Rest In Peace my little princess. For almost 16 years you've been the best friend that a man could ask for. You've almost never let me down and you never have let me down on purpose. It gives me bleary vision to even think about her right now, but I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. She was a good dog and I do find some comfort in knowing she is in a better place now – pain free, running around sniffing butts with my wife's dogs and driving my grandpa to fits of laughter.
I had to put Zoe down yesterday afternoon. She had been having a rough time over the past few weeks. Almost a month ago I took her into the Vet thinking it was the end because she couldn’t stand up on hardwoods, tile and couldn’t do the stairs. He gave me some options – 1 being euthanasia and another being steroids. She was fighting the Vet techs like Muhammad Ali and pacing around the tile like nothing was wrong so we went with the steroids. It helped tremendously and she was able to stand up on her on, walking, taking the stairs for the next few weeks. The past couple of weeks, she had all but stopped eating and the past 3 days she hardly ate at all. The past couple of days she was having blowouts around the house that I won’t go into detail about, but you could tell that things were failing internally. The last night she was with us she had also developed this rattling in her chest like she had fluid in her lungs. She rode to the vet without being scared and she was as strong as ever in the vet’s office but she didn’t fight this time – not like in the past. It was very peaceful in the end and I really think she was just hanging on because she wanted to be there for me.
This has been really rough for me and I think it will take a long time before I really feel like smiling again. The roller coaster ride over the weeks of thinking that this could be the last day of her life. Being torn between making the decision to put her out of her misery or let her continue her life. Who is to say what 'quality of life' is? For some, it may be just opening your eyes to see someone who loves you. She’s been my best friend through some tough times. There’s been many happy and sad times in my life over the past 16 years and she was always there for me, eager to ease the pain with her wagging tail and sweet demeanor. She was a good dog.
I had to put Zoe down yesterday afternoon. She had been having a rough time over the past few weeks. Almost a month ago I took her into the Vet thinking it was the end because she couldn’t stand up on hardwoods, tile and couldn’t do the stairs. He gave me some options – 1 being euthanasia and another being steroids. She was fighting the Vet techs like Muhammad Ali and pacing around the tile like nothing was wrong so we went with the steroids. It helped tremendously and she was able to stand up on her on, walking, taking the stairs for the next few weeks. The past couple of weeks, she had all but stopped eating and the past 3 days she hardly ate at all. The past couple of days she was having blowouts around the house that I won’t go into detail about, but you could tell that things were failing internally. The last night she was with us she had also developed this rattling in her chest like she had fluid in her lungs. She rode to the vet without being scared and she was as strong as ever in the vet’s office but she didn’t fight this time – not like in the past. It was very peaceful in the end and I really think she was just hanging on because she wanted to be there for me.
This has been really rough for me and I think it will take a long time before I really feel like smiling again. The roller coaster ride over the weeks of thinking that this could be the last day of her life. Being torn between making the decision to put her out of her misery or let her continue her life. Who is to say what 'quality of life' is? For some, it may be just opening your eyes to see someone who loves you. She’s been my best friend through some tough times. There’s been many happy and sad times in my life over the past 16 years and she was always there for me, eager to ease the pain with her wagging tail and sweet demeanor. She was a good dog.
1 comment:
Aw man, my condolences...I hope you get around to feelin' good again when the time comes.
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