Saying good bye
 

I love pet ownership all the way until the final few days. My chocolate lab Joey woke up Saturday and couldn't pick himself up. We took him to the vet on Sunday and the vet said it was 50/50 that the drugs could do the trick. He gave us a steroid to be used twice a day for three days and if we didn't see any improvement, we'd have to put him down next Sunday.

Well, this morning, he seems to be worse. He can barely move his front legs now. We'll give the drugs another day or two, but it looks like the inevitable will happen. It's just so damned amazing how attached you get to these guys. (unless you are Michael Vick)

When it came to human food, Joey only had one weakness, Papa John's Garlic sauce. You could put a double cheeseburger in front of him, go to the bathroom and come back and see him simply salivating over the burger, but not touching it. The Garlic sauce? It'd be gone with the pizza untouched.

So to say good bye, I'll be ordering some Papa Johns tonight (I'm not a huge fan of their pizza, but this one's for Joey) with a few things of extra garlic sauce. That's the way I will say good bye. He'll get a few garlic sauce containers, a big hug, and I'll say good bye to an old friend.

He appreciates your friendship just as much as you've appreciated his. Lucky dog.

That poor guy. Give him lots of garlic sauce and hugs tonight.

Very touching.

Give him a hug for me, Troy.

How long have you had him?

Great send off, Troy.

Hang in there.

Since he was a puppy. Over 12 years.

Sorry to hear that Troy - that's a very nice thought to get him the sauce

Allow me to interject with a pet story that is related.

I now have 3 Miniature Pinschers, but I started with one - Pharaoh.

He has always been somewhat a fan of people food (even though he gets it VERY rarely), but his big weakness is pizza.

So when he was about 2 (he's 9 now), my wife was studying abroad in Australia, and I had a bunch of buddies over to play video games.

So, we ordered Papa John's and then went into the living room to have at it with the video games.

I hear a rustle in the dining room. I go in and look.

Pharaoh managed to get on his hind legs, grab the edge of the pizza box, and pull.

He was busy licking all over himself because, you guessed it, the garlic sauce landed square on his head. He had garlic sauce all OVER the place.

Anyway - your story reminded me of that.

Sorry to hear about Joey :(.

Touching story

Thoughts & prayers, as well as my sincere sympathy & condolences, I know how brutal this kind of thing can be.

Sorry to hear about your situation. Losing a beloved pet is always hard.

Sorry, dude.

Sorry to hear, it's always really hard to say goodbye.

Sorry about Joey, Troy. Treasure your last days with him.

That's a great story. My wife and I have a min pin (who loves my wife and tolerates me) and an Italian Greyhound at our condo.

Joey lived with me in Oklahoma. When I moved back to Colorado, he lived with my dad. (I have always been within 5 minutes away, and see him at least 4 or 5 times a week)

Probably my funniest memory of Joey was coming home one time in Oklahoma and finding the trash strung all over the kitchen. Joey was in the center of this pile of mess and runs to the door with his tail between his legs. I look at what he was chewing on. . . and it was a single thing of the garlic sauce. There was a quarter of a deli sandwich right next to the garlic sauce, untouched.

I laughed so hard I couldn't even scold him. He wanted that damned garlic sauce and he got it.

Sorry to hear that...dogs are great friends

Man, so sorry for you. All my emotions for my dog just came running back through me.

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That was from my cat Milo.

Very tough Troy.. sad news, but it sounds like he's lived a great life with a great owner. Garlic sauce until he says stop!

:(

So sorry to hear, Troy.

Sorry Troy. The garlic sauce is definitely a great idea though.

Touching and sad story. He's been a lucky dog to have such a loving owner.

Extremely touching. I have a chocolate lab named Lola and this reminds me to not get upset with her about the meaningless stuff.

Thanks and hang in there.

So sorry to hear this. I have 2 1\2 year old chocolate lab and yes they truly become a part of your life. We try to make a good life for our dog but IMHO she gives us so much more than we give her.

My fingers are crossed that the "full 3 day treatment" could still end up making her well. If not, you will know you did what you could and, you gave each other many good times.

My thoughts are with you and Joey.

I wished dogs lived much, much longer. :(

Sorry Troy. My condolences.

Our thoughts are with you. Our first Cardigan Corgi had a similar issue, only when he was about five years old. We went the steroid route, and had some small success, but then were faced with essentially putting him down, back surgery, or trying to keep him going with a paralyzed back end. We ended up plunking down $3k for back surgery. He just turned 13, and has some balance and rear end weakness and loss of sensation. That surgery gave him a new lease on life, and has allowed us to enjoy his loving presence in our home all these years since.

Given Joey's age, surgery doesn't seem an option. He knows you love him, just let him go with dignity and respect. We're thinking of you.

+1.........my golden, Cooter is now 10 years old. I dread the day this happens, and I know it will. Glad Joey gets to go out with some of his favorite.

Yeah - this is a good idea...the whole last meal thing.

I'll have to remember that in a couple years when my parent's lil pup really gets up there...

I agree. The last meal idea is great.

It really is amazing how attached you can get to them. I went to Chicago this past weekend. My wife went as well, but she left Thursday and I left Friday. We ended up having to board our dog on Thursday, because I couldn't get back from work earlier enough to get him, through Monday, we didn't get back until late Sunday night.

Spending Thursday and Sunday night in our house without the dog around was so odd and unsettling to me, that I woke up at 6:30 this morning, drove to his daycare/boarding place, picked him up when they opened at 7 am and drove him back home so I could spend an hour or so in the morning with him. Well worth it, considering, after I took him for his morning walk, I spent the rest of morning drinking coffee on the couch with my dog curled up next to me, his head on my lap. Didn't make into work until almost 10:00 am.

Soon as I know I'm financially stable I think I'll get a lil guy in my apartment.

Sorry for your soon to be loss man. "Pets" truly are members of the family, and their loss is felt just as hard as if you lost a person close to you. My kitty is seven, and if something happened to him now, I'd lose it. I can't imagine what's going to happen when that inevitable day does come....

sigh

Make a video of him lapping up the sauce. Call it "Something for Joey" (without John Cappalletti). You'll have a reminder of just what a great friend he's been.

Great idea. Man, with video cameras on cellphones these days, this kind of stuff is so damn easy.

I just wanted to thank everyone for their thoughts and well wishes. It's what separates this board from any other I've ever been on.

Joey did not improve on the steroids at all. He even got worse, losing the ability to even sit up with his front legs.

Tonight we called the vet, gave him his five containers of garlic sauce (which he simply devoured. He actually tried to chew on each container when he was done licking it up.)

We then loaded him up and put him to rest. When he went to the vets, he actually seemed at peace. I gave him his (and my) hug and it was over.

Thanks again for all of the thoughts.

RIP old pal.

I'm sorry to hear, Troy.

Awww.

Was happy when I didn't see this thread bumped for a couple days, and just got tears in my eyes when I saw you bumped it Troy.

My condolences.

Sounds like you sent him off to a better place in the best way possible though, and I'm sure he appreciated it.

My condolences, Troy.

Sorry for your loss

{bows head in silence & sadness}

Very sorry Troy.

You did him well. My condolences.

Damn. Sorry for your loss.

Sorry for your loss.

Man, that's sad. Sorry to see this, Troy. Know that Joey had a wonderful life, and your love for each other was the entire reason for it.

Very sorry to hear Troy. You gave him a great live and he obviously gave just as much joy back to you.

Reading all this has me in tears and I can't imagine what you are going through. Condolences and prayers......RIP Joey.

So sorry. Last September, we lost Tomo but we had one final night to say goodbye. She went crazy for popcorn so she got all she wanted that night. Sadly, it was not very much. We slept on the floor next to her. Very glad we had the chance to say goodbye no mater how hard it was.

The Last Battle

If it should be that I grow frail and weak,
And pain should keep me from my sleep,
Then will you do what must be done,
For this, the last battle, can't be won.

You will be sad I understand,
But don't let grief then stay your hand,
For on this day, more than the rest,
Your love and friendship must stand the test.

We have had so many happy years,
You wouldn't want me to suffer so.
When the time comes, please, let me go.

Take me to where to my needs they'll tend,
Only, stay with me till the end

And hold me firm and speak to me,
Until my eyes no longer see.
I know in time you will agree,
It is a kindness you do to me.

Although my tail its last has waved,
From pain and suffering I have been saved.

Don't grieve that it must be you,
Who has to decide this thing to do;
We've been so close,we two, these years,
Don't let your heart hold any tears.

Author Unknown

Sorry Troy, at least you got to be there with him until the end. I remember going through it with Bernie in April and is was one of the worst days of my life. It still hurts sometimes but I know it was the right thing for him. The worst thing I could have done was drag it on for my own selfishness.

And I love the part about the garlic sauce, at the end Bernie was to sick to eat his favorite people food, pizza crusts, the only people food we ever gave him. It broke my heart when he wouldn't even pick up his head to sniff them. Godspeed to Joey, him and Bernie are in heaven somewhere, ordering Papa Johns and eating to their hearts content.

And sharing!!! Crusts for Bernie and garlic sauce for Joey!!