Hold on to yourself, this is gonna' hurt like hell...

[fireba11]

I don't know any other way to start this, so I'll start with the hard part

Comments

[nephthys510]

Nice doggie!

I'm glad you got to have a long and loving life together. He seems like a very sweet boy.

It's a terrible decision to make. You'll know when it's right. And he'll tell you. Give him lots of love and attention while you can. Tell him he was a fan in denver who is pulling for him.

So sad. Breaks my heart. Hang in there and take care of yourself. My thoughts will be with you.

[fireba11]

Thank you. My reply below was originally a reply to this... but I'm so with-it at the moment (or not) that I can't click the right damn link.

He's getting better care than the vets can prescribe right now. Lots of organic veggies being juiced for him, herbs to boost his immune system and energy, some raw steak on the bone - whether or not it helps him, he certainly loves the raw meat.

I appreciate the sympathy. This... is a very rough time.

[blue_estro]

Much love and sympathy to both you and Kitsune, and I am glad he has such a wonderful friend and family to love and care for him through to the end.

[fireba11]

Thank you. I wish you could meet him... I get the feeling you'd fall for him at first sight, just like we all did.

[fireba11]

This will be the third year in a row that we lose a beloved dog in the family. My mother lost Bosco while I was in Atlanta for Petit le Mans in 2009, my wife's adorable Shadow died last June... Bosco was just about 10, pretty young for a dog in our family to take ill - we found out very late that he had hemangiosarcoma. Shadow was around 16 or 17, and lived pretty well with kidney failure for about a year, until it became too much for her.

With Kit... he's been my hero. He famously defended us from a rabid raccoon a few years ago. He's been by my side through good times and bad, never one to complain. I got him - or I should say my ex did - from the pound as a stray back in 2000. The local humane society didn't want to adopt him out - said he was "vicious and unadoptable," because he'd snapped at the dog catcher who cornered him in a field. Hey, you grab my neck and my ass to throw me in a truck, and I'm taking a chunk of you with me too

[greengalnblack]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I have been through cancer 3 times with my two, now gone and still beloved dogs. It's horrible news to get, and it's hard not to cry every time you see them for missing them before they're even gone. It's just not supposed to happen that way

[fireba11]

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 comeWith Kit... I don't honestly know what to expect. He's always been so strong, so good at

[greengalnblack]

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.

[fireba11]

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

[thewronghands]

Oh, goddamnit. Poor Kit. I'm so sorry. He's a wonderful dog. If you need someone to cry on over a cup of tea, I volunteer. I'm here this week, probably not next.

[fireba11]

I thank you. I've been wanting to meet up, but after tonight I'm gone to Sebring for the week. Right now I should be prepping the car - and am going to get on that in just a few minutes... I hope we can find a place and time before too long, though.