So sorry to hear that @Greg Bobkin .
Like you @Greg Bobkin, I was the one in our family who really didn’t want a dog(2005). Nineteen years(4 labradors and 1 St. Bernese) later we’ve not been without a dog since(2 are still with us).I've just read this thread and wanted to say thank you to (nearly) all the contributors for making me feel a bit better tonight.
We had to take Bruno (just under five years old) the cockerpoo to be put to sleep today and I'm in bits because while I know it was completely the right thing to do, I still feel awful.
He broke his back a couple of years ago and we made the decision to go for surgery, partly because he was so young we figured he deserved another chance. He made a decent recovery, but we were warned at the time it could/would happen again. He hadn't been himself for a few weeks recently and was showing a lot of the symptoms he had before and just after his surgery. We knew that something serious was going on. He also had extreme resource guarding issues, which meant caring for him was tougher than for a 'normal' dog and we always had to be on our guard.
We'd said we wouldn't put him through anything else - and he looked at us today at times as if to say 'please help me', so I know we did the right thing (and the vet agreed, having read his history), but that doesn't stop the guilt.
I'll really miss him - and I was the only one of us five Bobkins who didn't actually WANT a dog. But he won me around, became my running buddy and his main partner for walks. Never again - I'm not going through all that again!
So sad but you know you done the right thingI've just read this thread and wanted to say thank you to (nearly) all the contributors for making me feel a bit better tonight.
We had to take Bruno (just under five years old) the cockerpoo to be put to sleep today and I'm in bits because while I know it was completely the right thing to do, I still feel awful.
He broke his back a couple of years ago and we made the decision to go for surgery, partly because he was so young we figured he deserved another chance. He made a decent recovery, but we were warned at the time it could/would happen again. He hadn't been himself for a few weeks recently and was showing a lot of the symptoms he had before and just after his surgery. We knew that something serious was going on. He also had extreme resource guarding issues, which meant caring for him was tougher than for a 'normal' dog and we always had to be on our guard.
We'd said we wouldn't put him through anything else - and he looked at us today at times as if to say 'please help me', so I know we did the right thing (and the vet agreed, having read his history), but that doesn't stop the guilt.
I'll really miss him - and I was the only one of us five Bobkins who didn't actually WANT a dog. But he won me around, became my running buddy and his main partner for walks. Never again - I'm not going through all that again!
Thats brought tears to my eyes, as we did exactly this a few years ago when my mother-in-laws Labrador, Herbie, had reached that point. He couldn't get up off the floor outside the back door as his back legs had gone, so I sat with him until the woman arrived, and he went very peacefully in my arms, in his favourite spot. Horrible at the time, but so much better than taking that final drive to the vets....Nice article on the subject I thought...
Oscar, my beloved dog, has died at 15. A piece of my heart rests with him beneath the pear tree | Emma Beddington
Saying farewell at home was the right thing to do for a dog who hated the vet. Goodbye, sweet gent, and thank you for politely putting up with us for so long, writes Emma Beddingtonwww.theguardian.com
Sorry to read this but you know you have done the right thing for Bruno and the decision you took is a much harder one than just putting it off and him being in more pain.I've just read this thread and wanted to say thank you to (nearly) all the contributors for making me feel a bit better tonight.
We had to take Bruno (just under five years old) the cockerpoo to be put to sleep today and I'm in bits because while I know it was completely the right thing to do, I still feel awful.
He broke his back a couple of years ago and we made the decision to go for surgery, partly because he was so young we figured he deserved another chance. He made a decent recovery, but we were warned at the time it could/would happen again. He hadn't been himself for a few weeks recently and was showing a lot of the symptoms he had before and just after his surgery. We knew that something serious was going on. He also had extreme resource guarding issues, which meant caring for him was tougher than for a 'normal' dog and we always had to be on our guard.
We'd said we wouldn't put him through anything else - and he looked at us today at times as if to say 'please help me', so I know we did the right thing (and the vet agreed, having read his history), but that doesn't stop the guilt.
I'll really miss him - and I was the only one of us five Bobkins who didn't actually WANT a dog. But he won me around, became my running buddy and his main partner for walks. Never again - I'm not going through all that again!
I've just read this thread and wanted to say thank you to (nearly) all the contributors for making me feel a bit better tonight.
We had to take Bruno (just under five years old) the cockerpoo to be put to sleep today and I'm in bits because while I know it was completely the right thing to do, I still feel awful.
He broke his back a couple of years ago and we made the decision to go for surgery, partly because he was so young we figured he deserved another chance. He made a decent recovery, but we were warned at the time it could/would happen again. He hadn't been himself for a few weeks recently and was showing a lot of the symptoms he had before and just after his surgery. We knew that something serious was going on. He also had extreme resource guarding issues, which meant caring for him was tougher than for a 'normal' dog and we always had to be on our guard.
We'd said we wouldn't put him through anything else - and he looked at us today at times as if to say 'please help me', so I know we did the right thing (and the vet agreed, having read his history), but that doesn't stop the guilt.
I'll really miss him - and I was the only one of us five Bobkins who didn't actually WANT a dog. But he won me around, became my running buddy and his main partner for walks. Never again - I'm not going through all that again!
Good news - I did tell you your ‘never again’ comment wouldn’t last long. Bruno isn’t being replaced of course - it’s just his legacy living onJust a little (happier, I hope) update from my side to say that we're picking up Flo the Cavapoo on Sunday!
In some ways it still seems a bit early for me, but we're predominantly doing it for the youngest Bobkin who, for reasons I won't go into here, got SO much out of Bruno and misses him terribly.
In some ways I feel guilty about the boy being 'replaced' so soon, but everything else feel into place so well it was like fate!
Everyone has their own opinions about it, but I guess you have to do what you think is right and put your own feelings aside and look at the bigger picture. So bring on the fun and games!
You never replace a pet.Just a little (happier, I hope) update from my side to say that we're picking up Flo the Cavapoo on Sunday!
In some ways it still seems a bit early for me, but we're predominantly doing it for the youngest Bobkin who, for reasons I won't go into here, got SO much out of Bruno and misses him terribly.
In some ways I feel guilty about the boy being 'replaced' so soon, but everything else feel into place so well it was like fate!
Everyone has their own opinions about it, but I guess you have to do what you think is right and put your own feelings aside and look at the bigger picture. So bring on the fun and games!
Just a little (happier, I hope) update from my side to say that we're picking up Flo the Cavapoo on Sunday!
In some ways it still seems a bit early for me, but we're predominantly doing it for the youngest Bobkin who, for reasons I won't go into here, got SO much out of Bruno and misses him terribly.
In some ways I feel guilty about the boy being 'replaced' so soon, but everything else feel into place so well it was like fate!
Everyone has their own opinions about it, but I guess you have to do what you think is right and put your own feelings aside and look at the bigger picture. So bring on the fun and games!