I remember reading about Flannigan - and I clearly remember the pain in your words, as she was in her last days. I'm thankful (though not possibly as much as you) that you and Flannigan got the gift of a decade together, where medical science said you never would. There's hard parts along the way, but at the end, letting go just rips your heart out.
When it came to Shadow last year, she took a pretty steep dive in a span of about two weeks. She had just had a routine check-up that pronounced her in excellent shape for a dog half her age, kidney levels slightly elevated but not alarmingly so... and then, she just took ill.
I scrambled to get her turned around with the best holistic treatments I could find, and it probably did help some, but her time simply came. After two weeks - some nights where I'd sleep downstairs on the couch so she didn't feel the need to climb the stairs to be with us - Kim and I both knew when her last day had come.
With Kit... I don't honestly know what to expect. He's always been so strong, so good at hiding when he's hurt. When he stepped on something sharp and lacerated the hell out of his leg, he was tough about it. When the rabid raccoon bit into him, he just - literally - shook it off. And when he tore his ACL (all of this in 2007 - his Year of Living Dangerously), he did his best to pretend he was OK. Three very expensive trips to the vet that year - if not for the pet insurance, I would've gone broke. And I wouldn't have complained about it one bit, because he's MY lovable mutt. He'd lay down his life for me - and I've always respected that.
In the wild, if you show weakness or injury, you're immediately on some predator's menu. That's just the way nature works, and we've seen it for centuries. In my four-legged family, though, a little bit of communication at the right time, can really help. I wish I'd spotted the lameness in his left front leg earlier - not beating myself up over things I can't change, mind you, but wishing I could've seen it. He might've gone on to become our family's first 3-legged dog, but he also might've enjoyed a few more years...
As it stands, we're just going to enjoy what time we have left with him to the fullest. I want to get him back to the beach one last time - maybe two. I want to take him for walks in places he likes. I want him to eat the yummiest food we can get. And I want every moment he's got left, to be happy.
We made a special trip to the beach for Flannigan, too (it was just Galveston, but I couldn't drag her all the way back to Florida just for that). It was too hot to take her during the day, but she was pretty close to blind by then anyway, so we took her at night, when the smells were the same but the beach was nice and cool. I think she enjoyed it. It was worth every penny we didn't have (this was about month 15 of unemployment) to take that little vacation for her.
Take care of him, but take care of you, too. He needs you.
A few years ago, a local radio guy up in Baltimore was diagnosed with late-stage cancer. He was beyond any hope of recovery, but his doc put it to him thus: Think of this as a football game. The game is timed, and at the end, you are going to lose. That much is certain. However, between right now and when the last whistle blows, you can get out there and score as many touchdowns as you like. You can make all of the highlight-reel footage you want, and just have the time of your life doing it. Don't let the inevitable outcome stop you from making the most of every minute you've got left on the clock.
I don't know if the guy took that to heart or not, but I'm glad he shared it on the radio. Kit's got a lot of touchdowns ahead of him. He's got a ton of highlight reel footage left to go. He's not done sharing that gorgeous smile of his - just look at my user pic if you want an example. You can't look at him without smiling.
When Shadow died, Kit comforted us even as he himself was hurt by losing her. He knew she was gone, his second close friend to leave in less than a year... He seemed to age a bit after that, walk a little slower, grow a bit more gray - but he's always been by my side.
When it came to Shadow last year, she took a pretty steep dive in a span of about two weeks. She had just had a routine check-up that pronounced her in excellent shape for a dog half her age, kidney levels slightly elevated but not alarmingly so... and then, she just took ill.
I scrambled to get her turned around with the best holistic treatments I could find, and it probably did help some, but her time simply came. After two weeks - some nights where I'd sleep downstairs on the couch so she didn't feel the need to climb the stairs to be with us - Kim and I both knew when her last day had come.
With Kit... I don't honestly know what to expect. He's always been so strong, so good at hiding when he's hurt. When he stepped on something sharp and lacerated the hell out of his leg, he was tough about it. When the rabid raccoon bit into him, he just - literally - shook it off. And when he tore his ACL (all of this in 2007 - his Year of Living Dangerously), he did his best to pretend he was OK. Three very expensive trips to the vet that year - if not for the pet insurance, I would've gone broke. And I wouldn't have complained about it one bit, because he's MY lovable mutt. He'd lay down his life for me - and I've always respected that.
In the wild, if you show weakness or injury, you're immediately on some predator's menu. That's just the way nature works, and we've seen it for centuries. In my four-legged family, though, a little bit of communication at the right time, can really help. I wish I'd spotted the lameness in his left front leg earlier - not beating myself up over things I can't change, mind you, but wishing I could've seen it. He might've gone on to become our family's first 3-legged dog, but he also might've enjoyed a few more years...
As it stands, we're just going to enjoy what time we have left with him to the fullest. I want to get him back to the beach one last time - maybe two. I want to take him for walks in places he likes. I want him to eat the yummiest food we can get. And I want every moment he's got left, to be happy.
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Take care of him, but take care of you, too. He needs you.
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I don't know if the guy took that to heart or not, but I'm glad he shared it on the radio. Kit's got a lot of touchdowns ahead of him. He's got a ton of highlight reel footage left to go. He's not done sharing that gorgeous smile of his - just look at my user pic if you want an example. You can't look at him without smiling.
When Shadow died, Kit comforted us even as he himself was hurt by losing her. He knew she was gone, his second close friend to leave in less than a year... He seemed to age a bit after that, walk a little slower, grow a bit more gray - but he's always been by my side.
And I'll be by his.
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