Very sad evening at the Ref household. After a long battle with spinal and joint issues, the vet said it was time to put him down. Nothing but puffy eyes and tears in this corner of the universe tonight. It has been a long time since I have had to do this, and almost forgot how much it sucks. Refgal is taking this particularly hard, as it is her son's dog and she had to make the decision and was wit him in his final moments. RIP to a quirky dog. You will be missed.
God promised at the birth of time, a special friend to give, his time on earth is short, he said, so love him while he lives. It may be six or seven years, or twelve or then sixteen, but will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me? A wagging tail and cold wet nose, and silken velvet ears, a heart as big as all outdoors, to love you through the years. His puppy ways will gladden you, and antics bring a smile, as guardian or friend he will, be loyal all the while. He'll bring his charms to grace your life, and though his stay be brief, when he's gone the memories, are solace for your grief. I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return, but lessons only a dog can teach, I want you each to learn. Whatever love you give to him, returns in triple measure, follow his lead and gain a life, brim full of simple pleasure. Enjoy each day as it comes, allow your heart to guide, be loyal and steadfast in love, as the dog there by your side. Now will you give him all your love, nor think the labor vain, nor hate me when I come to call, to take him back again? I fancy each of us would say, "Dear Lord, thy will be done, for all the joy this day shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run." "We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may, and for the happiness we've known, forever grateful stay." "But shall the angels call for him, much sooner than we've planned, we'll brave the bitter grief that comes, and try to understand."
That was not written by me..not taking any credit. But when I had to put my dog down and was miserable...that really helped me out
Very sorry for you and your family's loss . Dogs are amazing animals and truly become a member of the family and our best friend. Hang in there.
I know exactly how you feel. We had to put down our boxer earlier this year due to a brain tumor that was causing him to lose his vision and have seizures. We tried treating his seizures over several months but it got worse so our vet recommended to let him go since his quality of life wasn't very good at that point. It was a very sad moment and we'll never forget him but we think of all the good times and unconditional love he gave us and it makes us feel better. My thoughts out to you Clutchfans brother!
My condolences. We're not far away from there with a cat. As animal lovers with too many cats and dogs, most in the second half of their lives, we will have a lot of those types of nights over the next 3-7 years, starting with our oldest in the next few months. She has spinal cancer and is slowly losing her mobility. Her brain is ok which makes it tougher. Anyways, rip to your dog
You sound a lot like us. We have one other dog and three cats. The other animals are trying to figure out what is happening. Once they figure it out, they will grieve. It's gonna be a long week. Thanks to all of you for your kind words. All of the Ref household is very touched by your thoughts.
I was literally just thinking tonight that we're right at about one year since we had to put our dog down. Not easy. So sorry for your loss.
its impossible to understand how amazing dogs are till you have one. I couldn't even begin to think about the day our dog leaves us.
Thinking of you and your family Refman. I have been there many times before. Due to "circumstances beyond my control" i can't have a dog right now, but I pine for the day when I can have one (or two) even knowing the eventual monumental sense of loss that accompanies being a dog owner. I feel compelled to share a story about the sense of grief other pets feel - I hope you don't mind. Many years ago we had to put a Golden down due to brain tumor - great dog. We came home from the vet and were greeted by our yellow Lab. She approached, sniffed us, and skulked away with her head down and tail between her legs. Somehow she immediately knew. But ultimately this is a good story. My pleasant memories and smiles outweigh my sense of loss by the weight of the universe. It is hard to see it when the sense of loss is so immediate and so overwhelming, but I am sure you and your family were a great home to your dog, and everyone was richer for it. Again, my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family.
Refman - I haven't posted on here in years but I felt compelled after reading your post. I'm going through a very similar situation right now. My dog Max (10 yr old Corgi) began acting lethargic last week and lost his appetite. Fast forward to this past Saturday and I find out he's incredibly anemic...talking red blood cell count in the single digits. He's been in ICU for the last four days and has undergone two blood transfussions. Unfortunately, he still hasn't really gotten any better. He doesn't have any energy and he just looks exhausted. I'm considering putting him down on Thursday if he doesn't improve. No one knows what causes acute hemolytic anemia or how to cure it. Conceivably he could get better over time but there's no way to know. I've been agonizing over this decision all week.
I'm not a vet so my words carry little weight. But why not hold out a bit longer. It sucks to see your pet suffer but maybe he can pull through and give another few good years.
