Heartache

Our Dog is Dying

i'm so sorry to hear that.... my heart aches for you.  I would be devasted if this happened to my dog so I know how hard it must be.  Cherish him for the remainder of his time here.

I am so sorry!  I want to cry reading this!!  I read somewhere that dogs live shorter then people cause they are sent from heaven to teach us the true meaning of friendship and love.  

Keep spoiling and loving him!!  My thoughts are with you!

Oh Noooooo. I'm so sorry :(

My condolence to you all.  :(    I'm so sad to hear this...

I've had my pup for almost 2 years now and he's my best bud, so I can understand how difficult this time is for you right now.  Our pets our members of the family.  The only difference is that they walk on all four legs.  The bonds that we build with them are sometimes better than those than we have with some humans.

You are doing the right thing to love on him as much as you can and create more wonderful memories with your BP (Best Pet).  Stay strong and remember the good times!

I am so sorry, I know how it feels to lose a pet that you love, One of the horses that I had for over 13 years broke her hip and there was nothing we could do but put her down, it killed me inside she was my best friend and partner (rodeo) for so long that I couldn't believe that it was over. My FH sat with me and even if it hurt so much he tried to make me understand that Its what I had to do because it was not fair for me to hold on when she was in so much pain.and I hope that he has man y more cheeseburger nights left.

Oh I am definitely praying for you two. The loss of a pet can't be put into words. This is making me cry just reading it. People without pets can never understand what it's like to lose a pet...I will be thinking of you two...

oh that is sad.  i'm sorry his time is near.  it's so hard to deal with.  when my dog had to be put down I fed him his favorite cheddar cheese.

This is so sad Im so sorry for you (((hugs)))

:-(  It's never easy to go through this.  Enjoy the time that you have left with him...and take lots of picures!

Thank you all SO MUCH for your kind words and stories.  They mean the world.  :)

I could really use a good laugh right now, so if you have any silly stories/jokes, I'd love to hear them too!

I'm sorry to hear that. I don't know what I'd do without my cat. I'm dreading the day he has to go...
I know how you feel though, although my cat didn't die, but I had a cat named Cloe that I had to take to the shelter because she had a peeing issue and just wouldn't stop peeing all over the house. I bawled the whole drive there. Like hard core bawling, could barely see the road, bawling. it was heartbreaking!

Just keep giving him cheeseburgers and fries. lol.

I am very very sorry. I know 100% what you are feeling and going through, believe me. My best friend/dog Belle for 15 years of my life had been with me ever since I could remember.. she got sick last summer and we found out she had congestive heart failure. I was literally devastated. I had to decide to put her to sleep in August.. she was just too sick, and although she wasn't to the point of going to the bathroom in the house, I didn't want her to get that far, I wanted her to die with dignity. When we had to put her to sleep, it was the first and only time I've seen my fiance cry. I will be thinking of you two, I totally understand how you feel. I promise you you will feel better and a sense of relief in a way to know he is better once he is gone. He will probably send you a sign. The night Belle passed away I had a dream of her walking up to me wagging her tail and looking up at me, looking happier than I'd seen her in months. Good luck and if you ever want to talk, message me.. :)

im so sorry!

we we're told our dog was dying last summer, and he was given about 6 months.We agreed we'd put him down when it got to painful for him, but It's been about 9 months and he just keeps on going. I hope its the same for you, I know how hard it can be.

I'm so sorry.  We had to put our kitty down 3 days before Christmas.  It was so so hard.  I think it was the hardest decision we have ever made together.  I send you E Hugs.

Oh no! I'm so sorry to hear that!
Dave just went through a similar thing with his family dog of 16 years, they decided to put him down two weeks ago and it was so sad!  I've never seen their family band together like they did during that time though, they we're more sensitive and loving towards each other than ever,  that at least was really heartwarming to see and be apart of.
I'm sure you'll have some more great times with your dog yet, and I'm sure he'll be as happy as a bug in a rug until the end, especially if he gets to eat more cheeseburgers!

Thanks again everyone for your kind words.  Dogs are wonderful, aren't they?  :)  And they definitely bring us closer together, in life, and in death.  

I just made an appointment to put Sami down today.  Last night he started having trouble walking, and we want him to be in peace before this starts making it difficult for him to get oxygen where he's struggling/panicking to breathe.  (His red blood cell count is way down, and he was at 12% capacity when he was tested on Wednesday.  The lack of red blood cells is what's causing him all of the trouble.  No new ones are being made because of the cancer, and the cancer is attacking what little he has left.)

Trying to focus on the peace that we are giving him, but man, this is HARD.  Going to make the most of our time left with him today.   Maybe make him some bacon.  :)

My heart just breaks for you guys. Once the tears stopped streaming down my face I knew I had to write a message too!

I was in a similar situation 5 years ago. My Gizmo was diagnosed with Cancer. They told us that there was nothing that could be done just to spoil her for the time we had her. She was diagnosed in October and I had to have her put down in March. For those 6 months she went everywhere with me and had anything she wanted - even chilled shrimp which she loved.

On her final day, we made her scrambled eggs for breakfast and when the vet arrived at the house to give her the shot, she had a brownie. I was able to hold her in my arms while she pased and that is something I will never forget. I can still feel her soft fur. Gizmo "told us" when she was ready too. They know when it is time and it is very brave of you to listen. Putting down one of our four-legged kids is never easy, but sometimes it is best.

Gizmo will remain forever in my heart as I am sure your dog will remain in yours. My thoughts are with you and if there is anything any of us can do, just speak up. I know what you are going through and also know you are doing the best thing for him.

Your post did make me cry.....
As a mom to a furbaby also, I can't even imagine what you are going through right now.

I think you are doing the most generous thing by making it easier on Sami.....
I truly am sorry,

I am so sorry sweetpea :( I hope that you got to spend some happy time with your little special guy this weekend. I know it's hard to let them go.. because essentially he is your baby. I know.. Just think of all the wonderful things that he was able to have because of you... all the fun memories he has had and the wonderful memories you'll get to keep. It is very sad and it will probably always make you cry when you think back about it... but hopefully in a good way. My thoughts are with you. :)

Thanks again everyone for reaching out and sharing your condolences.  It was very hard to let him go, but at the moment that he passed, I felt relieved, and very surprisingly, more happy than sad.   This didn't stop the tears from slipping down my cheeks, onto his face as we said our goodbyes though.  :) Nate took it much harder than I thought he would, but he has been so preoccupied with a work deadline that he didn't have much time to focus on this, and it hit him like a ton of bricks at the Vet's office.  

When we got home, we decided to toast Sami with the champagne we had in the fridge to celebrate our anniversary.  (We celebrated our anniversary with green beer instead because it was St. Patty's Day.)  We laughed, smiled, and cried, talking about our favorite memories of our guy, and what we were going to miss about him most.  Then we played Guitar Hero and played a few songs, and dedicated "This One Goes Out To The One I Love" by R.E.M to our doggy and sang Sam-i-i-i as we played.  It was a great moment.

I received this e-mail from Sami's foster Mom after we put him down and it made me feel much MUCH better.  (We adopted him from a Golden Retriever Rescue last August, and we put him down Friday at 5:30.)  I thought I would share it with all of you:

This afternoon at 5:25 I lit the holy candle and said a prayer for Sami to have a peaceful crossing and that you and Nate find comfort in the process.  Baxter  [her dog] and I then sat and meditated (or at least I did, Baxter might have been snoozing) for about 45 minuets.  Mrs. Bigglesworth [her cat]  managed to find her way on to my lap and joined us.  There came a point in this process when I felt Sami leaving.  It was gentle and serene.  There was an “angel” there to show him the way.  I think Sami may ‘check in’ with you from time to time in the next couple of days to make sure you are ok, but he is in a much better place.  Maybe this experience is all part of my imagination, but I find comfort in the experience and in knowing also that Sami no longer has to suffer.

I loved Sami and am grateful that I had an opportunity to be a part of his life.  But I always knew he wasn’t my dog.  When Sami and I met you and Nate, I knew that he belonged to you just as Sami knew it.  I was really thankful when you told me you wanted to adopt him because I then knew that you also recognized that he was meant for you.

Her e-mail of course made Nate and I cry, but it also made us smile.  We both miss him, and yesterday when I got home, I almost went to our bedroom to check on him before I remembered he wouldn't be there.  (It was one of those fleeting split second thoughts.)  He was a pretty quiet dog, but even so, the house seems very quiet without him, and it will take awhile for us to get used to it.  And I did feel him 'check in' on us Friday night as we were falling asleep - there was a dog barking in the distance (which we never hear) and it sounded just like his bark.  :)

We love you buddy.  Miss you.

That is such a great story of how you decided to remember him!  I love that you had a chance to say goodbye and that you decided to really celebrate his life, champagne, guitar hero and all!
That is amazingly kind of the foster mom to send you that e-mail, and what an email!  She sounds like she has a great heart for animals!  Sami definitely sounds like he had some great years, both with her and with you guys!

Oh hunny - this post just broke my heart.

Reminds me of my FH's previous dog.  When she had to be put down, he drove her through the McDonald's drive thru to get her her own happy meal. Boy did she love a good cheeseburger and fries.

My FH and I have 2  young furbabies ourselves...I cannot even bear the thought of this happening to them.

Isn't it amazing the type of unconditional love that they are able to give?  It is a real gift that they have.  And I know that he is very appreciative of you.  I am actually crying at my desk at work right now reading and typing this...

Enjoy all these last moments...and I pray that he doesn't suffer.

If you need anything...I'm here.

xoxo

I didn't read your comment about him passing...

I am so sorry to hear that...but you did a fantastic thing.
I love the e-mail that his foster Mom sent you.

That just made me ball my eyes out!  (my co-workers must think I'm nuts).

Thank you for sharing that.  

He is in a wonderful place now and I don't doubt that he is watching over you.  I'm sure that you'll hear more barks as time progresses.  ;)

xoxo

I'm so very to hear of your loss...we had to put our dog CJ down after 13 years...You never imagine that it would be such a painful and heartwrenching thing to do...but like your dog we did not want to see him suffer anymore...It was weeks after that I would walk into the house and look for him behind the couch on his pillow and on the steps...My thoughts are with you.

Ohhh Sami my friend...I'm all teary eyed. Yea, don't let him suffer. Remember all the food times with Sami. How old is he? Mine is 4 year and 3. There's so much laughter!

Oh my gosh!  I'm so sorry!  I love my little guy (Toby) almost as much as I love my FH!  It's amazing how they can touch your lives.  I say spoil him rotten with cheeseburgers and cherish every minute with him possible.

I know that I'm kinda late on this one , but I honestly can't even imagine this feeling. I have 3 kids (my dogs) and I just don't know what I would do with out them. I honesty dread this day. I'm glad to see that you are adopting another dog. Cherish your time with him, i bet he LOVES all the table scraps he is getting!!!

Thank you guys so much for your wonderful comments.  :)

We put Sami down on March 27th (the day after I posted this).  He was starting to have trouble walking more than a few steps at a time, and we knew we had to let him go before he started having serious challenges getting air into his lungs (and therefore panic).  It broke my heart to let him go, but a huge sense of relief washed over me as he passed because I knew he wasn't suffering anymore.  

I hope it's a long long time before you have to go through this with your dog(s).  Knowing that he was suffering and no longer able to enjoy life the way he would have liked to made it a little easier...  

If you scroll up to the comments above, you can read more about the love and support we received in his passing, and how we chose to celebrate our favorite memories of him after he passed.  :)  

We adopted Chloe two months later, and while she doesn't replace him, she brings a lot of new joy (and quirks!) into our home.  One happy little coincidence: we adopted Sami on 8/5 (and since he was a stray, we didn't know his birthdate, so we used that as his birthdate) and Chloe's birthday is 5/8.  That little change of numbers made me smile.

I am so sorry for your loss.. Your post made me sob!! I have 2 furbabies, and as much work as they are sometimes i wouldn't trade ot for the world. All the best the you and your FH and the new addition!