The loss of a pet/best friend

[JCrzy4Bass]

Haven't been on much this week. Had a tough time the first few days as we had to put a loved pet down Tuesday morning. The story is below... I also attached a picture of him.

I'll go ahead and type up the story now that I can be a bit less emotional as I've got control over my tears and stuff. It's still hard but I guess the best way to get over things and learn to keep in the good thoughts and get rid of the pain is to talk about it or constantly think of all the great memories you still have in your mind.

Monday morning we woke up and Felix was sitting in front of the bed, but instead of begging for food I looked at him and his breathing was very bad, he was struggling to get in each breathe. After learning from the vet this is called abdominal breathing. Steph had her ultrasound but before hand made an appointment for him to see the vet at 4:30 in the afternoon (earliest they had). So after her ultrasound Steph went to work and I stayed home watching Felix in case he got worse. He was weird all day. He wouldn't respond to anything you did, calling his name, snapping your fingers, calling him over. He didn't even budge his head, he was just staring off into space. And he wouldn't lay down except occassionally for a few seconds but I think any additional pressure on his stomach was making his breathing harder.

Well we got him in to the vet and his temp was so bad they thought that he could pretty much die any second. It was down to 95 degrees. The vet immediately had the nurse take him into the oxygen chamber and put him on oxygen. They couldn't run many tests because how stressed he was. But they did manage an xray which shocked them. They thought they would find liquid in or around his lungs but they didn't find much. They wanted to think it was asthma but the temperature didn't coorelate to that, so they thought that maybe it was just his way of presenting the illness. But they got his temp back up to normal after 4 hours in the chamber and thought that maybe he would be ok.

They said they could keep him overnight on the oxygen but that they didn't have anyone there to sit with the animals at this hopsital and physically monitor them all night. So they gave us the choice to transfer him but it would cost a lot more. Steph wanted to do it and see if we couldn't find out more. The ride was ok and we got up there around 8:45 or so. So they took him in the back and put him on oxygen. After the tech there looked at the x ray he started to think it was maybe heart disease (something the other vets were also considering). He ran blood tests over night and found out that Felix had diabetes because his blood sugar was so high it didn't even register. He never could get weened off of the oxygen throughout the night and actually was getting so bad he was peeing all over the place trying to get the liquid that was now accumulating in/and or around his lungs out. So apparently it was both diabetes, some type of pnuemonia and heart disease. Some probably triggered other ones but he was so bad in the morning he looked like he had no fight left.

The next step would have been to take him to a cardiologist across the town down in springfield. However the vets didn't think he would even make it off there and decided if he did that being off oxygen so long would stress him even more and the tests wouldn't be worth doing because of the problems he was having. So we talked and decided to put him down.

This was really tough... we got to spend five minutes or so with him and we held him. We told him everything we wanted him to know. How great a friend he was, all the little things we really liked that he did to make us happy or laugh, all the things our friends liked about him, etc. We told him about how we would miss him as well as the cats. We told him how much we loved him and that he laid out all the ground work for accepting cassie into the house and so forth. And then we said goodbye. We told him we would be thinking about him and that he would be coming home in a couple of days to stay with us forever (after being cremated and so forth). And we told him that we would never forget him...

And we won't. No matter what.

R.I.P Felix

04-15-08

Your memory will live on forever

P:s:  Went fishing yesterday before work for a couple hours to clear my mind.  It just wasn't the same, I didn't have the energy nor a care in the world as to what I was doing.  It was good to be out but I think it's gonna be tough to do anything "normal" for a while... wife's having a real hard time as she has had the cat for four years and they had been through a lot together.  I only knew it for two and it felt so close to me with how affectionate he was (more so than any other cat I've ever seen).

[Dan:]

Jay, I've never been that attached to an animal before so I don't know how hard that can be, but I can see how bad it is making you feel. I hope you feel better, man.

[ThomasL]

I know how you feel,i had to make the choice also a couple monthes ago,"spanky" our mancon cat had the milky fluid removed from his chest cavity at least four times,he'd be good for a couple of days and then his breathing would get worse each day,it finally got bad on a sunday morning when the wife was at church and he walked toward me and fell down gasping for air,i took him in and they also put him on oxygen but said he wouldn't get better,i didn't even want to see him before they did it,i still look for him around the house from time to time. :'(

[Tokyo Tony]

Sorry to hear that, I know exactly how you feel. We had to put two dogs to sleep, dogs that I had grown up with. Those were two of the saddest days of my life. The first time we left the room right after the vet injected our German Shepphard, *****, and I'll never forget as we walked out, my mom called her name and she kind of half perked her ears up and looked at us. Second time, our Beagle, Marlin (a.k.a. Fatboy), died in our arms as the vet injected him.

Good luck, and it sounds like Felix had a great home to live in.

[grimlin]

Feel your pain bro.It's hard to put something down you seem to get attach so quickly to.

Lost 2 cats and one dog so far.The one dog i have now has hip dysplexia(SP) which basically is the joints of a larger dog going out(passed on by his parents which we knew nothing about).It's a long story with that dog and made me mad when i found out.I told my girl when it's time to get rid of the dog i can't take him in...I'm way to attached to the big butthead(my nickname for the dog).So i'm a bit different when it comes to death...i tend to stay away.

My last dog i had for 12 years.....had to put her down and i cried that entire day.

[fooman]

So sorry to hear,

I have a 13 y/o German Shorthair Pointer that probably only has a few more years left and even though we just bought a beagle pup to help us when the time comes I know its still going to be very hard..He is by far the best dog I have every owned. When the time comes I'm hoping I can have a vet come to the house and inject him instead of putting him through more stress of going to the vets.

Now this part is going to be hard for me to get out

My dad had a white German Shepard that went everywhere with him and 1 day he called me out to his house because he thought the dog was acting sick..I get out there and the dog is just laying there and acting sluggish..I open his mouth and looked at his gums which were white and told my dad to take him to the vet that I thought he was sick.

A couple of hours later I drive by the house and I see his pickup backed into the garage.As I'm walking into the garage I see my dad standing at the back of the truck with the tailgate opened..I asked how the dog was and thats when my dad broke down and I saw the dog laying at the end on the tailgate.. They had to put the dog down and my dad wanted to bring it home and bury it on the property..

Thats the 1st time in my adult life I ever seen my dad brake down and it still affects me today when I read stories about people losing a pet

[JCrzy4Bass]

Thanks for sharing the stories with me guys.  It's awesome that we all have a place like this to relate on other life issues aside from big green monster bass.  I am so grateful to have heartfelt words during a tough time like this.

I know Felix's memory will never fade from my mind and that I will be able to overcome the sadness and impact of his death and just look at the good things he gave us and had done for us before passing.  He was a great friend.

Thanks again fellas.  You're a great group of guys.

[Tin]

It's rough. Went through it last year. I know exactly what you mean when you say loosing a best friend or a family member. The worst part is when you come home and they don't come to the door to see you. Hang in there.

[Popeye]

The loss of a family pet/friend is indeed a tragedy and a very, very painful thing to have to endure! I feel for you my friend! Hope you get to feeling better soon.

[Fish Man]

i had an experiance similer to your about 2 yours ago. we had a siamese cat that was 2 years older than me and always stayed in my room to be away from the other cats. she would never leave the room and i was the only person in the family that she was comfortable around. well before we moved she had been getting thin because of old age (she was 16) and a few months after we moved to our new house she died. and that november we also had to put down our 14 year old golden retriever who was dying from kidney failure. its real tough. just gotta remember the good times

[KYbass1276]

I know how you feel man.  My brother and I had a dog while we where growing up and he grew up with us and after we left the home nest he stayed with my parents.  My brother lived next door so it made it easier for him but he didn't get to see me as much.   I miss that dog I don't think I will ever have another one anything close to him.   He was a true friend.  

 You wouldn't think that about a animal but they have a way of getting in your heart.    I also think what makes it still bother me is the fact that he was a part of my childhood, teenage years,  and lived for a long time into my adult life.  It's the memorys that thinking about him bring back and how fast time really goes.  I don't think I will ever be attached to another pet as I was with him agin.    I really don't know what to say because there isn't anything to say  it's hard.

[JCrzy4Bass]

Yea... we will never replace him as a pet. I guess the best thing about the situation though is the way the older cat is reacting. She was pretty much Felix's partner and was a great friend to him. She spent a day or two looking around for him but I think she knows now that he's gone and I think she knows he was sick.

The reason for this is the last day Felix was at home she was licking and nibbling his ear as well as laying next to him and rubbing up beside him. She did this a few times during the day and Felix acknowledged her.

Yesterday when I brought Felix's crate up Frankie (the other cat) looked around the corner, came up to the cage door and sniffed and looked around inside. Then she meowed a few times and went back into the living room. I think she was looking for him and kinda realized he wasn't coming home at this point. I locked up the cage in our closet (storage room). I'm gonna clean it real good this weekend to try and rid his scent so next time we use it she doesn't freak out.

Anyway last night after two nights of sleeping alone in the living room she finally came to her usual spot in bed last night at the corner of her bed. Her old routine was she would jump up say goodnight to steph and i by rubbing against our hands/bodies and so forth looking for her what we like to call "pets". Then after going up and down the bed doing this three to four times she curls up by my wife's feet and goes to bed with us. She finally did this last night and it made us both smile and really happy for a brief minute.

Also she played fetch with my wife's hair ties last night which she likes to do. Just like a dog. She brings you one off of her dresser and drops it then meows expecting you to play. Well we tossed it around the couch for a while and she responded and kept coming up to us for more. So at least she is doing some of her normal routine again.

Also she is pecking at her food and drinking again so that's good too. We are trying to give them as much love as possible and to spend extra time right now to get them through stuff too. We know they need us and we need them right now as well. At least they are helping us through. It's nice to see them greet us when we get home.

The newer cat I got six months ago is just over a year old now (1 year and 3 months old) and is not showing any weird signs.  Though she acknowledged Felix as well.  Normally she runs around attacking Felix and Frankie playfully as I got her from petco as a "last chance cat" and she never had a good home nor time to act like a kitty.  Anyway, the last day Felix was home she would just plop down beside him and stare at him and just keep reaching her paws out like she wanted him to play.  So I think she knew he wasn't well and was on his way out as well.  Maybe I'm just trying to see things but I think as friends cats have a unique sense about what's going on and they seem to acknowledge things well before we do and have a heads up on us.  Amazing animals in my opinion...

[Ky_Lake_Dude]

I really feel for you dude :'( We had to put down our 17 year old feist Tater last Sept his hips finnaly went out and he just couldn't move any more. That was really tough. I dont know what Id do if anything happened to my Golden Retriever Buck or my other dog Lucky. Deeply sorry for your loss dude :'(

[jrhennecke]

Sorry for your loss my friend. Had the same thing happen to my sons cat a couple years ago.  I tell you there haven't been many things I have ever done in my life that were harder than making that decision.  God bless you and your wife.

[telecaster]

Sorry,thats a drag when you have to put down a pet you've grown really attached to.We've had to put down a couple of dogs.I have my dog Rocco now,he's an American Bulldog,and can be a huge pain the arse sometimes,but we love him.Thats the bummer about dogs and cats someday you have to say goodbye. :'(

[Troutfisher]

I know how you feel man, I've had 2 cats that had to be put down as well as one of our dogs which we found dead.  It's hard man, but you will pull through.  Think of all the good times you had with Felix and it will make his passing easier.  Eventually, maybe you can consider getting another cat.  Not to take his place, of course, but to be your companion again.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

I've had 3 dogs in my life and losing them can really hurt but you have to remember that it only hurts because there was so much love there,...which, in the big picture, is just awesome.

Now I have my 1st cat.  She was due to be put down on Monday, but I adopted her the Saturday before and she's really special to me.  My advice in these situations, and I know it a tough consideration, is to go get another Kitty.  Go save one today, I'm pretty sure Felix would want that too.

So, in short, I'm sure sad for your loss but I'm REALLY happy that you had the opportunity to know that kind of love.  .

[DEISWERTH]

Sorry to here about your loss. Just last night my sons beagle pup was hit by a car and died. The whole family is a wreak. The dog and my son were always together, slept in his bed with him, slept with me when I worked third shift, never let a animal do that before. Really gonna be missed. Going to be a long next couple of days. Hopefully time will heal.

Doug

[Jimzee]

Sorry for your loss man.  My dog literally goes everywhere with me, even to work most days so he is like a kid to me.  I know it will happen one day to him, I just don't think about it.  He turned three yesterday.

[IDbasser]

Know what you are talking about.  My hunting dog who I had longer than my kids, 12 years, died in January.  It is pretty hard to lose a pet that is also a friend or hunting companion.

[fishfordollars]

Sorry bro. Been there and done that. I held my pointer Casey in my arms while they administered the dosage. She was fine one day and sick the next. Spent 1700.00 plus in four days trying to save her. Hardest thing except burying a two year old grandbaby that I have ever done.

[guitarkid]

I used to have a Golden retriever, and we had to put her down 4 or 5 years ago. I quite literally grew up with this dog. Every time I came to the fence she would always smile at me like she was trying to say " Hello, How was your day." then she would roll over on her back and get a good belly scratch. I will post the rest later, I just can't right now.

                                -searoach

[guitarkid]

The moral of the story is I grew up with her. I would just sit there and she would never leave me. She truly was a friend. We first got her when I was  3, and she was maybe 3 months old. She was the runt of the litter so she was very small. She used to actually curl up and sleep in my dads hair. I think she was supposed to be the family's dog, but everybody knew she was my dog. When it was time to put her down, my mom said to us one day coming home from school and my mom said she would not last long. At this point when we got home, I went over to the fence she barely got up I took off her collar off and we put her in the back of the truck, and drove to the vet. I could not go because I just lost it. It was really weird when my parents got home because MY dog was not there to greet my with her smile. Now that I have completely almost lost it twice, I am calling it . I could talk about her for days, but I just can't right now.

Thanks for this topic though, this is just one of those things you have to get off your chest. We have since got a new dog, but he is NOWHERE near what MY dog was.

R.I.P. Sunshine

 199?-2003

                       -searoach

[TheBeast]

I know exactly how you feel.  We have 4 cats and 2 dogs my wife and I get so attached to these animals it is ridiculous.   We lost one of my alltime favorite pets back just before Christmas. Duke was only 2.5 years old he was half the size of the rest of the litter, the vet said he had been conceived after the others and was born premature.  His kidneys were not fully developed we took him to Va. Tech veterinary school once on an emergency because his normal vet was so worried he wouldn't make it and that was the only place that had the equipment to maybe help him, it worked.   He was actually on a form of dialyses for a while we had to put an IV in his back and put about 100ml of fluid in him every night.  I got so attached to him, he had such a hard way to go from the moment he was born you couldn't help but feel for him.  When he was born my wife and her sisters slept in shifts for 3 days to stay up with him and make sure he lived.  He took up with me for some reason, soon as I would sit down he was in my lap and wouldn't move, then when we went to bed he had his spot cuddled up right next to me.  

[rondef]

Jay,

I know how tough this must have been on you and Steph.  Your mother and I had to deal withthe same decision a few years ago as you are well aware when we put down our dog Brandy.  Time heals all and you two  will get through this difficult time.  Just try to remeber all of the good times you had with Felix, that will help you guys get over this.

Dad