OT- Man's Best Friend

[Matthew80]

Been there... Like all tough things, time will make it easier, and you'll soon have nothing but happy and funny memories of your beloved pal.

I trust you'll love Sammie up and comfort him tomorrow , which will be very hard to do, I know. But it's what he needs and deserves as family.

[away from my computer, so afraid I can't post pics of my Lucy]

Kudos to you and yours for making the right decision for Sammie despite how dreadful it is.

[Bicem]

Sorry to hear this Brian, have 2 myself and can only imagine how tough it must be.

[wonkaticket]

Sorry to hear this Brian, tough tough thing to deal with.

John

[barrysloate]

I've had to do the same Brian with several pets, and I have an 11 year old cat who is a part of our family. I know how difficult a day it will be. I wish you the best and understand what you are going through. Peace.

[jp1216]

Owning my first dog finally. Grew up with cats. Words can't explain what she means to our family. She is only 2, but I know someday the time will come. Good Luck today Brian. I sense a trip to McDonald's in our plans today...

[yanksfan09]

Sorry to hear this, I've lost dogs before and know how tough it is. Wish you the best.

[Ladder7]

Brian, I've had to say goodbye to four goldens and a beloved old parrot. Each one, I held 'til the bitter end. It never gets easier. When I run by their old beach, I can faintly make out their barks of joy, smile and remember how lucky they were to have a loving family. Life is all about loss and memories. Thanks for sharing your much loved Sammie with us.




Emma 1999-2011

[Vintagecatcher]

Brian,

My thoughts are with you. I inherited my mom's dog about 5 years ago. Unfortunately, she developed diabetes and she wouldn't let me give her insulin injections. I knew putting her down was the right thing to do, because she was suffering, but it didn't make the decision any easier.

Pets are part of our families. It's natural to experience grief at their passing.

Patrick

[vwtdi]

Very sorry Brian. I've been a dog and animal lover my entire life and have always tried to return as much of a portion of the love they give to us as I can. My Jessie has been battling Lyme since she's been adopted and is now facing arthritis..I love her up and cherish every day with her.

[Mark]

Like everybody else, I am sorry to hear about your dog. It is a pretty tough thing to have to do. For me, I suppose it has something to do with the fact that the dog seems innocent of a lot of things, including knowledge of the fact of death. When we had to do it about 7 years ago, when my 12 year old collie was dying of cancer, I tried to remember that we did everything we could to give the old boy as happy a life as possible.

[jbbama]

I know it is a very difficult thing to do, but you are doing the right thing. I had to have my dog put down a couple of years ago, it was hard to do, but i could not watch him suffer anymore. I just wanted you to know you are not alone in your feelings, the loss of a pet is tough. There are many here who understand. Hang in there.

[howard38]

.

[kmac32]

Brian,

Never an easy thing to do. I have put down many pets in my career for various reasons and it never gets any easier. The day it gets easy is the day to leave practice. Rest assured however that it is painless for the pet if done correctly. I usually give the pet a sedative and place an I've catheter if a family member wants to be present.its better for the pet and the family.

Ken McMillan DVM

[ocjack]

I've come to believe that even this is easier for our friend when someone he loves is with him at the end. I've always been there for my pets and always will be, as long as I am able.

It is a peaceful ending, but that doesn't make it easier on us.

Trust that my thoughts are with you.

[nameless]

My condolences.

[CW]

Sorry to hear that, Brian. At least Sammie won't have to go through those bad days anymore, and 11 years is a pretty good life for a dog.

I was scanning some old photos a couple months ago, and dug this one up of me and my childhood dog, Pal, from 1979. She lived to 13 yrs., and it was indeed a tough day when we had to put her down. I was about 17 yrs. old then, and it was the first time I had seen my Dad cry.

And, yes, I definitely knew how to rock the "bowl" haircut back in 1979!

[emmygirl]

scan0011.jpgSorry to hear that Brian.... yes I too have had to put down my very best friend "Emmygirl". Hope you recieve lots of support from family and friends as I did. God Bless, Jim

[dlfallen]

I had to put down our dog, Malcolm, many years ago. I can still remember that day clearly. I wish it would fade . . .

The thing I miss most about Malcolm is sharing breakfast with him. Nearly every morning I would toast two blueberry Pop Tarts. I would eat the centers and Malcolm would eat the crusts. It was a special time for us to start each day. To this day, I cannot walk by a Pop Tart display at the grocery store without thinking of Malcolm. And I don't eat them for breakfast anymore. They just don't taste the same.

[Tabe]

Putting down an animal is never easy. Since we married 17 years ago, my wife and I have had four cats, two of whom we had to put down. The first one, Tugger, was really, really hard. He was "healthy" one day, sick the next, and gone the third when we were told he kidney failure. We both bawled a lot when we lost him. He was the most fiercely loving cat you've ever seen. Greeted you at the door and would demand a piece of your lap as soon as you sat down. We lost Teaser about 18 months ago. We'd had her since right after getting married. She had been blind for a few months but still tore all over the house. We knew she could go at anytime so I started doing things just to make her more comfortable. She responded by simply wanting to be me near me - her favorite thing being to sit on the arm of my recliner while I played video games. When she stopped eating, we knew the time had come. It was tough but we'd had a chance to prepare and knew we were doing the right thing.

I'll be honest with you - there's hardly a day goes by that I don't think of one or both of them.

We have two cats now, one of whom is about 12, maybe 13. I'm gonna be a wreck when I lose him. He & I have had a special connection since the day we got him and he first climbed up on my shoulder.

Tabe

[bh3443]

I really love my two dogs.
I have a real life & death crisis right now, and every day when I get back from the hospital my dogs are waiting. Although they greet me and go crazy, it is so sad to see them look out the door wondering where my wife is............
Here's to all our dogs, past and present!
Regards,
Bill Hedin