I keep crying today
Yesterday it was one month since our dog Jack died, and we had to have our other dog Sheba put down. She was a beautiful, sweet natured dog, very loving and gentle. We got her in 1992 as a companion to Jack, and they got on wonderfully. In the photo, she is on the left. She was a kelpie/cattle dog cross, and always a bit ditzy; when we got Jack, we took him to obedience classes, we always said that we would take Sheba when she got an attention span, but it just never happened. Walks were an exercise in holding her back as she tried to investigate every house we passed and every dog we heard. She loved children, and all of the junior relatives and foster children we have had loved her.
Earlier this year, we went to a seminar at our vets on pet alzheimmers, and between them, Jack and Sheba had every symptom. We considered having her put down at the same time as Jack, but she was doing well (the warmer weather was helping her arthritis) and seemed happy, so we decided against it. The last couple of days, she wasn't eating; the vet thought that she knew she wanted to eat, but her brain couldn't send the message to her mouth. Possibly the alzheimmers, probably a brain tumour. She was 15, so we knew what we had to do. Our vet, Lynn, is going to a conference interstate today, and although there are other great vets at the practice, she has looked after all of our pets since she qualified when they were pups (she actually used to work in the practice on weekends and holidays when she was at school, so we have known her seemingly forever; she had to put her own 16 y-o dog down earlier this year, so she knows what it is like), we wanted Lynn to do this for us, so we took Sheba down yesterday at 3pm.
We keep looking for her, and when I came home this afternoon, there was no tail-wagging greeting waiting for me. We even seem to be missing Jack more now.
Today is the first day of my life that I didn't own a pet except for the times that I lived in apartments where I couldn't own animals (except fish, which aren't the same thing at all - you can't cuddle a fish!).
Earlier this year, we went to a seminar at our vets on pet alzheimmers, and between them, Jack and Sheba had every symptom. We considered having her put down at the same time as Jack, but she was doing well (the warmer weather was helping her arthritis) and seemed happy, so we decided against it. The last couple of days, she wasn't eating; the vet thought that she knew she wanted to eat, but her brain couldn't send the message to her mouth. Possibly the alzheimmers, probably a brain tumour. She was 15, so we knew what we had to do. Our vet, Lynn, is going to a conference interstate today, and although there are other great vets at the practice, she has looked after all of our pets since she qualified when they were pups (she actually used to work in the practice on weekends and holidays when she was at school, so we have known her seemingly forever; she had to put her own 16 y-o dog down earlier this year, so she knows what it is like), we wanted Lynn to do this for us, so we took Sheba down yesterday at 3pm.
We keep looking for her, and when I came home this afternoon, there was no tail-wagging greeting waiting for me. We even seem to be missing Jack more now.
Today is the first day of my life that I didn't own a pet except for the times that I lived in apartments where I couldn't own animals (except fish, which aren't the same thing at all - you can't cuddle a fish!).