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What Pets Can Do: Health and Healing
Just Want to Talk | Last Active: Oct 1, 2023 | Replies (237)Comment receiving replies
@colleenyoung Well, this may not be such a good story in the end, but... We rescued our dog, Peaches, the year that my dad, my MIL, and a friend were all at the same end of life point. Peaches needed so much from us, so really, she added to the stress. But she gave us a lot of joy, too, wanting to go to the park and snuggle. My dad, MIL, and friend all died that year, so Peaches was our stressful comfort. For the past 18-20 months of my illness, she has been a super-Velcro dog. Her anxiety levels were out the roof if she couldn’t find me. But she always wanted me to sit on the sofa and cuddle. She became deaf and blind but could still find her way around. She was incontinent and wouldn’t eat. So Sunday we decided we had to put her to sleep. She’s in a better place and I’m in a safer place because she can’t trip me anymore. RIP Peaches
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@becsbuddy Becky, I think they let you know when it's time. I've been there too and took care of my lab until he was 18 and he gave up. I'm sure he had Lyme disease and the vets missed it as that was a while ago before they were treating dogs for it. I used to have to hold him up by the tail because the back end was spastic and carry him outside. Even though it was hard, I took care of him as long as he was happy to be there. My lab was a rescue too. Hugs to you.
@becsbuddy My reply disappeared in to the techy blackhole last night. Peaches had her job to do and she did it well. We are lucky to be part of a furred/feathered/finned one's life, and when they can no longer enjoy day-to-day, it is our privilege to ease their burden. Sending gentle cyber-hugs,
Ginger
@becsbuddy We had a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that we had to put to sleep when he was 14. That breed generally lives from 8 to 12 years so we were fortunate to have him with us for longer than that. He was deaf and could barely get around though so it was time. I still get tears in my eyes when I think of the day I brought him to the vet.
He was such a sweet dog, loved everyone. My daughter and I named him Keller, which is Gaelic for "little companion" which he was. Of course when I was out with him and people heard me call him, they thought I was calling this gentle little dog Killer!
Here he was napping on my son when we were up at our summer camp in Maine.
JK
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@becsbuddy I'm so sorry for your loss a member of the family . I had to put my dog down he was my buddy. When I was sick he stuck like glue to me same with my husband . When I fractured my back he fell of my bed and fractured his hip. He couldn't hear anymore 15 yrs. old and I couldn't take care of him so had him put to sleep so emotional isn't it .