We had to put her down
Wrigley threw up during the night and then didn't eat her breakfast early this morning. I took her to the vet right at 8:00 when they opened. I left her there for some tests, but when the vet did a quick exam of her belly, she could feel something from the outside. I took C to camp and then R and I went home.
The vet called around 10:00 to say the x-ray showed the mass has returned and it's as large as a grapefruit. She said that Wrigley was in a lot of pain and she didn't think there was anything we could do. She took the xrays to a radiology roundtable group she goes to every Friday and said she'd call me back after 2:00 and let me know if anyone had any other suggestions.
When we had left this morning, all 3 people and 1 dog, the dog left home stood at the door barking at us. I had to come back in the house and yell at him to stop. I'm sure he knew what was happening.
I knew that we had to put her down, I was surprised that it was today, but I think after last night I really knew it was time. I spent most of the morning crying. DH was at a training all day and couldn't leave (although I was able to call him and he knew the prognosis). His mom came over to keep me company. She played with R while I made phone calls and just basically cried. I had made an 11:45 dr appointment for R as he's had a cough all week that has been waking him up during the night. I knew I wouldn't be able to explain the euthanasia part of Wrigley dying, so I decided to just explain that she died.
That was awkward for me as at that time she hadn't died, but I knew she wouldn't be with us by the end of the day. At some point (before MIL came over), I told R that Wrigley had died and he looked at me funny, so I said she wouldn't ever be coming home. He said "I like Wrigley" and I said (through tears), "so do I".
I talked with the pediatrician (as long as I was there) about how to tell C and she confirmed what I had already known. Today was C's last day of this horse camp and I had been promising her a trip out for ice cream. We got ice cream and then went home and I told her. I reminded her how Wrigley had been really really sick and that the vet couldn't make her better and told her that she died. C started to cry and then said that she wanted Tucker (the other dog) to sleep with her every night (which he already does), she also asked to get a new dog. When I said no, she asked for a parrot. After crying and hugging Tucker for a few minutes she moved on to something else. She felt as though she needed to tell people that the dog died as she made sure to tell R and almost every other person we saw for the rest of the day. A few minutes after telling C, I asked her if she wanted to do anything to help her remember Wrigley. She said yes and thought of a bunch of sweet ways to remember the dog.
I found a picture of the dog on the computer and printed out a few copies. R just cut his up but C made a cute collage and wrote "I love Wrigley" on it. So sweet. The vet called at 2:00 to confirm that we needed to make a decision, and do what felt right to us, but that the dog was in pain and there really wasn't anything she could do.
I had told MIL we'd come over in the afternoon so they could be with us while I waited for DH to get home and decide what needed to be done. We went swimming at their house and then DH got there. He and I decided that we'd go to the vet and say goodbye again. After we left the kids with the IL's and got into the car and talked more we decided that it would be too hard to go. When I had left her at the vet in the morning, she had given me a few kisses when I said goodbye, she hadn't given any kisses in at least 3 days. I felt okay with that as a last goodbye.
DH and I went to a park and sat in the car and talked and cried. At about 4:00, I called the vet and gave her permission to put Wrigley down. I asked to have her cremated and have the ashes. I don't know what I'll do with them, but I couldn't bear not knowing where she'd be.
I then realized that I was starving and had a headache as I hadn't eaten all day, so we went to Starbucks and sat and talked some more. We shared some silly stories about Wrigley. How she really wasn't the biggest fan of the kids. My mom said she's in doggy heaven now and enjoying her time without kids scaring her all the time. When we got her, her coat was funny colors and we thought she looked like a porcupine. When we had her spayed when she was about 3 months old, she came home and was so drowsy from the surgery that she literally toppled on to her nose while sitting up. She used to be scared of the stairs and we always had to carry her up to bed at night and sometimes at other times. I'm pretty sure she had bad eyesight. While we were getting ready for our trip 2 weeks ago, I kept telling her not to die while we were gone. She was such a good dog until the very end and she made it 6 days past when we came home.
I can't believe it's only been 6 1/2 weeks since her original surgery and diagnosis. They really told us that she'd have anywhere from 2 - 6 months, maybe more maybe less. They really didn't know what the tumor was going to do.
I hate this part of having pets. I love the rest and will do it again. We did have almost 8 years of happiness with Wrigley. She was born on October 4, 1997 and she came home to our house the day after Thanksgiving that year. She was such a tiny pipsqueak of a dog, so cute and snuggly and loveable. I'll miss her terribly. C said to me tonight as she went to bed that she loves Wrigley and I reminded her that she can love Wrigley forever even if she isn't here with us. I know I will.
The vet called around 10:00 to say the x-ray showed the mass has returned and it's as large as a grapefruit. She said that Wrigley was in a lot of pain and she didn't think there was anything we could do. She took the xrays to a radiology roundtable group she goes to every Friday and said she'd call me back after 2:00 and let me know if anyone had any other suggestions.
When we had left this morning, all 3 people and 1 dog, the dog left home stood at the door barking at us. I had to come back in the house and yell at him to stop. I'm sure he knew what was happening.
I knew that we had to put her down, I was surprised that it was today, but I think after last night I really knew it was time. I spent most of the morning crying. DH was at a training all day and couldn't leave (although I was able to call him and he knew the prognosis). His mom came over to keep me company. She played with R while I made phone calls and just basically cried. I had made an 11:45 dr appointment for R as he's had a cough all week that has been waking him up during the night. I knew I wouldn't be able to explain the euthanasia part of Wrigley dying, so I decided to just explain that she died.
That was awkward for me as at that time she hadn't died, but I knew she wouldn't be with us by the end of the day. At some point (before MIL came over), I told R that Wrigley had died and he looked at me funny, so I said she wouldn't ever be coming home. He said "I like Wrigley" and I said (through tears), "so do I".
I talked with the pediatrician (as long as I was there) about how to tell C and she confirmed what I had already known. Today was C's last day of this horse camp and I had been promising her a trip out for ice cream. We got ice cream and then went home and I told her. I reminded her how Wrigley had been really really sick and that the vet couldn't make her better and told her that she died. C started to cry and then said that she wanted Tucker (the other dog) to sleep with her every night (which he already does), she also asked to get a new dog. When I said no, she asked for a parrot. After crying and hugging Tucker for a few minutes she moved on to something else. She felt as though she needed to tell people that the dog died as she made sure to tell R and almost every other person we saw for the rest of the day. A few minutes after telling C, I asked her if she wanted to do anything to help her remember Wrigley. She said yes and thought of a bunch of sweet ways to remember the dog.
I found a picture of the dog on the computer and printed out a few copies. R just cut his up but C made a cute collage and wrote "I love Wrigley" on it. So sweet. The vet called at 2:00 to confirm that we needed to make a decision, and do what felt right to us, but that the dog was in pain and there really wasn't anything she could do.
I had told MIL we'd come over in the afternoon so they could be with us while I waited for DH to get home and decide what needed to be done. We went swimming at their house and then DH got there. He and I decided that we'd go to the vet and say goodbye again. After we left the kids with the IL's and got into the car and talked more we decided that it would be too hard to go. When I had left her at the vet in the morning, she had given me a few kisses when I said goodbye, she hadn't given any kisses in at least 3 days. I felt okay with that as a last goodbye.
DH and I went to a park and sat in the car and talked and cried. At about 4:00, I called the vet and gave her permission to put Wrigley down. I asked to have her cremated and have the ashes. I don't know what I'll do with them, but I couldn't bear not knowing where she'd be.
I then realized that I was starving and had a headache as I hadn't eaten all day, so we went to Starbucks and sat and talked some more. We shared some silly stories about Wrigley. How she really wasn't the biggest fan of the kids. My mom said she's in doggy heaven now and enjoying her time without kids scaring her all the time. When we got her, her coat was funny colors and we thought she looked like a porcupine. When we had her spayed when she was about 3 months old, she came home and was so drowsy from the surgery that she literally toppled on to her nose while sitting up. She used to be scared of the stairs and we always had to carry her up to bed at night and sometimes at other times. I'm pretty sure she had bad eyesight. While we were getting ready for our trip 2 weeks ago, I kept telling her not to die while we were gone. She was such a good dog until the very end and she made it 6 days past when we came home.
I can't believe it's only been 6 1/2 weeks since her original surgery and diagnosis. They really told us that she'd have anywhere from 2 - 6 months, maybe more maybe less. They really didn't know what the tumor was going to do.
I hate this part of having pets. I love the rest and will do it again. We did have almost 8 years of happiness with Wrigley. She was born on October 4, 1997 and she came home to our house the day after Thanksgiving that year. She was such a tiny pipsqueak of a dog, so cute and snuggly and loveable. I'll miss her terribly. C said to me tonight as she went to bed that she loves Wrigley and I reminded her that she can love Wrigley forever even if she isn't here with us. I know I will.