pooh'smate
Stuck in the Middle
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2005
Glad to read your update Rodeo. Hope the kids have a great year in school.
Grace and peace to you and the kids, Rodeo.A bigger hole was ripped in our family last night. I really can't wait for this year to be over.
Teary reading this update. I love your family! I would've handled it the same way, I think. Never an easy thing to do. I also believe they are now together again.Another loss. And a hard one because he was DH's dog. I mean he was a family dog, of course, but really attached to DH. I called the vet yesterday morning and described the situation. They booked an appointment for 4:45 yesterday afternoon and said we could talk to the vet and she'd give her opinion.
The kids both stayed home from school to spend the day with him. His name was Dash - DD chose him as a puppy and DS named him. It was in 2004 when The Incredibles had come out. We bought Dash a chicken leg, put the little dogs upstairs for the day and just spent the day spoiling him. When the time came and we walked him outside to get into the car, DS took him into the forest beside us. He was excited and a little bouncyto go in there. DD asked if maybe we should not keep the vet appointment and maybe get him moving more. He's been basically lying on his bed and going outside for quick jaunts. I said we'd see what the vet said and if there was any way he'd be comfortable for a while longer we'd try it, but we all agreed we didn't want him to be in pain anymore.
The kids lifted him into the car, but weren't able to get him out. One of the techs was able to lift him by himself, so he carried him in. They had a room ready with a blanket and we did the paperwork and then waited for the vet. Dash was pretty agitated and panting from the trip and being carried in. The vet came in and we discussed what all had been going on with him. She said all the signs pointed to this being the time, the biggest one being that he wasn't eating in the mornings. She said when a Labradoodle refused food, there was definitely something wrong inside.
Originally, we had planned to stay while the first shot was administered but not stay for the final shot. He didn't completely settle, though, with the sedation. He kept his head up even when his eyes were half closed. DD then said she didn't want to leave him like that and wanted to stay through the end, DS said the same so we did. Fortunately, he had gone to the bathroom before we left so there was no final release, and it was very fast. We stayed with him for a while after as we did with DH and all said we thought they were together again, playing chuck-it and running pain free.
A bigger hole was ripped in our family last night. I really can't wait for this year to be over.
I love Rainbow Bridge, Dan, and have used it a lot talking to the kids. With our last dog when it was her turn - the kids were 11 and 12 then, and again now. We were trying to figure out how it went when the human left first. DH loved dogs, so maybe he just hung out there waiting and playing until Dash got there.
There was a period while Dash was sedated but not yet asleep and before the final shot was administered when he stared at one spot for a while and stopped panting. I thought it was the sedation working, but the kids thought maybe Dad was there waiting for Dash and he saw him. I like that better so I went with it. I actually thought of you then, Pea and wondered about the book you suggested that I haven't yet bought. I still plan to when we get settled at my parents'.
ETA - I read an article by a vet this past year talking about the sadness she felt at having to handle the final moments with pets who have been left by their owners who couldn't handle the grief in the moment. This coloured my decision to stay while he was sedated and why we waited until the end when that wasn't enough to calm him. My very first dog, I left because I didn't think I could face it. I'm so glad that Dash's last moments were spent feeling our hands petting him as he went.