My beloved Beagle has crossed the Rainbow Bridge.

Kmot

Tyme Twister
Joined
Sep 23, 2015
Messages
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I know there are some dog lovers here, and some of you have seen my "Freckles" posing in the photos I have posted of my watches.
Freckles had to be rushed to the animal ER on Sunday, March 14 at 3AM. She had been coughing since Saturday afternoon and it kept getting worse.
At the hospital the doctor told us she was very, very ill with congestive heart failure and might not make it. The coughing was due to fluid in her lungs from the heart failure.
They managed to save her life. Part of the treatment was to put her on an aggressive dose of Lasix, a diuretic, to get rid of the fluids in her lungs and heart. It probably worked, but it also killed her kidneys. 3 days later Freckles had a kidney panel test and the doctor said she was in complete kidney failure. She said to take Freckles back to the hospital and have them flush her kidneys with IV, and also monitor her heart.
The doctor at the ER declined to do that. She said the IV would just cause another heart failure event. So I brought Freckles home.
Freckles had no appetite, refused all her favorite foods and treats. She never was a dog you can pop pills into her mouth. She would clamp her jaw shut like a vise. I always gave her the pills she needed in a piece of turkey hot dog, which she loved. But now, it was near impossible. I got her heart medicine made in a liquid form so I was able to squirt that into her mouth. That kept her going for a while. The Lasix was stopped of course, because it had damaged her kidneys so bad. I also got a liquid appetite stimulant. That would work sometimes, and when it did Freckles would eat some food. But often, she would later vomit it back up.
The toxins in her bloodstream were continuing to build up, since her kidneys were not functioning to get rid of the waste. Freckles mostly slept all day, no energy like normal. Her eyes often looked glassy and I knew she was feeling the sickness herself.
I did not want her to suffer. I did not want her to get to the point of feeling absolutely horrible. And I especially did not want her to get fluid in her lungs again, which I was told is like drowning.
So my wife and I decided that the best thing for Freckles, was to end her suffering with euthanasia. We were able to have it done at home.
Freckles ended her suffering at around 2PM today, in the comfort of her home, on her spot on our bed, with her Mom and Dad by her side.
We are heartbroken. She was only 10 years old. But she is in heaven now, running free and feeling strong and healthy again.
 
Yes there are. So sorry for your loss, I know your pain. It plain ole sucks cuz we treat them like our children not as pets. She’s up there having a blast, again Sorry for your Loss
 
Kmot I am so saddened by this news and sorry for the loss of your beloved family member. I have had many pets over the years and it never gets any easier to loss one of the most loyal companions you will ever have the fortune to be in your life. Yet through this sadness we must remember that we have had the privilege of having been here to love and care for them and that they have enriched our lives in such a powerful way.

You and your family will be in my thoughts.
 
So sorry to hear of your loss, Tom. We had to have our half spaniel/half miniature dachshund put down to avoid the same suffering, and I cried like a baby. No loyalty like that of a dog. And damn, it sure hurts when it ends this way.
 
I know there are some dog lovers here, and some of you have seen my "Freckles" posing in the photos I have posted of my watches.
Freckles had to be rushed to the animal ER on Sunday, March 14 at 3AM. She had been coughing since Saturday afternoon and it kept getting worse.
At the hospital the doctor told us she was very, very ill with congestive heart failure and might not make it. The coughing was due to fluid in her lungs from the heart failure.
They managed to save her life. Part of the treatment was to put her on an aggressive dose of Lasix, a diuretic, to get rid of the fluids in her lungs and heart. It probably worked, but it also killed her kidneys. 3 days later Freckles had a kidney panel test and the doctor said she was in complete kidney failure. She said to take Freckles back to the hospital and have them flush her kidneys with IV, and also monitor her heart.
The doctor at the ER declined to do that. She said the IV would just cause another heart failure event. So I brought Freckles home.
Freckles had no appetite, refused all her favorite foods and treats. She never was a dog you can pop pills into her mouth. She would clamp her jaw shut like a vise. I always gave her the pills she needed in a piece of turkey hot dog, which she loved. But now, it was near impossible. I got her heart medicine made in a liquid form so I was able to squirt that into her mouth. That kept her going for a while. The Lasix was stopped of course, because it had damaged her kidneys so bad. I also got a liquid appetite stimulant. That would work sometimes, and when it did Freckles would eat some food. But often, she would later vomit it back up.
The toxins in her bloodstream were continuing to build up, since her kidneys were not functioning to get rid of the waste. Freckles mostly slept all day, no energy like normal. Her eyes often looked glassy and I knew she was feeling the sickness herself.
I did not want her to suffer. I did not want her to get to the point of feeling absolutely horrible. And I especially did not want her to get fluid in her lungs again, which I was told is like drowning.
So my wife and I decided that the best thing for Freckles, was to end her suffering with euthanasia. We were able to have it done at home.
Freckles ended her suffering at around 2PM today, in the comfort of her home, on her spot on our bed, with her Mom and Dad by her side.
We are heartbroken. She was only 10 years old. But she is in heaven now, running free and feeling strong and healthy again.
Man, I feel for you, especially hard right now as I'm going through the same. My boxer was diagnosed with "boxer heart" an hereditary problem they are born with. Mine has manifested. So a couple of drugs to control the erratic heart. A week later she's doing bad, take her in, she's in heart failure with fluid in her abdomen and surrounding her lungs but not in lungs yet. So add in the diuretics'. Strongly suspect anemia. Few days later she's worse and I take her to the vet and have the blood work done. They tell me to rush her back to the emergency specialist that she needs an immediate transfusion. They do an 8 hour transfusion and get her back to her old self pretty much. But her immune system is destroying red blood cells and she isn't making new ones. So we give her a few days to see if she can stay stabilized enough for anesthesia for a bone marrow core sample. She was and the procedure was done Monday. They had already sent some lab work off to be done by a lab specializing to rule out whether or not it's tick or some other parasite that has caused it and now waiting for the results hopefully in a day or two from the bone marrow.
 
Sorry for your loss. It's always hard losing a friend. I have not been able to get another one after I put my dog Gypsy down 30 years ago. A sad day
 
So sorry for your loss. I know how hard it is to put an animal down as they become one of your family members. I've had to do it and it's one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make... it's simply heart breaking. I rescued my boy when he was just a few weeks old and had him with me for 16 1\2 years which is a very nice long life. But when they become very sick (he had cancer) you have to let them go, it's just the right thing to do to alleviate their pain and suffering. I rescued another puppy shortly thereafter, but I only had him for about 8 years. He always slept on my bed with me. One morning I woke up to find him on the floor next to the bed as if he was sleeping only to discover he died sometime during the night. Sadly I haven't been able to bring myself to get another dog, it's just too hard to see them go.
 
Tom: My heart goes out to you, and I completely understand how you feel and what you went through. Almost ten years ago, our little sweetheart puppy-dawg, Dolly Clementine, a little bichon, who was 12 years old, had to be "put-down" at our home in San Diego; she had been diagnosed with last-stage pancreatic cancer, and was in so much pain that the pain meds no longer worked. We said goodbye in her favorite place in the house, the mid-floor stairway landing (where she could snooze, but at the same time keep an eye open on both of us; me upstairs in the study/office, and her momma, downstairs in the kitchen, music room, or the master bedroom). I've been through some tough times in my past, but I can honestly say it was the very worst day of my life. I think it was less than a month after that, that my wife rescued a little sweetheart, a poodle-bichon mix puppy, whom we named Daffodil Clementine. It goes without saying that we both fell in love with the little twerp, and fell hard. At ten she's a healthy, happy girl, but it's at this age that every dog lover knows things might start to get a little rough. But we don't think of that; we just give her lots of "love, love and more love." as my wife says...

Anyway, I wish I had words of advice or a magic spell to "make it all better," but we all know that there's nothing for it but to experience the grief and let it go. For what it's worth, I recommend you read the Rudyard Kipling poem, "The Power of the Dog." It's the first poem I've ever read that made me both laugh and cry. Trust me. In the meantime, I will keep you and yours in my prayers, Tom.
 
It's so hard to lose a loved pet because they only want one thing from you, and that's love and companionship and would do anything to please you. Not something easy to replace or not miss. Hardest thing in the world to let go of that bond and I only hope you know you did what was necessary to help her pass that bridge and she knows she didn't do it alone. Sorry for your loss.
 
You need to keep her in your heart. Always View attachment 731800View attachment 731801
ALL GOOD DOGS GO TO HEAVEN...that is a close ,old bond KM...wolf hung around man's garbage dump 15,000 years ago and gradually accepted scraps from the hand of man...man became the alpha male and the hunt was on...you'll keep FRECKLES in your heart and your MIND ...very sorry for your loss..i feel you
 
So so sorry to hear that. They truly become part of the family. Prayers for comfort to you and your family
 
I'm so sorry to hear of your loss, Tom.
I've been down this road a few time myself. There are just no words. May Freckles have peace, and joy, running, and playing, in the fields of heaven.
 
Losing family is tough......The hole in the heart will be filled with memories
 
So very sorry to hear about your family’s loss, losing a loved pet is losing a family member, and is tuff to endure. At least you will always have your cherished memories, and the feeling that now Freckles has no more pain or suffering. I hope time will help ease your sadness.
 
Sorry to hear about the passing of Freckles Tom. My sympathies to you and the wife.
 
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