DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post

**joanasevilyboaz** · 06-01-2011, 04:35 PM

Since Beau is getting older, I've been thinking more about how life is going to be without him. He's been in my life since I was 15 years old, I've had him since he was a pup, he was the FIRST dog that was truly MINE. And here he is 8 years old and going gray in the face on me. He's starting to slow down as well and I had a scare with him a few days ago when it seemed like he injured his back, but he's back to 100% now. And it got me to thinking, he's older now and he's NOT getting any younger and I love that damn smelly ass, loud ass, jackass more then life itself. But I know his day is coming closer each day that passes and it's been kinda weighing down on my shoulders lately.

Do you guys think of this as your dogs get older, do you think about when that time comes? Does it bother you at all like it does me?

Thats a good question but for me its difficult to answer. The first dog I ever lost she was 10 when I adopted her, so already a senior. I had her for 4 years before he kidneys started failing. The last year of her life we kind of knew it was coming. But we had such a short time together and we were just enjoying everyday we had together it really wasn't something I thought about or feared until I guess the week she really got sick. When I woke up on the day she died, I was afraid to get out of bed. I was home alone just me and here and I was afraid I'd go out to where her crate (she had to be crated at the end when we were asleep or when we weren't home because she couldn't hold her bladder very well) and I was afraid I would find her dead. She wasn't dead but she was close to it. The vet had just checked her out a month prior and she as fine. But she was falling down the stairs when I took her out to potty and she tried so hard but she couldn't even potty. I knew it was time. I had just turned 19. The day prior was my last day of highschool, I was to graduate that friday. I got her the summer before I started high school. She was my rock in my highschool years. So it was very hard for me. We took her to the vet and he determined there was no kidney function and we had to put her down. I still miss her every day and its been over 5 years.

My most recent dog to pass though was Trouble. And he was only 2 and a half years old when he died. We were just grateful for every day we had him. He was a little miracle. They still don't know how he survived delivery and with all his health issues, we were told we should have lost him the first time he got sick just shy of a year old. They did not expect him to live. Then at 1 and a half he got sick again and they wanted us to completely isolate him from the world. I wasn't going to do that. Would it have made him live longer? Maybe but it would have drove him mad. He was a social animal and he needed to socialize. And he lived a very full year after that. He did a lot more than a lot of dogs do. He was something else. That heart was working double time the vet told us. I just He just knew he had to get all that living and loving in he could while he could. I promised him we would fight this as long as he was willing to, and he did give up there at the end. His last few days he wasn't Trouble anymore. He looked at us and he gave me that look my other poodle that died (the one I had in highschool) gave me when she didn't have any fight left in her. I'll tell you though its much different when a 14 year old gives you that "I'm ready to go" look than when a 2 year old gives you that look.
When a 2 year old high energy once very happy dog gives you that look you know its bad, you know what he is feeling is bad. It was harder to lose him because he was so young and you still wonder if there was something you could do. Or if we had held out a little longer maybe there could have been a better treatment than they kept giving him. But he was ready to go home. And he did his job here. We knew it was coming for a long time. We often wondered what it would be like without him. We got him before we got married. He had been our dog longer than we were even married. He was very special to us. It was hard for all of us, including Sasha. He had been there her whole life even and she didn't know how to act without him. I think she always relied on him a bit too much. So its been a process. But you know what he is better now and no longer in pain. We knew for a long time we were going to lose him, but we were in denial as to how soon. So it kind of took us by surprise when the day came.

I think every situation is different when losing a pet, but the hurt is always the same.

Just enjoy every day you have with Beau. Make it count. You never know when there time will be up. Then again we don't know when our time is going to be up either. Try not to dwell on the negative. You have him now. Live for today, try not to worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow isn't in our control anyway.

I still say "I could just have one more day with him I would have treated him like a king. If I knew he was going to die that day, I would have gave him 100 more hugs and a thousand more kisses. I would have given him the best day out ever and I would have let him eat whatever he wanted" But we never know.

06-01-2011, 04:35 PM	#14
joanasevilyboaz Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 394 Senior Member	Since Beau is getting older, I've been thinking more about how life is going to be without him. He's been in my life since I was 15 years old, I've had him since he was a pup, he was the FIRST dog that was truly MINE. And here he is 8 years old and going gray in the face on me. He's starting to slow down as well and I had a scare with him a few days ago when it seemed like he injured his back, but he's back to 100% now. And it got me to thinking, he's older now and he's NOT getting any younger and I love that damn smelly ass, loud ass, jackass more then life itself. But I know his day is coming closer each day that passes and it's been kinda weighing down on my shoulders lately. Do you guys think of this as your dogs get older, do you think about when that time comes? Does it bother you at all like it does me? Thats a good question but for me its difficult to answer. The first dog I ever lost she was 10 when I adopted her, so already a senior. I had her for 4 years before he kidneys started failing. The last year of her life we kind of knew it was coming. But we had such a short time together and we were just enjoying everyday we had together it really wasn't something I thought about or feared until I guess the week she really got sick. When I woke up on the day she died, I was afraid to get out of bed. I was home alone just me and here and I was afraid I'd go out to where her crate (she had to be crated at the end when we were asleep or when we weren't home because she couldn't hold her bladder very well) and I was afraid I would find her dead. She wasn't dead but she was close to it. The vet had just checked her out a month prior and she as fine. But she was falling down the stairs when I took her out to potty and she tried so hard but she couldn't even potty. I knew it was time. I had just turned 19. The day prior was my last day of highschool, I was to graduate that friday. I got her the summer before I started high school. She was my rock in my highschool years. So it was very hard for me. We took her to the vet and he determined there was no kidney function and we had to put her down. I still miss her every day and its been over 5 years. My most recent dog to pass though was Trouble. And he was only 2 and a half years old when he died. We were just grateful for every day we had him. He was a little miracle. They still don't know how he survived delivery and with all his health issues, we were told we should have lost him the first time he got sick just shy of a year old. They did not expect him to live. Then at 1 and a half he got sick again and they wanted us to completely isolate him from the world. I wasn't going to do that. Would it have made him live longer? Maybe but it would have drove him mad. He was a social animal and he needed to socialize. And he lived a very full year after that. He did a lot more than a lot of dogs do. He was something else. That heart was working double time the vet told us. I just He just knew he had to get all that living and loving in he could while he could. I promised him we would fight this as long as he was willing to, and he did give up there at the end. His last few days he wasn't Trouble anymore. He looked at us and he gave me that look my other poodle that died (the one I had in highschool) gave me when she didn't have any fight left in her. I'll tell you though its much different when a 14 year old gives you that "I'm ready to go" look than when a 2 year old gives you that look. When a 2 year old high energy once very happy dog gives you that look you know its bad, you know what he is feeling is bad. It was harder to lose him because he was so young and you still wonder if there was something you could do. Or if we had held out a little longer maybe there could have been a better treatment than they kept giving him. But he was ready to go home. And he did his job here. We knew it was coming for a long time. We often wondered what it would be like without him. We got him before we got married. He had been our dog longer than we were even married. He was very special to us. It was hard for all of us, including Sasha. He had been there her whole life even and she didn't know how to act without him. I think she always relied on him a bit too much. So its been a process. But you know what he is better now and no longer in pain. We knew for a long time we were going to lose him, but we were in denial as to how soon. So it kind of took us by surprise when the day came. I think every situation is different when losing a pet, but the hurt is always the same. Just enjoy every day you have with Beau. Make it count. You never know when there time will be up. Then again we don't know when our time is going to be up either. Try not to dwell on the negative. You have him now. Live for today, try not to worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow isn't in our control anyway. I still say "I could just have one more day with him I would have treated him like a king. If I knew he was going to die that day, I would have gave him 100 more hugs and a thousand more kisses. I would have given him the best day out ever and I would have let him eat whatever he wanted" But we never know.
	Quote