<p>Sorry to hear that. I remember having to put our do to rest. It was difficult after being with us for 15 great years. </p>
<p>Thank you all so much. Dad and I just got home from the vet. Dad didn’t stay in the room with us; he doesn’t do well with seeing the kids cry and he has never been able to stay in the room with a dog while they’re being put down.</p>
<p>The vet was very nice and compassionate. Talked me through the process before he did anything and even stayed with me after and talked with me for a couple of minutes.</p>
<p>It was very peaceful and calm; not nearly as horrible as I expected, though it was still very difficult and very sad. I am glad that I stayed with her and glad that she is now at peace.</p>
<p>I’m glad it was peaceful, HGFM, and that you were able to stay with her. </p>
<p>When I was your age in the same circumstances, I ran out of the room at the last minute and I regret it to this day even though I did the best I could. Two years ago, I vowed stay through the whole procedure. It was my commitment to my beloved companion.</p>
<p>There is something… complete… about being with our pets until the very end. And perhaps we will see them on the other side. </p>
<p>Hugs to you. I know this is a very hard time.</p>
<p>It was definitely a good sense of closure. And it was nice to be with her until the end.</p>
<p>sorry . . . take care</p>
<p>So, so sorry. Blessings and peace. You did it all the best way possible.</p>
<p>What you’re going through now is one of the saddest and kindest things we can do for our pets who we love so much. My thoughts are with you. </p>
<p>I am so sorry. Hugs and peace to you.</p>
<p>I am sorry …it is always hard to lose a beloved pet </p>
<p>So sorry</p>
<p>We lost our sweet black lab on Tuesday. He was just shy of his 13th birthday. I love this epitaph for a dog by Byron:</p>
<p>Near this spot
Are deposited the Remains of one
Who possessed Beauty without Vanity,
Strength without Insolence,
Courage without Ferocity,
And all the Virtues of Man without his Vices.</p>
<p>I’m sorry, HGFM.</p>
<p>:( So sorry. </p>
<p>Hugs to you. I’ve faced this myself and I’ve just tried to be thankful for all the good times I’ve had with my pets who have crossed the Rainbow Bridge. </p>
<p>Thank you all so much for your kind thoughts and condolences. I am, like I said, thankful that I had her for so long, and that she was able to hang on so that I could spend a little more time with her post-grad-school before she had to go.</p>
<p>Mom joked last night that she is playing with Jake (our old lab who we put to sleep my sophomore year of college) again. She was with Jake her whole life until she was about 10 years old and was devastated when he was gone. And two years ago she got a nasty uterine infection that almost took her from us; she had never really been the same since, but she was happy and “smiley” right up until the end. </p>
<p>Dogs bless our lives and feeling their loss can be very hard. In a way that’s a good thing. Mutual affection helps us deal with life.</p>
<p>Kind of funny story this morning:</p>
<p>My sister’s boyfriend lives with us, and feeds the dog(s) breakfast every morning. We still have Sam, who is a black lab and is about 1.5 years old. We think he is in large part the reason Izzy was more active and happy over the last year or so.</p>
<p>Anyway, the boyfriend always fed Izzy first (she had bad teeth and took a while to eat.) Mom said this morning he put Sam’s food in front of him and Sam just sat there. The boyfriend told him, “Go ahead, Sam,” and Sam looked at him, ran through the whole house and looked around, then came back and ate.</p>
<p>Dogs are so much smarter than a lot of people give them credit for.</p>
<p>You are so right. We had a golden when we rescued our male from a family that couldn’t take care of him. We lost our female to cancer at age 10. Our male was in agony searching for her in the house and in the bushes. We rescued our youngest (now 13 ish). They are so close that is scares me. They know…but differently.</p>
<p>HGFM, you did the right thing, both making the decision and being with her at the end. I’ve always stayed with my cats. I want their last experience on this side to be feeling my touch and hearing my voice. It gives me a lot of peace. Bless you.</p>
<p>I feel your pain, my condolences. My lab had Jesse similar issues, 13 yrs old, back legs slowly went but it was the tumor that turned cancerous that got him very sick. He was on pain medication and couldn’t move without help. I could tell the pain was getting to the point where he wasn’t happy anymore, not more tail wagging, etc.
It was one of the saddest days in our home, but I was glad that my daughter’s were home from school and could say goodbye and they made him a little memorial later in the yard with a stone and flowers. When you love much, you hurt much, but I wouldn’t trade all those years of love for anything.
We now have a new lab and he’s very sweet, different in a lot of ways and we love him, but I’ll always have a special place for Jesse.</p>
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<p>That says it so well, Debruns. </p>