So sorry to hear about your loss. I am going through the same thing right now, as well, unfortunately. Hope you don’t mind if I share my story, versus making another topic.
We just lost our pup, Nellie, who was just shy of 16 years old yesterday morning. She was a lab/hound/rot mix and the sweetest dog you could ever imagine. We actually got her from my uncle, who had adopted her off a back of a pickup truck in the country. They thought (and was told) she was a purebred Rot, as they wanted a protection dog for their travels and have had rots in the past. But as she got older, they realized she wasn’t a rot, and she was too sweet for what they needed. Visiting their house nearly sixteen years ago, fell in love with that pup. Crazy to think just days later we got a call if we wanted her, and hours later she was dropped off in our house with her blanket. At the time, she was still just months old. I was around 15, and she has been with me almost exactly half of my life.
It’s been hitting me harder than I could have ever imagined, even though we knew the day was coming. Thankfully she got to pass at home, in her bed, on her own. Pretty sure it was just old age at this point, sixteen is a fantastic age especially for a breed such as hers. She was strong until the very end, running around on her good days and eating every crumb she could get. Healthy as can be all things considered, aside from her back legs which got weaker the past year or two and arthritis. So she would have her good/bad days if she was sore, but her arthritis meds kept her comfortable. She was still doing steps just fine (with a little struggle of course). She always had to be with us, so she always made sure she made it up to our bedroom on her bed each and every night. Some days, I would carry her if she was having a rough time. She loved to sweep the kitchen for food, she definitely had a bottomless pit of a stomach! Typical, I suppose.
The night before she passed, we somewhat knew the inevitable was coming. She just wasn’t herself, panting and looking a bit distressed. My mom came over, which usually excites her, but she laid in her bed. We tried to get her outside, but as soon as she stepped outside we think she had a stroke and collapsed. It was very tough… Eventually when she seemed to get a little better, I carried her back to her bed. She rested and eventually looked a bit more alert. A few hours later I tired one last time to get her outside. Wasn’t happening. After trying to feed her snacks she loves (and refused) and tried to help her up to go outside, I knew. I broke down and for the next hour or two, laying with her, telling her I loved her and practically said my goodbyes. I could see it in her eyes. I covered her with her blanket and hoped by morning she would be better, even though deep inside I knew. I had even located a vet that would come to the home if we had to put her down, as there was no way in [censored] she was going to a vet (her worst enemy). She needed to be home.
Laying in bed trying to fall asleep, something strange happened… A sensation, a feeling, energy… I don’t know. I felt like I knew she just said goodbye to me. I couldn’t muster the strength to go downstairs to see her, I just kind of knew already. I fell asleep and a few hours later my girlfriend went downstairs, came back up and told me the news. She had passed.
Took off work yesterday and grieved quite a bit… Sitting at work now and a few moments throughout the day I have teared up thinking about her. Will miss her always having to be right by us at all times, always there to make us laugh. Couldn’t ask for a better dog. I hope she enjoyed and loved her time with us as much as we did her. We had taken her to a local pet crematory, so we will always have her with us in the house in a little memorial. Of course, be in a room that we are often in so she can continue to watch over us.
Just writing this helps, being able to share my story as well. I’m right there with you in these hard times. It will be unbelievably difficult and the next few days, week, years… Hopefully our pups knew just how much the meant to our lives and how much we loved them. I really love the way you said your dog had adopted your family, because that is the truth. We are honored to have such loyal, furry best friends…. Family. Will be so greatly missed.
We just lost our pup, Nellie, who was just shy of 16 years old yesterday morning. She was a lab/hound/rot mix and the sweetest dog you could ever imagine. We actually got her from my uncle, who had adopted her off a back of a pickup truck in the country. They thought (and was told) she was a purebred Rot, as they wanted a protection dog for their travels and have had rots in the past. But as she got older, they realized she wasn’t a rot, and she was too sweet for what they needed. Visiting their house nearly sixteen years ago, fell in love with that pup. Crazy to think just days later we got a call if we wanted her, and hours later she was dropped off in our house with her blanket. At the time, she was still just months old. I was around 15, and she has been with me almost exactly half of my life.
It’s been hitting me harder than I could have ever imagined, even though we knew the day was coming. Thankfully she got to pass at home, in her bed, on her own. Pretty sure it was just old age at this point, sixteen is a fantastic age especially for a breed such as hers. She was strong until the very end, running around on her good days and eating every crumb she could get. Healthy as can be all things considered, aside from her back legs which got weaker the past year or two and arthritis. So she would have her good/bad days if she was sore, but her arthritis meds kept her comfortable. She was still doing steps just fine (with a little struggle of course). She always had to be with us, so she always made sure she made it up to our bedroom on her bed each and every night. Some days, I would carry her if she was having a rough time. She loved to sweep the kitchen for food, she definitely had a bottomless pit of a stomach! Typical, I suppose.
The night before she passed, we somewhat knew the inevitable was coming. She just wasn’t herself, panting and looking a bit distressed. My mom came over, which usually excites her, but she laid in her bed. We tried to get her outside, but as soon as she stepped outside we think she had a stroke and collapsed. It was very tough… Eventually when she seemed to get a little better, I carried her back to her bed. She rested and eventually looked a bit more alert. A few hours later I tired one last time to get her outside. Wasn’t happening. After trying to feed her snacks she loves (and refused) and tried to help her up to go outside, I knew. I broke down and for the next hour or two, laying with her, telling her I loved her and practically said my goodbyes. I could see it in her eyes. I covered her with her blanket and hoped by morning she would be better, even though deep inside I knew. I had even located a vet that would come to the home if we had to put her down, as there was no way in [censored] she was going to a vet (her worst enemy). She needed to be home.
Laying in bed trying to fall asleep, something strange happened… A sensation, a feeling, energy… I don’t know. I felt like I knew she just said goodbye to me. I couldn’t muster the strength to go downstairs to see her, I just kind of knew already. I fell asleep and a few hours later my girlfriend went downstairs, came back up and told me the news. She had passed.
Took off work yesterday and grieved quite a bit… Sitting at work now and a few moments throughout the day I have teared up thinking about her. Will miss her always having to be right by us at all times, always there to make us laugh. Couldn’t ask for a better dog. I hope she enjoyed and loved her time with us as much as we did her. We had taken her to a local pet crematory, so we will always have her with us in the house in a little memorial. Of course, be in a room that we are often in so she can continue to watch over us.
Just writing this helps, being able to share my story as well. I’m right there with you in these hard times. It will be unbelievably difficult and the next few days, week, years… Hopefully our pups knew just how much the meant to our lives and how much we loved them. I really love the way you said your dog had adopted your family, because that is the truth. We are honored to have such loyal, furry best friends…. Family. Will be so greatly missed.
