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Pets of SJ.com

Discussion in 'Anything goes' started by Killick, May 1, 2021.

Page 7 of 10
  1. Mngwa

    Mngwa Well-Known Member

    Sorry. Never easy.
     
    Mngwa, Jun 22, 2021
    #73
    OscarMadison likes this.
  2. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    Yes, when I think about the spaces where she sleeps and roams and that she won't be there any longer is the hardest.
     
    qtlaw, Jun 22, 2021
    #74
    OscarMadison and maumann like this.
  3. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    That's a very very good long life for a lab. Ella is 12 1/2 and is the oldest lab we've ever had. She's really starting to show her age. I sure don't see another 3 1/2 years but I'd be delighted so long as she was comfortable. Her hips are starting to give her trouble, she can't walk as far as before and getting up the steps takes a bit longer.

    Sorry for your loss.
     
    Moderator1, Jun 22, 2021
    #75
    OscarMadison and maumann like this.
  4. Mngwa

    Mngwa Well-Known Member

    Yep. My cat died rather unexpectedly 2 weeks ago, and it's the first time since the late 1980s that I haven't had one sleeping with me. It's hard.
     
    Mngwa, Jun 22, 2021
    #76
    OscarMadison and maumann like this.
  5. qtlaw

    qtlaw Well-Known Member

    I'm sorry for you as well, especially as it was unexpected.
     
    qtlaw, Jun 22, 2021
    #77
    OscarMadison, maumann and Mngwa like this.
  6. Mr._Graybeard

    Mr._Graybeard Well-Known Member

    A few years ago my brother in law died suddenly and left behind his geriatric German shepherd. Dave was kind of a loner and died at home, so his passing went unnoticed for several days until police were called to do a welfare check. By that time Max had been without food or water for some time.

    The cops took Max to animal control, from where we bailed him out and took him into our home. But he was clearly messed up, both physically and emotionally. His digestion was a wreck -- he couldn't keep anything down without it turning into Hershey syrup. Add to that the usual geriatric prroblems, bad hips, worn down teeth, etc.

    The saddest part was his state of deep mourning. One day hs sat down in the back yard and let out a long, sad howl. I know it was for Dave.

    We called a visiting vet to our home and had Max put down under the shade of a tree in the back yard.

    On a lighter note, here's a photo of my buddy Alfie. We compete in several dog sports, including agility. We had a high in trial this spring.

    alfie agility.jpg
     
    Mr._Graybeard, Jun 23, 2021
    #78
    OscarMadison, MileHigh, ChrisLong and 1 other person like this.
  7. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    This is why Ella is almost certainly my last dog. I'm 65. I live alone and I don't plan on that changing. If I get another dog, it likely outlives me and then what? I know my son and he would take the dog in and take care of it and love it like I would, but he has two kids and a dog of his own and he doesn't need that responsibility. And I've read too many sad stories of dogs being abandoned when their owners die. I don't want that.

    Should Ella somehow outlive me, he'd take her in but that's a bit of a different case. He helped raise her, she loves him like nobody's business and she's comfortable around his family (the girls adore her). But I also know Ella would be like your brother's dog. I don't think she'd hang around long without me. When he's kept her for me while I was away, he tells her the day I'm coming home and she lies by the door and waits. All day. I finally told him, give her like an hour's notice!

    Good on you for making the effort for your brother's dog. We "loners" aren't as "loner" as most think and we need someone like that in our lives. I applaud you.
     
    Moderator1, Jun 23, 2021
    #79
    OscarMadison, MileHigh, maumann and 2 others like this.
  8. Octave

    Octave Well-Known Member

    I had a pet clause put into my will so mine wouldn't wind up anywhere I don't want.
    My pets are family and I don't want my cat going to some cat-hater or dog to a dog-hater. That ain't happening, whether I'm alive or not.

    The clause looks a little like so:

    This gift shall carry a sum of money as a bequest payable to WIFE OF FART provided that WIFE OF FART looks after my BULL MASTIFF, named CAESAR, free of tax for CAESAR's upkeep and maintenance (hereinafter called “CAESAR's fund”).

    And so on.
     
    Octave, Jun 23, 2021
    #80
    OscarMadison, MileHigh, Mngwa and 1 other person like this.
  9. Mngwa

    Mngwa Well-Known Member

    You could consider fostering or adopting a senior dog at the end of its life. That would give you companionship without a long-term commitment.
     
    Mngwa, Jun 23, 2021
    #81
    OscarMadison, WriteThinking, PaperDoll and 2 others like this.
  10. Moderator1

    Moderator1 Moderator Staff Member

    Yeah, that's where I see these stories - I follow some senior dog adoption sites and that's certainly on the table.
    But the heartbreak when Ella finally leaves me is going to be bad enough. My son says, "I can't see you without a dog." I'd told him after one of his dogs died that a dog needs HIM as much as he needs a dog. He told me: Back at you.

    So we'll see. Right now, I want to enjoy every last second I have with Ella and hope it is a hell of a lot of them. And when I get over that to a reasonable point (I'll never get totally over it), I'll consider some options.
     
    Moderator1, Jun 23, 2021
    #82
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  11. Killick

    Killick Well-Known Member

    We have to medicate Riley through thunderstorms, fireworks, et al. Yesterday, we tried CBD oil. She was so stoned, she sat like this for a half hour. A45B0C0A-69CA-456B-8A7A-727E659D3E07.jpeg
     
    Killick, Jun 26, 2021
    #83
  12. sgreenwell

    sgreenwell Well-Known Member

    Ah, does the CBD oil work well for the dogs? We also have a super anxious thunderstorm dog, and while the thundershirt helps a little bit, his "only in an emergency" anti-anxiety meds take plenty of time to kick in, like an hour or two.
     
    sgreenwell, Jun 26, 2021
    #84
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