Amazin (the Basset...we named her that because she wasnt Amazin. It was cute). The Lab runs over and tries to get at the Basset and she is running in circles trying to get away. Hollywood pulls hard and gets away from me. I wasnt holding his leash hard and he goes for the Lab. He locks on to the Labs leg....trying to protect the Basset. So there is the Lab trying to shake off the 2 month old Rottie and at the same time trying to get a good sniff of the Basset. After a few minutes the Lab gave up and ran off. I knew i had a good Rottie. I took him everywhere. Even bought a truck so i could carry him in the back so "I" would look bad. He followed me every step. I would go out in the morning to warm my car and come back in side and he is sitting on his chair staring at the door. There are endless stories about him. I decided that when he turned 2, i would breed him and get to keep the pick of the litter and all that. He turned 2 finally and i had arranged to meet another breeder out of Wilmington to let Hollywood mate with one of his females. The breeder came up that weekend to see 'Wood and loved him from the start. Big boned, big head....massive dog. Towards the end of the meeting the breeder asked me if i knew why 'Wood was limping a little. Huh? I had not noticed a thing but the breeder saw it. Finally the breeder told me we had a deal if i could let him know why my Rottie was limping...sore foot or something. Didnt want to breed if there were any problems. Hrmph! Aint no problems with my dog. No sir. A few weeks passed and his limp was more noticable. He started to whine when he stood up. I had read somehwere that if you give a dog a tylonel that it helps with the pain. So i would take one and wrap a piece of bologna around it. Seemed to work....all was well. Few more weeks passed and the tylonel seemed not to be working as well. I took him to the vet. The same vet that a year ago told me that 'Wood had the best hips of any Rottie he had ever seen. Hips are important for dogs over 40 pounds as you all know. The vet took new x-rays. Hips are still great! The bad news was that it was his knees. The cartilage in his knees had disolved to nothing and it was bone on bone rubbing. They rubbed when he walked, ran...anything. The vet said he was in constant pain but because Rotties are such stern dogs, they do not show their pain as much as other breeds. I asked what could be done? Surgery that would cost a few grand and that might not fix it. I could not put him through that so i took him home. Tried the tylonel thing some more....even went to 2 pills at a time. I could not loose this Rottie like the last one....no chance. The pain worsened to where even when he walked, he whined. Finally on New Years eve, i called a vet. My girlfriend, who was now my wife, took him to the vet. I could not do it. She came home and cried. I cried. I never got to say goodbye. I have not owned another dog since but one day i will get another. Take what comfort that you can, that you do get to say goodbye.
M, I can't even imagine what you must be feeling right now. My mix Chow, Shelby has been with me since she was 5 weeks old, we have been everywhere together. She has been with me through different boyfriends, family issues, she's been to TX, PA and everywhere in between. I would be lost without my Shelby but at 13 years old I know it's coming one day and that day, my friend, will probably kill me. Tomorrow will be hard, but just know that your baby is not in pain anylonger and believe that there is no pain in doggie heaven! Only open fields, plenty of room to run and play and lots of treats! M, I feel for you. For being such a "tough" girl, I sure have cried a lot today and I cry for you now. Take care and we will be thinking of you tomorrow.
Oh, peppercorns, I'm so sorry. It hurts so badly when a pet dies, particularly if you feel you had a hand in the decision, no matter if it's for the best. You're in my thoughts.
I can't figure out whose story is sadder, yours or Lindenuls. I can't imagine life without my two dogs now. I grew up with a cat-loving mother and all we had were indoor cats and a couple of hunting dogs that my dad kept outside. My wife had a dog when we met and we have since gotten another and I love those two dogs damn near too much. I would have to miss work if either of them died because I would be inconsolable. I can only say do everything posted above and savor the pictures. It'll bring a smile to your face all over again looking at those through the years.
You guys are nuts! Ya'll write these beautiful sad stories about "mans best friend" but you advocated them to get gassed?? HarleyGirl, when it's time to put Shelby down (Hopefully in another 10 years or more) how will you put her down? Honestly??? Will you just hand her over to animal control and have them put her in the gas chamber? Please answer this very honest question.
Hey at least they put it the right forum. Maybe not the right thread, but hey they're trying. Stupid but trying . Hey Peppercorns delete the last twp responses oon this this thread/ Show them what moderation means.
I really don't think that's appropriate right here, right now. Please show some compassion and respect to peppercorns.
I am not interested in deleting anyone. just because I do not like what was said doesn't give me the right to play judge and jury-unless it is really nasty. It is silly to think that anyone who loves their pet would ever just turn them over to the pound. I would not want my dog to die scared, in a gas chamber. I will be with Rosie to the very end today. I owe that to her because I was there at the very beginning when they told me she was a sickly little puppy who would never make it. I bathed her in a bowl to get rid of a zillion fleas and dewormed her myself. She has always been my girl. I know it's time but I still will cry my eyes out. We laughed, we cried and we played together. I still recall my special memories of her romping across the yard. I had taught her to run and jump and I would catch her in my arms. THat was a great trick until she did it one night when I was wearing a white suit to a party. The mud came out, but i did have to change. LOL. she was a good jumper in her day. She used to jump into my exes full size pick up through the window and onto the seat to get to him when he came home from work. I will miss her. That whole debate about dogs and animals having souls and going to heaven....well in my eyes heaven will be where I will get to see all my babies again. I want to be with all my animal friends, all happy, healthy, and tails wagging... that is my idea of heaven. Just like in that old Robin Williams movie, "What dreams may come" or something like that. He saw his beloved old Dalamation all healed and happy. I want to see that too. I don't care about the rest of the movie just that part. To see the animals I love happy again. Even the ones I have passed on the side on the road, my heart goes out to those who have died alone. And to those in the gas chamber, who died scared. Heaven for me will be a place filled with happiness for all our animals. No one person can change the reality of what happens in our county and countless others everyday. Death is enevitable. But it really bites. So later this afternoon if you are in the 4042 area and you see a car driving slowly and some lady crying just remember that you never know what that person is going through that day. We are all really quick to flip people off and beep the horns but some time a little compassion means a lot. THank you.
God Bless You Peppercorns. I feel so bad for you. I know nothing can make you feel better. You will be in my thoughts! What a wonderful life I'm sure you gave your dog. 18years. Please take care.
Maureen, I am sorry about your beloved dog. I had one who lived for 18 years, and she was like a child to me. I understand what you are going through, and I will pray for you during this difficult time. Billy Graham was quoted in the book "In Remembrance of a Special Dog:" "I think God will have prepared everything for our perfect happiness in heaven. If it takes my dog being there, then I believe he will be there." Rosie will live always in your heart. Michele
Peppercorns, so sorry about your dog. I didn't check this site out yesterday. One thing I will share with you. A couple of years ago I had a little old love of a dog named Lillie. She had most of the symptoms you described. It broke my heart when she got to the point where she couldn't find her way out of a corner, or didn't recognize the humans and pets that loved her. She had lost all of the quality of her life. She was on several medications that she hated and fought taking, nothing seemed to improve her condition. I prayed every night that God would let her just go to sleep and awaken in a better place, no more pain. This prayer was not answered and as Lillie's condition got worse, I stressed over making that final decision for her. One afternoon I sat looking at her and just felt such a clarity of mind. I phoned my husband and asked him to come home asap. He did and we took Lillie to the vet and she was finally at peace. While I felt better in one aspect, I feared that maybe I did it too soon, who was I to decide when she should die? I was beating myself up bad. I talked with one friend who has known me for quite some time and they said "You loved Lillie and she loved you. There is nothing you wouldn't have done to try to make her better. You gave her the last gift you could give her...peace. Anyone who loves their pet, could never make the wrong decision for them when they follow their heart. I think you are in the same boat Peppercorns. The fact that you question your judgement shows how much you love Rosie. You won't make the wrong decision. Will keep you both in my prayers.
Peppercorn, My heart goes out to you during this difficult time. But remember that you gave Rosie a good life and a lot of love and care, you did everything you could possibly do for her. It takes a lot of courage to have to make that final decision and please know that we are all here supporting you during this time of grief.
