Broken Hearted
I had to have my little toy poodle, Dolly, put to sleep today. She has been ill for several weeks and the Vet's blood tests revealed severe Kidney failure. The Vet advised that she was very unlikely to improve with treatment and it was kindest to have her euthansed.
We only adopted her in November 2004 from Battersea Dog's Home, Brands Hatch, whilst me and my partner were living in Kent for a while. We knew she was very old (they said she could be anything up to 14 or 16 years old) and has had a pretty awful time of it (found abandoned outside a pub with a broken leg, a scarred eye, matted fur, fleas, ticks, emaciated). We brought her back to Wales and gave her lots of love and affection and she turned into a really sweet, funny, adorable little dog. But she started to go downhill in January - off her food, losing weight, drinking lots, being sick etc - all the signs of kidney failure. The last few days she's been so ill that I pretty much guessed this was coming. It was as though she didn't want to go on anymore and just wanted us to let her go. . .
My boyfriend was at work and couldn't handle being with her when they euthansed her, so I went down to the vets with out other dog, Ginny. I cuddled Dolly for a little bit and told her I loved her lots and lots and would never leave her. I cuddled her while they injected her and she went so quickly it was as though she had been hanging on, just waiting to go.
At the moment I can't stop crying, but I'll probably feel better soon, knowing I did the right thing even if it was painful to have to do it. I love animals but why does it have to hurt so much when you lose them? It is enough to make anyone afraid to get a pet, knowing that they will have this grief when they go . . .
We only adopted her in November 2004 from Battersea Dog's Home, Brands Hatch, whilst me and my partner were living in Kent for a while. We knew she was very old (they said she could be anything up to 14 or 16 years old) and has had a pretty awful time of it (found abandoned outside a pub with a broken leg, a scarred eye, matted fur, fleas, ticks, emaciated). We brought her back to Wales and gave her lots of love and affection and she turned into a really sweet, funny, adorable little dog. But she started to go downhill in January - off her food, losing weight, drinking lots, being sick etc - all the signs of kidney failure. The last few days she's been so ill that I pretty much guessed this was coming. It was as though she didn't want to go on anymore and just wanted us to let her go. . .
My boyfriend was at work and couldn't handle being with her when they euthansed her, so I went down to the vets with out other dog, Ginny. I cuddled Dolly for a little bit and told her I loved her lots and lots and would never leave her. I cuddled her while they injected her and she went so quickly it was as though she had been hanging on, just waiting to go.
At the moment I can't stop crying, but I'll probably feel better soon, knowing I did the right thing even if it was painful to have to do it. I love animals but why does it have to hurt so much when you lose them? It is enough to make anyone afraid to get a pet, knowing that they will have this grief when they go . . .