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A difficult day.

DavidApp

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Over the last few days our 15 year old Toy poodle Sammie has not been doing good. Won't go into the details but we have had some disturbed nights getting up with her.
She was almost completely blinded by cataracts over the last 6 months and has been going deaf as well.
She had almost stopped eating but was drinking a lot. We had just opened a new bag of food so I thought there may have been an issue with it. So I call the vets office and they say they will check with the manufacturers but in the mean time I got a can of the soft food of the same type. She always ate EXPENSIVE Gastrointestinal food as she had suffered with pancreatitis in the past. Got home with the can and she scarfed the it down. Vet called said no issues with the food but did give us a replacement bag just to be sure.

Still not doing good today so I made an appointment at the vets for a checkup and blood work.
The tests came back she had pancreatitis probable caused by her end stage Renal failure. They said they could give her fluids for the pancreatitis but that would not help the renal failure.

So we made the very hard decision to have her put to sleep as it appeared that medical help was not much help for her but only for us to have her around for a few more days.

She was my constant companion as I worked on my TR3A. Had to put her in the breeze way when I was welding or spraying but apart from that she was at the garage door laying in the sun.

RIP Sammie

David
Sammie in the TR.jpg
Sammie in the garage.jpg
 

JPSmit

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Sorry to hear David. A good friend and companion
 

Basil

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Sorry for your loss David. That's always a very difficult decision to make, even when we know in our heart of hearts it's best for them.
 

Mickey Richaud

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Condolences, David. But sounds like you've plenty of memories of your companionship with Sammie that will bring a smile from time to time.

One that I'll share: Casey, our cocker spaniel that we had to put down after 12 years would occasionally pass gas, and immediately whip around as if saying, "What was that?" We lost Casey ~35 years ago and Janet and I still laugh when we bring that up.

Mickey
 
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DavidApp

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Thank you all for the thoughts.

It is amazing how much space a 9 pound dog can take up in your life. Towards the end she slept a lot but was still a big presence.

David
 

Bob McElwee

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Condolences David. We had very similar with our last four legged family member several years ago. The vet did the blood work and said it was time. We are both going to be very happily mobbed at the Rainbow bridge some day by both dogs and cats.
 

Roger

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I feel your loss. Our 20 year old cat left us last week. Still see him, even though he's not there....
 
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DavidApp

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Thank you Bob and Roger.

It is tough to make that choice but you do it for them not for us.

A neighbor gave me a copy of a Dear Ann Landers column that she has kept since 1990.
The last paragraph says.
"And my friend, when I am very old and I no longer enjoy good health, hearing and sight, do not make heroic efforts to keep me going. I am not having any fun. Please see to it that my life is taken gently. I shall leave this earth knowing with the last breath I draw that my fate was always safest in your hands."
An extract from an Ann Landers column.

That summed up how I felt so well.

David
 

waltesefalcon

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I'm so sorry David. That's one of the hardest decisions to make.
 

Bayless

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So sorry for your loss David. I have been there too and understand how hard it can be.
 

PAUL161

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I feel for you David, We have three pets, two dogs and an 18 year old cat that bonded to me just about that far back. She has a few problems that medication has kept her alive for two years, but it's almost time for her to rest without pain. I keep putting it off as I think nature should take care of it, but the way she looks at me and depends on me, it makes me a coward. I understand what it's like to fall in love with a little 4 legged creature, 18 years is a long time. As I stated in another post the Maltese gets an eye exam Monday to hopefully be a candidate for cataract replacement, I hope they can get her to see again!
We have to be thankful for the good years we have had our pets and the enjoyment they have given us over the years and the comfort we have given them, but it still doesn't make our decisions easier. Be well, PJ
View attachment 64986
 

glemon

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We had a Sammie too, first dog I had to put down. Read a lot of articles about how there comes a time when it needs to be done to end the animal's suffering. Reading it was the right thing did not make it any easier. Complex and difficult issue and decision. Sorry for your loss.
 

pdplot

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My folks were in Mexico and I had to make a decision about their prize Dalmation. I made the decision after a sleepless night. It was the right decision. My folks understood.
 
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DavidApp

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That is a great looking cat. They have a different way of getting attached to you. Very much on their terms. It has been some years since we had cats in fact both cats were strays (probable dumped out) that took up at our house. We thought they were brother and sister and when it was decided that they were our cats they both had a visit to the vet so we did not get any more cats. They were outside cats for the most part but the ginger male would sometimes sneak in when we were not looking.

We were hoping the same thing that Sammie would go to sleep one day and not wake up but it was not to be.

We had been prepared for some time and I had a casket made up for her. Used pine that I had milled from a tree in our yard.

Going on my morning walk this today I was thinking how when she was younger she would be halfway up the drive way looking back to check that I was following. Later it got to be me looking back to wait for her. She had smells to check on as she came up the drive. When we got to the road I would put her harness and lead on. Must have done our last 1 mile walk in late April and I had to carry her some of the way as it was getting hot.

David

I feel for you David, We have three pets, two dogs and an 18 year old cat that bonded to me just about that far back. She has a few problems that medication has kept her alive for two years, but it's almost time for her to rest without pain. I keep putting it off as I think nature should take care of it, but the way she looks at me and depends on me, it makes me a coward. I understand what it's like to fall in love with a little 4 legged creature, 18 years is a long time. As I stated in another post the Maltese gets an eye exam Monday to hopefully be a candidate for cataract replacement, I hope they can get her to see again!
We have to be thankful for the good years we have had our pets and the enjoyment they have given us over the years and the comfort we have given them, but it still doesn't make our decisions easier. Be well, PJ
View attachment 64986
 
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DavidApp

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Hello John

Sammie kept her thoughts to herself as I worked but did have a habit of disappearing from time to time. Then I had to go find her. She was always quiet and did not come if you called most of the time. I would circle the house checking then do a wider circle and a wider circle and always as I came back past the garage she would be sitting with the look of "Looking for me?" Usually meant I would put her in the breezeway for a while.
On riding in the TR I am not sure if she enjoyed it or not. Always had her harness on and lead attached to the seat belt. She would alternately have her paws on the passenger door to get her head in the air stream or have her paws on my leg.

David

My condolences David. He looks just like our Nutmeg. She doesn't help with the wrenching, but loves to ride along.
 
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DavidApp

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When we went on vacation for 2 weeks in June and a week in July Sammie would stay with a friend of ours. Sammie always stayed with her when we were out of town and she could not come.
My big concern this year was what do we do if Sammie gets really sick and has to be put to sleep while we are gone. Fortunately it did not come to that but that was on my mind.
I went to Atlanta for the day Wednesday before last and the same friend kept Sammie for the day. She was so grateful that she got that chance to be with her when I had to let her know Sammie was gone.

David

My folks were in Mexico and I had to make a decision about their prize Dalmation. I made the decision after a sleepless night. It was the right decision. My folks understood.
 
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