Today I lost my hero. Last night my 14 year old Siberian husky/German Sheppard had a spell, I was feeding him and he was fine. I turned to walk away and heard a thud,I turned around and he was having a seizure. I was so shocked I dropped to the ground to comfort him. He laid there for maybe 20 seconds then got up real slow,shook his head and began eating again. I was freaking out,because it was so sudden and he seemed fine. So I took him in on the porch, and called a friend who happens to be a vet technition. She thought maybe it was his heart. So the first thing this mourning I took him to the vet and dropped him off,because I had to work. He was extremely aggressive towards them, and they had problems getting near enough to check him. He is aggressive to others, and I think he would probably kill somebody, if they tried to harm me in any way.One time a neighbor tried to approach me from behind, when I was working in the garden,needless to say that neighbor never did that again.LOL!!! Anyway they sedated him and found heart worms. They said with the heavy amount of the worms and his age (14) it was best to put him to sleep. I'm a firm believer in not letting my animals suffer, after work I had him put to sleep,it was hard to do,but it was the right thing to do. I'm going to miss him and really don't feel very safe without him. It was an adjustment moving to the country and being by myself at night,but Mugsy always made me feel safe. I decided on private cremation. I'm really going to miss my Mugsy Man. :'( :'( :no: :no:
Of course you are! Dex, I'm so sorry for your loss and it's good that you didn't let him suffer. He wouldn't have had the quality of life that he enjoyed at all.
As difficult as it is to think of another dog right now, you may wanna consider one soon. Considering the safe feeling, you might even want to consider a grown pound dog, that will be devoted to you because you'd be offering them a second chance and a loving home. Just a thought.
When I lost my best friend (years ago), my 1st dog as an adult and single person, and it was a year or so before I could even bond with a dog. We got a black lab months after that and that crazy dog loved me more than anything. I couldn't feel anything towards him and he could sense it I think. He became my shadow (even though he was my son's dog) and he was so protective that no one could come in my room at night. Not even my son's father, if I was already asleep. LOL Thinking back now, perhaps I should have paid attention to the dog. LOL
I'm sorry for your loss Dexter. I know it's difficult.
Quote from: MsMojo on May 18, 2007, 10:45:29 PM
Of course you are! Dex, I'm so sorry for your loss and it's good that you didn't let him suffer. He wouldn't have had the quality of life that he enjoyed at all.
As difficult as it is to think of another dog right now, you may wanna consider one soon. Considering the safe feeling, you might even want to consider a grown pound dog, that will be devoted to you because you'd be offering them a second chance and a loving home. Just a thought.
When I lost my best friend (years ago), my 1st dog as an adult and single person, and it was a year or so before I could even bond with a dog. We got a black lab months after that and that crazy dog loved me more than anything. I couldn't feel anything towards him and he could sense it I think. He became my shadow (even though he was my son's dog) and he was so protective that no one could come in my room at night. Not even my son's father, if I was already asleep. LOL Thinking back now, perhaps I should have paid attention to the dog. LOL
I'm sorry for your loss Dexter. I know it's difficult.
Thanks! We still have Pugsly, but he's the type of dog that knows no enemies LOL!! We always say, he'd help the burglars to their car with our stuff. He's a good dog, but not a watch dog. Pugsly is (11) so I suppose I should prepare myself for his passing too. My husband always says, I take the death of animal ,worse than when a person dies. He's right. I had quite a time holding it together at work today. :'( :'( It's hard to face the public when you've got that on your mind. It'll be rough for a while,at supper time when I feed the cats, I always yelled to him "Moms getting yours next Mugsy" I started to yell it tonight but he wasn't there of course. So it'll be an adjustment for sure. :yes: :yes:
A friend of mine, who posts here sometimes, Moondance27...shares this link with people from time to time, when they've lost a friend. It's very touching, but helpful and on a tissue scale, probably about 5 tissues, so view with caution.
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html
Quote from: MsMojo on May 19, 2007, 03:01:55 AM
A friend of mine, who posts here sometimes, Moondance27...shares this link with people from time to time, when they've lost a friend. It's very touching, but helpful and on a tissue scale, probably about 5 tissues, so view with caution.
http://www.indigo.org/rainbowbridge_ver2.html
I've been to the Rainbow Bridge site before. It is sad and comforting at the same time. It helps to know others share the love of animals. Some people think it's strange, to consider a pet as a family member. When you don't and cant have children, your pets become your children. Pugsly just realized that Mugsy is gone. I don't know how much sunk in???? He's kind of slow on the uptake.Two years after we got Pugsly, our vets office called and told us that the pet store we bought him from, had bought all their puppies, from puppy mills. It explains allot about his behavior. He never learns anything (I'm not kidding) he doesn't absorb anything. We never have been able to potty train him. He is crate trained, but still has accidents, from time to time. I have extreme patience with him,I don't spank him or punish him, because I know he cant help it. :no: :no: My husband says" Pugsly's lucky I got him, because he's so stupid, anybody else would have killed him." I'm just glad I did get him. It makes me sad to think what someone else might have done to him. :'( :'(
Pugsley is very lucky, Dex. You and my daughter would become fast friends. I love animals. I grew up on a farm and even though we were taught that farm animals were NOT pets, I felt that way about them anyway. At one point, I had a dozen stray dogs. Mom made me keep them outside and eventually they usually wandered off again, but for a while they were mine.
My daughter has this extreme love for animals and their welfare. She created signs on her own and hung them by the curb to tell people not to abuse animals. That's after our newest addition, her puppy, was rescued from a puppy mill. He's smart as a whip though. We went to an environmental fair and she broke down in tears at the customs booth when she saw what people kill wild animals for.
They are family and anyone with a pet feels that, I think.
Sorry to hear about the loss of your companion Dex. I know it can sometimes be as hard to lose an animal as it is to lose a human.
Any plans on getting another Sheppard?
Quote from: MsMojo on May 19, 2007, 01:26:39 PM
Pugsley is very lucky, Dex. You and my daughter would become fast friends. I love animals. I grew up on a farm and even though we were taught that farm animals were NOT pets, I felt that way about them anyway. At one point, I had a dozen stray dogs. Mom made me keep them outside and eventually they usually wandered off again, but for a while they were mine.
My daughter has this extreme love for animals and their welfare. She created signs on her own and hung them by the curb to tell people not to abuse animals. That's after our newest addition, her puppy, was rescued from a puppy mill. He's smart as a whip though. We went to an environmental fair and she broke down in tears at the customs booth when she saw what people kill wild animals for.
They are family and anyone with a pet feels that, I think.
I don't think I'd be alive, if I didn't have my pets and my husband. They are just my everything. :yes: :yes: I find that my cats are an extreme sense of comfort to me. If I have a bad day at work,the minute I see my cats its lifted from me. They run to the car when I pull in,something like a welcoming committee. LOL!!! I've got a Tom, that runs half way down the driveway to meet me,more times then not, I have to get out and put him in the car with me,because he stands in the middle of the driveway, and wont move. Sometimes I let him drive the rest of the way. I feel the same way as your daughter,about the senseless slaughter of animals. I absolutely hate hunting as a sport. If a person has to feed their family,I understand.When a person goes out to kill animals for fun, or to have trophies, that totally makes me sick. I wonder how they would feel being chased down, and shot or speared with an arrow??? That stuff makes me see red. It might sound severe, but thats how I feel. I live near 2 hog confinements, everytime I go by them I feel sick, and this is everyday. I've often entertained the idea of sneaking in some night and freeing them all. Boy, would I be in a world of hurt, if I got caught. They'd have my ass in a sling. :pigfly: :pigfly:
do you have any pictures you could share in his me?mory
Quote from: Locutus on May 19, 2007, 01:35:55 PM
Sorry to hear about the loss of your companion Dex. I know it can sometimes be as hard to lose an animal as it is to lose a human.
Any plans on getting another Sheppard?
Thanks!!! As far as I know,we're not planning on getting another dog. We had to keep him on a chain,because he was too big for the house. I hate having to chain a dog up. We thought when we moved to the country, we'd be able to let him loose,unfortunately we have cattle on all sides. We were fearful he might run cattle,so he had to be tied up and we hated it. So after Pugsly is gone we probably wont get another dog. I've always had a dog. I had mixed breed Terrier for 14 years. One day I went to work,she seemed fine, just panting allot. I set up a fan for her,told her I loved her and went to work. That night I had a meeting,got called away for an emergency phone call, it was my husband he says " you need to come home,Chablis dead." My God what a shock !!! I left the meeting,I remember getting in the car,putting on my seat belt,and putting the key in the ignition,the next thing I remember is pulling into my driveway. I couldn't tell my husband what route I came home, because I don't know.I don't remember the ride home at all. Somebody else was driving my car that night,and it sure as hell wasn't me. Sorry this was long winded,I cant shut my typing fingers off. LOL!!! I do that allot.
:( Sorry for your loss, I've lost a couple of dogs I've cared for over the years. That initial shock is never easy.
Quote from: ~Daisy~ on May 19, 2007, 02:03:05 PM
do you have any pictures you could share in his me?mory
I've got some pictures of him,but I'm not computer savvy enough to put them on. LOL!!! Maybe my husband can help me with it later. I cant tell you he was a handsome guy. He was black and tan with some silver looking highlights. He was huge, when I took him in yesterday he weighed 78 pounds. I had quite a time lifting him into the car to take him to the vet. My husband just stood there and watched me struggle him into the car (what an asswipe).LOL!!! :devil4:
Quote from: pariann on May 19, 2007, 02:23:58 PM
:( Sorry for your loss, I've lost a couple of dogs I've cared for over the years. That initial shock is never easy.
Thanks!! I'm really glad he didn't drag on. It was real sudden. I just had one of my special needs cats put to sleep a month ago. So things were calming down,now there's more upset.My special needs cat Pig Pen was rejected by his mother at 3 weeks old. He had an under developed rectal muscle. So basically he had serious problems going to the bathroom. I gave him Laxotone daily and he grew out of it. He wasn't sick or anything, we had him neutered,he was thriving and gaining weight. Seemed fine,one morning I got up for work,it seemed he was having trouble breathing,so I took him to the vet. They did blood work and x-rays and found out he had a humongous tumor in his lung. The vet said maybe this was why the mother cat rejected him,maybe he was born with the tumor. He was a year old. I had him put to sleep that day,because there was nothing they could do. My husband took this one worse than any one before. Pig Pen sucked on his paw,much like a child sucking his thumb. Every night after supper he'd jump into my husbands lap, and nurse his paw. My husband still has difficulties with it all. He wont even talk about him. If I mention him he changes the subject. I'm sorry I'm rambling again. The only bad part to having animals, is letting them go when it's time.
I hope Mugsy r.i.p., Dexter. :'( I am sorry that you're without his companionship...but, you seem to have a great grasp on the cycle of life.
*hugs* to you.
Quote from: Sunny on May 19, 2007, 09:32:51 PM
I hope Mugsy r.i.p., Dexter. :'( I am sorry that you're without his companionship...but, you seem to have a great grasp on the cycle of life.
*hugs* to you.
Thanks!!! :smile: I don't know about that grasp on life thing. The hardest thing for me to accept is a pets death. It really messes with my head (big time)!!! Usually for a few days, after one of them dies,( this sounds crazy) but I'll keep thinking I hear them crying. :'( :'( Three times today I thought I heard Mugsy's dog chain clanking outside. It sounds stupid I know, but the death of a pet,really hurts me deeply. It's kind of like a part of me goes with them. It'll get better but the first few days are pretty hard. Luckily, I don't go back to work until Tuesday, so I've got time, before I go back to the grind.LOL!!! I think I made a rhyme.
Quote from: MsMojo on May 19, 2007, 01:26:39 PM
Pugsley is very lucky, Dex. You and my daughter would become fast friends. I love animals. I grew up on a farm and even though we were taught that farm animals were NOT pets, I felt that way about them anyway. At one point, I had a dozen stray dogs. Mom made me keep them outside and eventually they usually wandered off again, but for a while they were mine.
My daughter has this extreme love for animals and their welfare. She created signs on her own and hung them by the curb to tell people not to abuse animals. That's after our newest addition, her puppy, was rescued from a puppy mill. He's smart as a whip though. We went to an environmental fair and she broke down in tears at the customs booth when she saw what people kill wild animals for.
They are family and anyone with a pet feels that, I think.
MsMojo,I just got your message. I forget to check my messages. Thank you so much for your kind words. I really enjoy your posts and enjoy being a part of this forum. Everybody on here is AWESOME!!! :yes: :yes: I'm so glad somebody posted the link to this forum, on the Indianapolis newspaper forum. This is a great place to "talk" to good people. I really look forward to getting on here.When I get home from work, after I let Pugsly out to potty,the first thing I do, is get on the computer and come here. LOL!!! I'm addicted to The Unknown Zone!!!! :bliss: Thanks so much,Sheila :smile:
Quote from: Dexter Morgan on May 19, 2007, 11:23:24 PM
Thanks!!! :smile: I don't know about that grasp on life thing. The hardest thing for me to accept is a pets death. It really messes with my head (big time)!!! Usually for a few days, after one of them dies,( this sounds crazy) but I'll keep thinking I hear them crying. :'( :'( Three times today I thought I heard Mugsy's dog chain clanking outside. It sounds stupid I know, but the death of a pet,really hurts me deeply. It's kind of like a part of me goes with them. It'll get better but the first few days are pretty hard. Luckily, I don't go back to work until Tuesday, so I've got time, before I go back to the grind.LOL!!! I think I made a rhyme.
Has the thought ever crossed your mind that what you are hearing may not be your imagination? But their way of letting you know that even though they are gone, they are still with you, to comfort you, until you get a little more used to their passing. Yes, I'm one of the kook's that does believe that all living beings have spirits and that they can communicate with us from the other side. (Personal experience in that area.)
Quote from: pariann on May 19, 2007, 11:49:49 PM
Has the thought ever crossed your mind that what you are hearing may not be your imagination? But their way of letting you know that even though they are gone, they are still with you, to comfort you, until you get a little more used to their passing. Yes, I'm one of the kook's that does believe that all living beings have spirits and that they can communicate with us from the other side. (Personal experience in that area.)
I don't think you're a "kook" at all. :biggrin: I'm a firm believer that everything has a spirit too. :yes: :yes: This sounds crazy, but in October of last year,I had to have my 13 year old Tom cat Kato put to sleep. He had feline Leukemia. At the moment of his death,he let out a gasp of air, we were face to face when this happened. At the time that he let out that gasp,it scared me so bad that I gasped too,and I think his spirit jumped to me. I know that sounds completely insane!!!! I have a spiritual connection to animals,I don't know why.I cant read their mind or anything like that LOL!!!, but allot of times I can read them by how they act towards me. Sometimes when they stare at me,its like I know what they want. So it's some sort of a connection. I can tell when they're depressed. They have allot of the same emotions as humans,but most people don't take the time to notice.
I had a dog, her name was BB. She was probably only the second animal I ever had that I could read her moods.
(http://homeworkersonpc.net/incoming/bb.jpg)
Quote from: pariann on May 20, 2007, 07:30:48 PM
I had a dog, her name was BB. She was probably only the second animal I ever had that I could read her moods.
(http://homeworkersonpc.net/incoming/bb.jpg)
She's beautiful. :yes: :yes: You must feel the connection to animals like I do. Do you still have her???
aww... sorry for your loss, dex. :'(
Quote from: ~vxn~ on May 21, 2007, 11:32:01 AM
aww... sorry for your loss, dex. :'(
Thanks!!! :smile: It's getting a little better now. :yes: The worst part is when I go outside. :no: :no: Yesterday, I pruned my roses, and harvested some of my cat nip, it was hard, because I kept looking, towards his dog house,and he wasn't there. :no: :no: I know it will get easier,in days to come. I imagine when his ashes are ready,it'll be real bad again. :'( :'(
Quote from: Dexter Morgan on May 20, 2007, 09:14:26 PM
She's beautiful. :yes: :yes: You must feel the connection to animals like I do. Do you still have her???
Being the mom of human children, when she started behaving badly with my last child I had to let her go. So I no longer have her, I hope she is with a family that loves her as much as we did. If she hasn't passed on, she should be about 12 years old now, we got her when she was a puppy and kept her until she was 8. I didn't understand it, but when my youngest was born she had a really bad jealous streak going and she would go upstairs and make messes. When it got to where she was growling at the baby, I was afraid she might actually hurt her. She always got along with all children, and was a very good watch dog. I don't know what the deal was with my youngest.
Quote from: pariann on May 21, 2007, 01:33:17 PM
Being the mom of human children, when she started behaving badly with my last child I had to let her go. So I no longer have her, I hope she is with a family that loves her as much as we did. If she hasn't passed on, she should be about 12 years old now, we got her when she was a puppy and kept her until she was 8. I didn't understand it, but when my youngest was born she had a really bad jealous streak going and she would go upstairs and make messes. When it got to where she was growling at the baby, I was afraid she might actually hurt her. She always got along with all children, and was a very good watch dog. I don't know what the deal was with my youngest.
You did the right thing by getting rid of her. :yes: She really could've injured or killed your child. Animals are unpredictable when it comes to children. Some like them and some don't. Many years ago we rescued a Weimeranner from a shelter. If somebody made eye contact with her, she turned very threatening. One day a little girl that lived next to us,came over to visit,that dog tried to attack her, because she made eye contact. She didn't hurt her or bite her,but it scared us both to death. Needless to say, the shelter got her back ,because I didn't want an aggressive dog. So I'm glad you got rid of her ,before she did any damage. I'm sure it was a hard decision to make,especially when you had had her that long. She might still be alive ,some of them live to a very old age.
Today I picked up Mugsy's ashes at the vets office. I'm not sure when I will bury them. The vets office over charged me $150.00.I had no idea that I over paid them. They brought it to my attention. They didn't say what I over paid on,but I think they charged me in advance for Champs medical care. I was dissatisfied the last time I took her there,because they told me she hadn't vomited the entire day she was there. I no sooner got her to the car,and she vomited in her carrier. I was not a happy camper to say the least. I took her back in there so fast, that vets head spun. He gave me this story, about how Champ was so excited to see me she threw up. I just stood there and stared a hole through him. Needless to say he gave her another shot and we left and never went back,until today. I will not be taking anymore animals there again.