No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. Just kinda taking a break here.
One of my beloved dogs was diagnosed with terminal cancer last week and I am having a difficult time dealing with it. All I really care to do right now is be with him and think of him. It was quite a surprise, I've never liked surprises anyway. It is an aggressive cancer and even the best of treatment won't extend his life much past 6 months. He is a large dog and 12 years old. Hard to take care of something for 12 years and hear this kind of news.
I got this boy on the first day of his life, his mother was a stray that came into someone's yard and started having her babies. She lost all the litter but for my guy and his sister. I fostered them all until time for adoption. My guy had some problems, had 5 surgeries before he was 11 weeks old. Just couldn't send him for adoption when the time came, we had been through so much.
I'll be back, probably with a vengeance, in a week or so. Appreciate your understanding at this time, bear with me. And please continue to send those not for publication comments alerting me of the happenings of our common enemy. To whoever sent the comment regarding the No Kill, No Way blog, I have no idea what has happened to it. In this game there are playERS and there are those playING. We'll have to wait and see which one applies to that blog. Thanks again to those faithful readers. HonestyHelps
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I'm sorry Honesty, I lost Lady from her thyroid 2 months ago and I don't know if I can do another pet anytime soon. Of course when I lost Pixie I felt the same way and then Lady came into the shelter.I corresponded with Oreo before her trip, she closed Oreo while traveling. She said Chap emailed her, he was going to move his blog and would keep us informed. His link got put up on some facebook page and started getting an overabundance of hits and then a virus. That is why I closed mine.I had to much going on to do it justice. My impression is that it was the facebook page the shelter back east is suing. I hope to meet him soon, he is up the way in Sacramento, perhaps we could do a shelter assessment in Reno. So far the devil has not come back to the Bay.
Thanks for the heads up on the No Kill, No Way blog. Got several NFP comments asking about it. I don't know the blogger so I had no info. I do know that this blog is trying to be hacked but I got a heads up and avoided it by not responding.
Sorry to hear about Lady, you didn't have that much time with her. I'm just trying to use what time we have left to make my son's life as pleasurable as possible. Now that I don't need to be concerned about his weight, he is really enjoying the treats. I'm cooking for him and he loves it. I don't even cook for myself but for him, I attempt it.
The Whino was in San Fran last year trying to convince the animal commission to go "No Kill". Isn't that funny because he always has called San Fran the first no kill city but it never has been. The SF SPCA would never take pit bulls from the shelter and they comprised the majority of the euthanasia cases. Just another misrepresentation by the Whino.
I think this has been a very bad week, Honesty, because exactly one week ago I lost my very beloved best friend.
(Before I go on, I am so sorry about your dog. There is no way possible that anyone else on earth can understand the connection we have to our foundlings, and I know my words of sympathy don't come close to addressing the situation)
My dog was a small breed dog, probably from some back yard breeder who threw her away and probably born with a deformity (though it may have been a human attack) and she ended up in the hands of near street people who were going to give her a short, bad end (which is where many of these dogs given away by the No Kill idiots end up, bad and abusive situations for the dog so a No Kill idiot can brag about how they didn't euthanize) Lucky for her, a good samaritan intervened and offered to take the dog in exchange for probably a six pack.
She was terrified. It took a long time and a lot of trust-building, but she loved her life.
I still am wracking my brain trying to figure this out. What is your opinion? She was about 9 1/2 years, about 8 lbs.
Her health and activity level seemed great. Only sign a little (very little) troublig dropping of weight which I attributed to a new youthful arrival rescue that encouraged a lot of play
Day before she died she threw up once. I gave her some turkey, she ate quickly no more vomiting.
Day seemed normal, until night when she refused to eat. Very not normal for her.
I sat with her for a long time that night, she was relaxed, normal breathing, slept normally.
I woke up 6 am, she wanted water, drank normally, went out to pee, peed normally, but she was breathing fast. No interest in food.
I wasn't comfortable with this, bundled her up, we took off for emergency clinic. She lay in my lap, breathing somewhat fast, but not labored, no panting.
Suddenly she just gasped a bit and died.
I still am in shock. What the hell happened, I still keep asking myself? I am thinking she was born with an enlarged heart or heart issue which good care masked for a while.
Backyard breeders and the usual problems. No, all the breeders and the usual problems, because these purebreds seem to be dying or failing younger and younger, all genetic troubles.
Then I'm thinking maybe a blood clot.
Answer is probably I won't know the answer, but she is buried in the family pet plot, and I suppose she had a very good story for her life that could have been a very bad story.
Life goes on, but it's hard.
Oh, Anon, I know how you feel. It is so hard to express our feelings.
Your love sounds like a dog I helped for a senior citizen, Precious, and she was, the cutest little dog you would ever see. Just out of the blue, she went down. She was about 6-7 years old and full of life up til that time. The vet at emergency said she had an enlarged heart, congential defect. The vet explained that either it affects their entire life span or it comes suddenly. Precious came home from the vet but was not the same, not even close. This senior called me at midnight and said she knew Precious was suffering and wanted to end the suffering. I called a good friend who was an euthanasia tech and she opened up where she worked and euthanized Precious. I think had we not done that, Precious would have died in a matter of hours anyway. But it sounds like that was the case with yours, they are fine and then not fine. The senior's regular vet confirmed the emergency diagnosis and the senior felt he sent Precious home to die. He had to have known the entire time that Precious had an enlarged heart but never told the senior. Fortunately we had just made a video for a news show and the senior had a wonderful video tape of Precious from that show.
Your loved one was one of the lucky ones and had a good life thanks to you. Be grateful you were able to help this small gift the way you did. She was doomed otherwise to no life or a life of suffering. Dogs don't see death as we do, death is basically a concept and dogs don't have concepts like death and hope. Death is a part of living to them. They aren't scared of it like we are. She died in your arms, loved til the end, no one can ask for a more lovely way to go.
I look at it this way, the death of a pet means there is room for another that you can help, another one that can have a loving home. That is the positive side of losing our loved ones. They do live on in our hearts and if you watch and listen carefully, you'll know that she is always there for you. There's nothing I can say or do to take away the pain of this loss. We just have to bear it and keep going. She'll be there waiting for you when your time comes and that is something to look forward to. Take care and thank you for sharing, it's always a comfort to know there are others in the same boat with you, others that can share the pain of loss, that you are not alone.
Oh, Anon, I know how you feel. It is so hard to express our feelings.
Your love sounds like a dog I helped for a senior citizen, Precious, and she was, the cutest little dog you would ever see. Just out of the blue, she went down. She was about 6-7 years old and full of life up til that time. The vet at emergency said she had an enlarged heart, congential defect. The vet explained that either it affects their entire life span or it comes suddenly. Precious came home from the vet but was not the same, not even close. This senior called me at midnight and said she knew Precious was suffering and wanted to end the suffering. I called a good friend who was an euthanasia tech and she opened up where she worked and euthanized Precious. I think had we not done that, Precious would have died in a matter of hours anyway. But it sounds like that was the case with yours, they are fine and then not fine. The senior's regular vet confirmed the emergency diagnosis and the senior felt he sent Precious home to die. He had to have known the entire time that Precious had an enlarged heart but never told the senior. Fortunately we had just made a video for a news show and the senior had a wonderful video tape of Precious from that show.
Your loved one was one of the lucky ones and had a good life thanks to you. Be grateful you were able to help this small gift the way you did. She was doomed otherwise to no life or a life of suffering. Dogs don't see death as we do, death is basically a concept and dogs don't have concepts like death and hope. Death is a part of living to them. They aren't scared of it like we are. She died in your arms, loved til the end, no one can ask for a more lovely way to go.
I look at it this way, the death of a pet means there is room for another that you can help, another one that can have a loving home. That is the positive side of losing our loved ones. They do live on in our hearts and if you watch and listen carefully, you'll know that she is always there for you. There's nothing I can say or do to take away the pain of this loss. We just have to bear it and keep going. She'll be there waiting for you when your time comes and that is something to look forward to. Take care and thank you for sharing, it's always a comfort to know there are others in the same boat with you, others that can share the pain of loss, that you are not alone.
Thank you so much for your very kind words and understanding, Honesty.
I think you are right about this. It sounds the same, and we had postulated an enlarged heart. Reading your words made me feel a lot better.
Of course, what I have been doing for a week has been review every single issue that I could possibly blame myself for that led to this, but I just didn't feel that anything fit. She was so so healthy appearing and happy! I had every base covered when it came to good health care.
It is hard to say that it was a blessing that she went this way, but I know it was. It was all over very quickly, no suffering, and she would have been miserable if they filled her with drugs and she couldn't have been her active self.
That was just not the right thing for that emergency vet to do with Precious. What was the point of making little Precious suffer for a few more hours? It really upsets me when I hear of things like that. It is so wonderful that you could help that senior citizen out. It would have been even more devestating for her and for Precious if you had not been the angel that helped.
I am again so sorry for your situation. My buddy of 15 years died in 01 and the process was rather long. I think too he had heart disease but it went on for too long, and he became very debilitated and mentally confused. In hindsight, I realized that I should have dealt with this earlier with a kind euthanasia, but I let a vet talk me out of it.
I really feel for the situation you are in. It is emotionally devestating. I am so glad that you had 12 fine years.
Thank you again for your kind words.
Anon, we all do the same thing trying to see what we did or didn't do. Somehow if we can assign guilt to ourselves it gives a feeling of control. I know that sounds weird but if we can blame ourselves then we can do something about it next time.
With my big guy, there can be surgery and chemo but it doesn't give him much more time than he already has. I won't put him through that. He's 12 and I want him to go with dignity. Being on medication that affects his quality of life will take away from that dignity. Once his quality starts downhill, I will euthanize. You understand with your statement about your little one.
To clarify, it wasn't the emergency vet that sent Precious home to die, it was her regular vet. The senior took Precious from the emergency vet to her regular vet the next morning as instructed by the emergency vet. It was the regular vet that knew all along Precious had an enlarged heart and after staying most of the day with the regular vet, he sent her home rather than suggest euthanasia.
Don't beat yourself up trying to understand why. When it is time, it is time, you can't stop it. Just be grateful that she allowed you in her life and that you did all you could do to make that life, however short, the best a dog could want. Peace and prayers are with you.
Little Pixie is waiting for her new friends.
Today has been a bad day. It appears that the cancer has returned on my other one, my diva. And she appears to be going down quickly, no interest when she goes out and she is hound, always wanting to smell everything. Pixie may have her hands full with both of them. I'm beside myself.
I am just so sorry, and I am so sorry Baywatch about your Lady. I had wanted to post that before but I very selfishly am obsessed with my own situation.
This sounds like the same situation with me. My first little guy who had literally been by my side for 15 years died and I said not another for a long time.
I sent a memorial picture of him to a friend at a shelter, and of course she called with this needy little one that had shown up on her hands. OK, I'll pick her up. I did.
I thought I would have her for at least 15 years. 9 1/2years is just too short, but as Honesty said it was her time.
Honesty, I am so sorry. This must be beyond painful.
We went through a period of time when those we had adopted all came to the ends of their lives at once, cats and dogs. I was beside myself. The decline was slow for several. Nothing specific, just decline.
"With my big guy, there can be surgery and chemo but it doesn't give him much more time than he already has. I won't put him through that"
I vowed some time ago that I would never put my pets through this. People can intellectually understand but a pet just feels worse and to me that doesn't help anything. Why make their last days or months worse, as well as more frightening and stressful. I agree with you totally.
Someone in my area had a golden that of course developed cancer at a young age- thank you breeders (sarcasm!) for creating a genetic basket case in these dogs like so many others. The man is very self-centered and he let that dog go on and on until well past time to be humane. I was pissed at his vet for letting this go on for so long, but that guy only counts his incoming dollars, not his professional dignity. (Did you ever read what Auburn was doing in their vet research program making those dogs suffer with kidney or liver disease research?)
My thought and prayers are with you. This is beyond unfair.
Thank you everyone, your kind words and understanding is very much appreciated.
I want my dogs to go with their dignity still in tact. My son peed in the floor last night, I know how much this upset him. He's a very sensitive guy and this hurt him. He's always been so proud of himself about being obedient and his tricks. My diva was always a very athletic dog and now she is falling going up the steps, can't get herself up. They know something is wrong, they can no longer be how they see themselves.
It's dignity in death that we must accept. Can we keep them with us longer by using extreme measures? Sure we can, but is that the right thing to do? Is it right to wait until they are losing control of their bodily functions or walking around as drugged out zombies? No it isn't. Anon, in an odd way your baby was lucky, she went fast. I had hoped mine would die in their sleep but that is not to be. I want mine to go with dignity like yours did, living life the way it should be lived until the end.
I am so sorry you are going through this, and I commend you for allowing them to go with dignity. Too often I have seen pet owners trying to stop the inevitable with chemo and what not, or watching their pet suffer because they feel it is too painful for them to put their pet to sleep, regardless of the pain it causes the pet. All I ever wanted was for my boy to go in his sleep, and in a way he did, just not how I imagined it. But we were able to cuddle him to sleep and he didn't stir much when the vet came back into the room, already had an IV in his arm, and he went as peacefully as he deserved after a rough early life. He was 12, I had cared for him for 8 years, and he is still constantly in my thoughts, but in a good way. The animals that walk into our lives, no matter how they get there, we are blessed to have them. And they leave us to make room for another that needs a home.
You and your family will be in my thoughts, enjoy the time you have with them.
Honesty, I am so sorry to interrupt your private time, but I wanted to point out the killing and slaughter by the Michael Vick Vicktory pit bulls at Best Friends
http://blog
.dogsbite.
org/2010/10
/yard-accident
-at-best-
friends-involving
.html
http://
blogs.
bestfriends.
org
/index.php/
2010/10/11
/sad-news
-from-
dogtown/
I suspect this should be saved as it might disappear as they try to make more money. The comments by the psychos are unreal.
Anon, DBO sent it to me when it was posted and my response was it's about time or actually long overdue. Something else must have happened if they actually announced it to the world. I doubt they did it without there being a motive.
I also suspect that other things have happened but those who adopted were probably paid off to keep silent about it. I wondered if the adoption contract has a clause about silence.
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