Departed pets;

Layinghen

Isabella made me smile every time I saw a photograph of her. She was a much loved hamster not only by you and your girlfriend but by a lot of people out here in cyberspace. Her short little life gave a lift to so many people. I for one will miss seeing her and reading about her antics.


Sleep tight little one.

Pumpkinseeds

Isabella was such a cute little sweetie pie, I'm so sorry she's gone:(

baby and crumble

Thanks everyone. It's funny how many people have said that Isabella showed them that rodents can be fantastic pets, and that they all have seen now that they all have their own little personalities and quirks. I'm glad. She was just pure cheeky!!!

I also want to say a special thank you to whoever was her Secret Santa last year.

And don't worry, just because I don't have a pet right now, doesn't mean I won't be along saying hello!

Irish Stones

Rodents are so funny and lovely. I'm so sorry for your loss, doesn't matter how small a pet is, it's always a great support to our lives.
RIP Isabella

Ms Tootsie

Baby and crumble I am so sorry to hear that your (and in some ways our) beloved Isabella is gone. I loved seeing all her funny little quirks and smirks in the pictures you posted here.

aonb

So sorry to hear that Isabella is gone - dont visit this thread too often; its so sad, but coincidentally I was just looking at a photo of her, so cute, on another thread.

t'bear

Oh what a day, my beloved little Westie (Jackdog) has just been PTS, he was diagnosed diabetic about 2 weeks ago, he had cataracts and was losing his hearing. After been on meds for a while his heart rhythm was all over the place with very rapid breathing, I hoped to get him through the weekend, but I could not stand to see him suffer, for the last few days he hasn't moved and prolonging this would have been cruel. So I let him go, I am numb, 8:02pm (11th Sept 2001 to 11th Oct 2013).

Loyal family friend, my furry face mutt, go chase that last pussy cat! Blubbing and dripping like a tap here

RIP Jack

sonoftom

A brave decision and 12 years and 1 month of happy memories to carry you through the hard times.

dobman88

My dog 'Jack' died. Feels weird now he is gone, strange how close we get to animals. Hope the link works

OldNotWIse

Unfortunately, the little guy that I posted about here a while ago will likely not be with us for much longer. He has not improved at all, in fact he has worsened. I'm so torn! I dont know what to do! I dont want to keep him alive for my own sake, after my last dog I swore I would never make that mistake again...but I also cant help thinking we could have done more for him I really really dont know what to do! I have moments of clarity where I think to myself, oh for Gods sake look at the poor dog - he's incontinent and he cant even sit by himself. He's 16 and he's tired, stop keeping him going for selfish reasons...and then I just get blindsided by guilt and feel like I'm the only one who can help this poor old dog and if I take him to be euthanaised this evening then I am giving up on him!

Can anybody offer an objective viewpoint before I go pure mad? He has "vestibular syndrome" so every time I google that all I get is reports from people saying "oh my dog recovered from this, im so glad I didnt euthanaise" blah blah blah and I'm looking at this dog now, worse than ever after 3 weeks thinking...why hasn't he recovered? He had steroids and antibiotics so if it was an inner ear infection that would have improced...which means it could be a tumour - but at 16 is it right to go down the MRI/surgery route? And where will I find the money anyway?

miss no stars

He's 16... You've shown kindness and care to him when he needed most. Now you have to do the most selfless thing possible and let him go. Get the vet to make a house call. The poor old guy is an invalid and not capable of fighting back anymore, but he knows he's loved and cared for and that's solely thanks to you. I know it's hard, but I think you know what the right thing to do is.

Edited to add: you're not giving up on him. Giving up on him would be ignoring his needs and leaving him to suffer without trying to do something. Unfortunately, sometimes that something is to be out to sleep.

OldNotWIse

miss no stars wrote: »

He's 16... You've shown kindness and care to him when he needed most. Now you have to do the most selfless thing possible and let him go. Get the vet to make a house call. The poor old guy is an invalid and not capable of fighting back anymore, but he knows he's loved and cared for and that's solely thanks to you. I know it's hard, but I think you know what the right thing to do is.

I know. I think a part of the problem is I know he had a sh1t life. He was chained up on a farm for most of it. A neighbour and myself only recently discovered his "plight" and took him for walks, meals, baths etc. He has only had that for about 6 months, and I think I desperately want more time so I can try to make it up to him. But...is it a little sick in the head to be seeking absolution from a dying dog? I guess it is. We cant turn back the clock,and keeping him going is no better than those who didnt care for him. For so long he had nobody to look out for him and do the right thing and now that he has someone to look out for him, the best way I can do that is by letting him go from this world. Life is horribly ironic sometimes...

I guess the vet will tell us if there is anything we can do. I worked with him before and he has never been quick to reach for the euthanol.

t'bear

dobman88 wrote: »

My dog 'Jack' died. Feels weird now he is gone, strange how close we get to animals. Hope the link works

My little Westie died last Friday, I am still totally numb, the house is weird without him. My routine of walkies, feeding, playtime, piddles, closing doors so he doesnt invade the couch etc has been thrown out of whack. Its very strange to be without him. I spent a whole day looking at rescue dogs in a need to replace him, but now realise that whether I do or do not get another dog, I have to mourn and miss my little Jackdog before any decisions are made. I also found some good tips on trying to deal with this on the dogs trust website (under bereavement).

Never did I think it would hit us as a family so hard. And me being a 44 year old softie right to the core.

Irish Stones

OldNotWIse wrote: »

I'm so torn! I dont know what to do! I dont want to keep him alive for my own sake, after my last dog I swore I would never make that mistake again...but I also cant help thinking we could have done more for him I really really dont know what to do!

I was in the same situation as you in July when my cat Tom was hospitalized for a fever that wouldn't go and ascites in his chest. He was kept in a clinic for ten days and for ten days the doctors kept telling me that I should have taken the final decision, because there was no room for hope anymore, he was getting worse an worse everyday and the treatments weren't giving any result. Every single day I was there at 6pm, time for visits, I listened to those words, then I looked at my Tom and I knew that the time hadn't arrived yet and a day came when he suddenly got a bit better and after two days they sent him home.
He wasn't a perfectly healthy cat, but he loved to be with us again. Then one morning at the end of August we found him in a more than terrible condition, he looked like dead already, we thought it was time to call the vet, but I wanted to try a last attempt, I took him to a different clinic, the vet saw it wasn't his last day and also found out out how to cure his cronic fever. In only two days he recovered almost completely and spent several other days quite happily. Unfortunately he got another fatal disease and eventually he was PTS.
He had five or six weeks of a pretty good life since the first time the vet wanted to euthanised him, and those weeks he was totally happy to stay with us even if he was weak. If I had listened to the vet's advice on the very first day I would have missed the lovely company of my Tom and he would have missed his last days when he basked in the sun.
I don't regret what I did, I would do the same thing one thousand times over if I had him with me again.

So, if you think that he's not suffering too much and after all he's still happy to be with you, you should wait.
But if you think that he's in pain and the vet says the same thing, then I think you should consider the last option...
I think that we have to be very careful when we talk about euthanasia, we have to be absolutely positive that nothing, nothing else can be done.
There's no way of coming back after that step!

Give a kiss to your dog for me!

OldNotWIse

We said goodbye to our friend last night. One of the hardest things I ever had to do. I went to see him and just knew that he wasn't in a good place. Of course I got the sh1t job of putting him into the car, driving him there and bringing him in. I feel like a killer but I always promised him that I would stay until the end. The vet confirmed that there was nothing else that could be done, and that it was time to let him go. He wasn't distressed. He had me holding his head, and my Dad standing beside him. Two of the few people who helped to at least make his last few months halfway decent. In the end, he went so quickly. It was such a relief. I have seen euthanasias and they are not always the "going to sleep" process that the media peddle. Animals, especially strong ones, can struggle against it. Our man was sleeping in less than five seconds. The vet hadn't even administered half the syringe...and he let out a small sigh and his eyes stopped moving. He was gone. I really think it was a release for him. The poor dog was so sick, so tired. He couldnt even get into a sitting position. His body was cramped and contorted. It was weird to see his body totally relax.

I'll never stop feeling guilty for all the time I left him over there in that god forsaken yard. All the years he was tied up and I didnt see him. I lived so close to him and could have helped...but didnt. He had 16 years of a pretty sad existence, and we only came along at the 11th hour. But, my OH said anything is better than nothing. Even one bath, one Irish breakfast (yes I did!), one walk and sniff, one hug, one jumbone was better than nothing. I can still see him, when I used to go there to take them out. I'd always take the younger dog first, as she is crazy and full of energy. She'd get her walk and then I'd come back for him. Save the best for last, I'd say to him But, the sad thing is, he never copped on to that. He always got really upset when I'd leave with the younger dog. He just never learned that I would always come back for him, but it wasnt fair to take both together because their needs were so different. The younger one needed long walks and play, he needed company, a sniff of my own dog, a meal, a cuddle, a bath and a meander around the garden. Just a change of scene and a break from the chain.

The only good thing that has come from this is now I am determined to get the younger dog out of there somehow. I need to stop the cycle, not yet, but I will die before I let her waste on the end of a chain for 16 years. Once is bad enough. Once is too much.

RIP little guy, you didnt have much, but you had us towards the end. I hope that my previously departed friends are showing you the ropes now, I hope that you have found peace, and I hope that you find there in God's house far more love than you ever found in this sad and brutal world.

Love always from your "defacto" mom I will never forget you.

t'bear

OldNotWIse wrote: »

We said goodbye to our friend last night. One of the hardest things I ever had to do. I went to see him and just knew that he wasn't in a good place. Of course I got the sh1t job of putting him into the car, driving him there and bringing him in. I feel like a killer but I always promised him that I would stay until the end. The vet confirmed that there was nothing else that could be done, and that it was time to let him go. He wasn't distressed. He had me holding his head, and my Dad standing beside him. Two of the few people who helped to at least make his last few months halfway decent. In the end, he went so quickly. It was such a relief. I have seen euthanasias and they are not always the "going to sleep" process that the media peddle. Animals, especially strong ones, can struggle against it. Our man was sleeping in less than five seconds. The vet hadn't even administered half the syringe...and he let out a small sigh and his eyes stopped moving. He was gone. I really think it was a release for him. The poor dog was so sick, so tired. He couldnt even get into a sitting position. His body was cramped and contorted. It was weird to see his body totally relax.

I'll never stop feeling guilty for all the time I left him over there in that god forsaken yard. All the years he was tied up and I didnt see him. I lived so close to him and could have helped...but didnt. He had 16 years of a pretty sad existence, and we only came along at the 11th hour. But, my OH said anything is better than nothing. Even one bath, one Irish breakfast (yes I did!), one walk and sniff, one hug, one jumbone was better than nothing. I can still see him, when I used to go there to take them out. I'd always take the younger dog first, as she is crazy and full of energy. She'd get her walk and then I'd come back for him. Save the best for last, I'd say to him But, the sad thing is, he never copped on to that. He always got really upset when I'd leave with the younger dog. He just never learned that I would always come back for him, but it wasnt fair to take both together because their needs were so different. The younger one needed long walks and play, he needed company, a sniff of my own dog, a meal, a cuddle, a bath and a meander around the garden. Just a change of scene and a break from the chain.

The only good thing that has come from this is now I am determined to get the younger dog out of there somehow. I need to stop the cycle, not yet, but I will die before I let her waste on the end of a chain for 16 years. Once is bad enough. Once is too much.

RIP little guy, you didnt have much, but you had us towards the end. I hope that my previously departed friends are showing you the ropes now, I hope that you have found peace, and I hope that you find there in God's house far more love than you ever found in this sad and brutal world.

Love always from your "defacto" mom I will never forget you.

I am welling up. After just stopped sniffling after my own westie who went to the big bed in the sky last Friday. It sounds like you did the right thing. A tough but brave decision

Irish Stones

OldNotWIse wrote: »

RIP little guy, you didnt have much, but you had us towards the end. I hope that my previously departed friends are showing you the ropes now, I hope that you have found peace, and I hope that you find there in God's house far more love than you ever found in this sad and brutal world.

Love always from your "defacto" mom I will never forget you.

He won't forget you either.
You were his angels at the last chapter of his life, at least he knew what a real home and love are.

noddyone2

OldNotWIse wrote: »

We said goodbye to our friend last night. One of the hardest things I ever had to do. I went to see him and just knew that he wasn't in a good place. Of course I got the sh1t job of putting him into the car, driving him there and bringing him in. I feel like a killer but I always promised him that I would stay until the end. The vet confirmed that there was nothing else that could be done, and that it was time to let him go. He wasn't distressed. He had me holding his head, and my Dad standing beside him. Two of the few people who helped to at least make his last few months halfway decent. In the end, he went so quickly. It was such a relief. I have seen euthanasias and they are not always the "going to sleep" process that the media peddle. Animals, especially strong ones, can struggle against it. Our man was sleeping in less than five seconds. The vet hadn't even administered half the syringe...and he let out a small sigh and his eyes stopped moving. He was gone. I really think it was a release for him. The poor dog was so sick, so tired. He couldnt even get into a sitting position. His body was cramped and contorted. It was weird to see his body totally relax.

I'll never stop feeling guilty for all the time I left him over there in that god forsaken yard. All the years he was tied up and I didnt see him. I lived so close to him and could have helped...but didnt. He had 16 years of a pretty sad existence, and we only came along at the 11th hour. But, my OH said anything is better than nothing. Even one bath, one Irish breakfast (yes I did!), one walk and sniff, one hug, one jumbone was better than nothing. I can still see him, when I used to go there to take them out. I'd always take the younger dog first, as she is crazy and full of energy. She'd get her walk and then I'd come back for him. Save the best for last, I'd say to him But, the sad thing is, he never copped on to that. He always got really upset when I'd leave with the younger dog. He just never learned that I would always come back for him, but it wasnt fair to take both together because their needs were so different. The younger one needed long walks and play, he needed company, a sniff of my own dog, a meal, a cuddle, a bath and a meander around the garden. Just a change of scene and a break from the chain.

The only good thing that has come from this is now I am determined to get the younger dog out of there somehow. I need to stop the cycle, not yet, but I will die before I let her waste on the end of a chain for 16 years. Once is bad enough. Once is too much.

RIP little guy, you didnt have much, but you had us towards the end. I hope that my previously departed friends are showing you the ropes now, I hope that you have found peace, and I hope that you find there in God's house far more love than you ever found in this sad and brutal world.

Love always from your "defacto" mom I will never forget you.

You are a really good person. We've always had 'rescue' dogs. They repay you many times over. Best wishes.

dave1982

OldNotWIse wrote: »

The vet hadn't even administered half the syringe...and he let out a small sigh and his eyes stopped moving. He was gone. I really think it was a release for him. The poor dog was so sick, so tired. .

Brings back memories my fella did exactly the same.7 months on going to sleep at night I sometimes hear that sound in my head.

Feel so sorry for ye but you gave him a good life in the end and he died in your arms his happy place.Well done for rescuing him:)

Pumpkinseeds

It's an unbelievably hard thing to have to do. Twice last year I had to take old stray cats that had wandered into my parents house to the vet to be pts. My parents are wusses with that sort of thing, but they fed them and cared for them until they needed to be let go. I couldn't just leave them at the vets and leave. I don't care what anyone says, for me it's important that someone is with them at the end, to let them know that they are loved.

t'bear

I read a poem on the vets wall one day which said it was so important for the pet to know you are there at this difficult time. I could never hae walked away As dreadful as it is to watch

OldNotWIse

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

It's an unbelievably hard thing to have to do. Twice last year I had to take old stray cats that had wandered into my parents house to the vet to be pts. My parents are wusses with that sort of thing, but they fed them and cared for them until they needed to be let go. I couldn't just leave them at the vets and leave. I don't care what anyone says, for me it's important that someone is with them at the end, to let them know that they are loved.

t'bear wrote: »

I read a poem on the vets wall one day which said it was so important for the pet to know you are there at this difficult time. I could never hae walked away As dreadful as it is to watch

Agree. It's very difficult. I could barely find the strength to be there and hold his head and tell him he was a good boy and that everything is ok (even though in my head I was like, "liar, liar! you're killing him!"). I couldnt actually watch the syringe going in. Its just too much. I can understand some people finding it difficult (we all do) but it is so important to be there for them. It's the time when they really do need you the most, and need you to be strong. I certainly wouldn't like to die alone. It's one of those situations in life where you just have to "park" your own needs outside and put the animal's needs first.

[SIZE=+2]A Parting Prayer [/SIZE]

[SIZE=+1]Dear Lord, please open your gates
and call St. Francis
to come escort this beloved companion
across the Rainbow Bridge.

Assign her to a place of honor,
for she has been a faithful servant
and has always done her best to please me.

Bless the hands that send her to you,
for they are doing so in love and compassion,
freeing her from pain and suffering.

Grant me the strength not to dwell on my loss.
Help me remember the details of her life
with the love she has shown me.
And grant me the courage to honor her
by sharing those memories with others.

Let her remember me as well
and let her know that I will always love her.
And when it's my time to pass over into your paradise,
please allow her to accompany those
who will bring me home.

Thank you, Lord,
for the gift of her companionship
and for the time we've had together.

And thank you, Lord,
for granting me the strength
to give her to you now.

Amen.
[/SIZE]

aonb

OldNotWise, at least he had one decent human in his life towards the end. You have nothing to beat yourself up over. SO very sad. Hope you can manage to rescue the younger dog from that miserable existance too. You did your best for him, thats the most important thing.

OldNotWIse

aonb wrote: »

OldNotWise, at least he had one decent human in his life towards the end. You have nothing to beat yourself up over. SO very sad. Hope you can manage to rescue the younger dog from that miserable existance too. You did your best for him, thats the most important thing.

I hope so too. She is so beautiful and a truly amazing dog. Now she is getting her winter coat she looks so stunning - though the decrepid old man with the spindly, arthritic legs and face white with age grabbed my heart the same As a priority, we are trying to seek the owner's permission to have her spayed. We will have to peddle some lie about a "free scheme" or something, I dont mind footing the bill. These people are tight in the extreme - in fact, after the neighbour and my parents and myself kept the dog for three weeks and fed and looked after him, took him to vet etc, the owner came over...to ask for the collar back. Never mind having no humanity, they have no shame either! :mad: Miserable people living a miserable existance and creating nothing but misery for their poor defenceless dogs. My blood boils. Time to keep calm, and figure out a way to get that girl out of there...

dave1982

Very sad day yesterday neighbors dog was killed by two other dogs. RIP fella

brrabus

dave1982 wrote: »

Very sad day yesterday neighbors dog was killed by two other dogs. RIP fella

That's awful, bad enough loosing your pet but under those circumstances. Heart goes out to them. Poor baby.

Kablamo!

My best buddy in the whole world was struck by a car yesterday and died in the middle of the road. She was only two years old. She was a small cat with such a huge character and my home and heart are so empty now. I can't understand this, I'd give anything to have her back.

brrabus

Ah Kablamo, my heart goes out to you. She was a proper beauty, poor little baby, she is now looking after you as you looked after her.

DrWu

An evil neighbor poisoned our three cats a few days ago. The youngest is in the clear, but our other two have had to go back in to the vets with high temperature, runs and vomiting. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated. These guys are very very loved.
Thanks folks.

Pretzill

DrWu wrote: »

An evil neighbor poisoned our three cats a few days ago. The youngest is in the clear, but our other two have had to go back in to the vets with high temperature, runs and vomiting. Any prayers would be greatly appreciated. These guys are very very loved.
Thanks folks.

That's so awful DrWu, I'm not the praying type but I do hope your pets get better quickly, and that your posts won't have to linger in this thread. It's a horrible thing for anyone to do to any animal. It scares me how people can be so cruel.