One of my furry companions has passed

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share with you all, last night as I got home from work, I found one of my pups laying on the floor unable to move. From the looks of it, he had fallen from the couch, something rather uncharacteristic as he had steps to get up and down and he had been using them for a very long time. He was 11 years old and had been dealing with seizures for a few years, he had experienced a bad injury in one of his front elbows which took him a long time to recover from. Had slowed down a lot and was loosing his hair, didn't deal very well with heat or cold.

I took him to the vet, when I got there after an exam the doctor told me that the most concerning thing wasn't the injury itself, which would require surgery to address, and probably a plate and screws, but that he wasn't responding to his injury in the way she would expect him to. I have been taking him there for years and after discussing his history of health issues, she mentioned that we could go through the entire procedure and he might recover a while down the road, but that the process of getting him to recovery would be very strenuous on him, and that I should consider if it would be worth it to do so.

I thought about it, I realized that going through all the procedures and recovery would be immensely stressful for him, I saw him recover from his last injury and it was a long and painful process. So I made an extremely difficult decision and decided it was better to let him go.

It was extremely painful, I felt like I was giving up on him, something he'd never do.. .not even in his old age would he stop himself from trying to protect me, I felt like it was my fault as I could've not let him up on the couch. But seeing him in his last moments, with a blank calm stare despite his injury, struggling to breathe helped me realize that he was maybe asking to be allowed to pass.

The last few weeks of his life, he started to do something he hadn't done since he was a puppy, follow me everywhere, even though it was quite the effort for him to do so. He became playful and asked for attention more often, wanted to be on my lap and laid down on my feet. Thinking about it now, it was a sweet way to have a few weeks of warmth, like a very long goodbye hug.

Hero was a sweet and gentle friend, he was rather selective about the people he trusted and I feel very fortunate to have met him and earned his trust. I feel his absence, even though he was a quiet and slow at the end. My other dog, which is about the same age, felt his absence immediately, has been running around the house looking for him, and staring at me. He has been laying down in Hero's spot and seems extra anxious. So I guess we're both going through grieving process.

I tried my best to give Hero a good life and I hope to have accomplished this. I attached two pictures of him, taken about 11 years apart.

Thank you all for reading.
View attachment 36847View attachment 36848

Hello Alejo, I am sorry for your loss. Losing a friend is always painful, but I am sure your Hero is in a better place now and understood that your choice was motivated by compassion and love.

I lost a few pets already, (and I am about to loose my dog too), but I found that being grateful for the joy and love these little ones bring us, that there presence at our sides is a gift, helps dealing with the pain.

I am sure you will meet your Hero again. Take care:flowers:✨💐🌺🌸
 
I'm very sorry to hear of your loss Alejo:hug:. He is a beautiful looking dog and I am sure you gave him the best life possible.

It is indeed an extremely difficult decision you had to make and one which seems to be rarely made for us when these times come around. Unfortunately, we can't ask our furry friends what they want to do and we have to try to put ourselves in their situation and do our best for them. From what you have described, it certainly sounds like you did the right thing for your pup.
 
Hey everyone,

I wanted to share with you all, last night as I got home from work, I found one of my pups laying on the floor unable to move. From the looks of it, he had fallen from the couch, something rather uncharacteristic as he had steps to get up and down and he had been using them for a very long time. He was 11 years old and had been dealing with seizures for a few years, he had experienced a bad injury in one of his front elbows which took him a long time to recover from. Had slowed down a lot and was loosing his hair, didn't deal very well with heat or cold.

I took him to the vet, when I got there after an exam the doctor told me that the most concerning thing wasn't the injury itself, which would require surgery to address, and probably a plate and screws, but that he wasn't responding to his injury in the way she would expect him to. I have been taking him there for years and after discussing his history of health issues, she mentioned that we could go through the entire procedure and he might recover a while down the road, but that the process of getting him to recovery would be very strenuous on him, and that I should consider if it would be worth it to do so.

I thought about it, I realized that going through all the procedures and recovery would be immensely stressful for him, I saw him recover from his last injury and it was a long and painful process. So I made an extremely difficult decision and decided it was better to let him go.

It was extremely painful, I felt like I was giving up on him, something he'd never do.. .not even in his old age would he stop himself from trying to protect me, I felt like it was my fault as I could've not let him up on the couch. But seeing him in his last moments, with a blank calm stare despite his injury, struggling to breathe helped me realize that he was maybe asking to be allowed to pass.

The last few weeks of his life, he started to do something he hadn't done since he was a puppy, follow me everywhere, even though it was quite the effort for him to do so. He became playful and asked for attention more often, wanted to be on my lap and laid down on my feet. Thinking about it now, it was a sweet way to have a few weeks of warmth, like a very long goodbye hug.

Hero was a sweet and gentle friend, he was rather selective about the people he trusted and I feel very fortunate to have met him and earned his trust. I feel his absence, even though he was a quiet and slow at the end. My other dog, which is about the same age, felt his absence immediately, has been running around the house looking for him, and staring at me. He has been laying down in Hero's spot and seems extra anxious. So I guess we're both going through grieving process.

I tried my best to give Hero a good life and I hope to have accomplished this. I attached two pictures of him, taken about 11 years apart.

Thank you all for reading.
View attachment 36847View attachment 36848
Hi Alejo,
Pets are always missed, your dog was so sweet!
My girl "star" passed on 16 years ago, but i still miss her, i have been disabled for many years so spent my time researching on the web, she sat by my side nudging me to pat her through out a difficult time of ill health. She did have a few bad habits being stealing my sausages, but mostly was good.
The trouble with the breed is they are very hyper active, and need lots of walks to keep them calm, they think you are the pet, and they are the boss.
I didn't mention which breed my ^Star" was, you will know by the photo, a sweet heart of a dog, i hope Glen Close isn't watching LOL!

ak5cc4b6b9.png
 
Hi Alejo,
Pets are always missed, your dog was so sweet!
My girl "star" passed on 16 years ago, but i still miss her, i have been disabled for many years so spent my time researching on the web, she sat by my side nudging me to pat her through out a difficult time of ill health. She did have a few bad habits being stealing my sausages, but mostly was good.
The trouble with the breed is they are very hyper active, and need lots of walks to keep them calm, they think you are the pet, and they are the boss.
I didn't mention which breed my ^Star" was, you will know by the photo, a sweet heart of a dog, i hope Glen Close isn't watching LOL!

ak5cc4b6b9.png
Wow, what a beautiful dog! She is really a star. To fell in love with her. She looks so gentle and intelligent.

Dogs are little stars that come to earth to illuminate our lives. Then, when they die, they return to the Cosmos and from there they watch us and wait us.
 
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