Post by Midnight on Mar 21, 2017 14:36:45 GMT -5
I believe an old friend is getting ready to leave this world. Our Black Lab Bella has been doing poorly of late. Her condition has been getting worse and worse. She's slowly been getting Lame in her back legs, and she now has trouble getting up without assistance. And, her Breathing gets very labored when she gets excited (Usually around food, but somethings never change ) We been dreading this for a long time now, we recently went out and adopted new member of the family , our Great Dane Titan, to keep her company during the day and lift her spirits with his relative youth and exuberance; and it worked for a while, she was more peaceful and relaxed than I’d seen her in a Long time. But, I fear it only postponed the inevitable.
Bella joined us when Taylor was about 7 and Logan was about 5, she's been a great friend and teacher for both of my kids, Both of them have grown up loving Animals, and have absolutely no fear of dogs of any size ( but they watch the smaller ones like a hawk cause thy know that they are generally more erratic and Nervous). Bella brought with her in to our house the Gift of Unconditional Love, Humor and Extreme Patience for her human family (and a dash of neurosis). She wasn't perfect, none of earths creatures is, had her faults too, but we stuck by her, just as she stuck by us, for 11 years. She’s been our constant unflinching companion, and she's tired now, very tired ... you can tell. Id' like to think that with titan in the house and settled in she feels like we're in good hands, and she can hand off her watch to a younger guardian.
Like I said she’s been having trouble standing without help for the last couple of weeks. At first, we could cajole her in to standing on her own, but it took significant effort, as if her muscles simply didn’t respond or have the strength to lift her frame off the floor. Late last week it got even harder for her and we progressively had to help her more and more. Last night it got drastically worse. When we got home, Logan told us that she had Vomited earlier, normally she and Titan greet Liz and I at the door when we come home, last night only Titan greeted us, but she was laying by the stairs very still. Later when the kids fed them she didn’t want to eat at all, and didn’t beg for food while Liz was preparing supper (she was perpetually at Elizabeth’s hip whenever she was preparing food, just in case something should inadvertently fall to the floor. It was annoying but endearing at the same time, and to be honest I think Elizabeth kind liked having her there) or while we were eating, very much not like her. She just laid there in the kitchen all night, not coming out to join us like she usually does, we took turns checking on her, but she was very, very quiet. At least when she was presented with food water she would drink. We were all thinking at that point she has the doggy equivalent of a cold or the Flu, It’s happened before.
It was when we all decided to turn in for the night, that I realized that she hadn’t asked to relieve herself all night even When Titan has bothered us to go out, so I got dressed and Liz , Taylor and I got her to her feet after 3 attempts to get her legs to take up strain and weight of her mass. We walked her to the stairs and slowly guided her down the stairs with a lot of concerned encouragement. We, she and I, got out side and at first it the fresh air perked her up and she walked around a bit sniffing the air. Eventually she found a suitable spot and went through the motions of relieving her bladder, and they suddenly midway through she collapsed. Splayed out on the show she was gasping for air, I ran to her and tried to calm and comfort her. There was fear and confusion in her eyes, she didn’t understand what was happening. I was desperately afraid she was dying right in front of me, all I could think is I didn’t want her to heart to give out like this and pass away out there in the god damn cold wet snow, she deserves to be warm and comfortable when she goes. I struggled to get her back on her feet and guided her into the House, with every step she seemed a little more solid. It took some coaxing by the three of us to get her back upstairs where she took 3-4 steps and laid down on the rug. Later, In bed I told Liz that I was afraid that she wouldn’t make it through the night. She did, but she was laying in the exact same spot where had been when we went to bed, normally she come up and lays down next to the bed during the night.
I did my morning routine and left for work, before I did I petted her and told her what a good girl she was, and that I see her when I got home. Mid-Morning, I texted Liz asking how Bella was after I left. She told me not good, apparently, Taylor and Elizabeth has taken her out front to relieve herself and She collapsed the same way she had the night before, the recovery seem to take her longer than the last time.
I’d been trying to prepare the family over the last couple of weeks to the reality that we may have to eventually put her down if things got too bad, and her quality of life suffered too much. Even so, it was a bit of a gut punch when Liz sent me information this morning for an In-home pet euthanasia service. I guess the time, I was dreading and was trying to prepare everybody else for night have blind-sided me. Right now, I fear that the Kids may come home to find their dear old friend dead and cold. I hope she make it until I can get home, I’d Like to spend a night with her lying next to me on the floor so I can pet her and let her know how much we’ve appreciated her company all these years. Then we have to figure out what’s best for her.
Bella joined us when Taylor was about 7 and Logan was about 5, she's been a great friend and teacher for both of my kids, Both of them have grown up loving Animals, and have absolutely no fear of dogs of any size ( but they watch the smaller ones like a hawk cause thy know that they are generally more erratic and Nervous). Bella brought with her in to our house the Gift of Unconditional Love, Humor and Extreme Patience for her human family (and a dash of neurosis). She wasn't perfect, none of earths creatures is, had her faults too, but we stuck by her, just as she stuck by us, for 11 years. She’s been our constant unflinching companion, and she's tired now, very tired ... you can tell. Id' like to think that with titan in the house and settled in she feels like we're in good hands, and she can hand off her watch to a younger guardian.
Like I said she’s been having trouble standing without help for the last couple of weeks. At first, we could cajole her in to standing on her own, but it took significant effort, as if her muscles simply didn’t respond or have the strength to lift her frame off the floor. Late last week it got even harder for her and we progressively had to help her more and more. Last night it got drastically worse. When we got home, Logan told us that she had Vomited earlier, normally she and Titan greet Liz and I at the door when we come home, last night only Titan greeted us, but she was laying by the stairs very still. Later when the kids fed them she didn’t want to eat at all, and didn’t beg for food while Liz was preparing supper (she was perpetually at Elizabeth’s hip whenever she was preparing food, just in case something should inadvertently fall to the floor. It was annoying but endearing at the same time, and to be honest I think Elizabeth kind liked having her there) or while we were eating, very much not like her. She just laid there in the kitchen all night, not coming out to join us like she usually does, we took turns checking on her, but she was very, very quiet. At least when she was presented with food water she would drink. We were all thinking at that point she has the doggy equivalent of a cold or the Flu, It’s happened before.
It was when we all decided to turn in for the night, that I realized that she hadn’t asked to relieve herself all night even When Titan has bothered us to go out, so I got dressed and Liz , Taylor and I got her to her feet after 3 attempts to get her legs to take up strain and weight of her mass. We walked her to the stairs and slowly guided her down the stairs with a lot of concerned encouragement. We, she and I, got out side and at first it the fresh air perked her up and she walked around a bit sniffing the air. Eventually she found a suitable spot and went through the motions of relieving her bladder, and they suddenly midway through she collapsed. Splayed out on the show she was gasping for air, I ran to her and tried to calm and comfort her. There was fear and confusion in her eyes, she didn’t understand what was happening. I was desperately afraid she was dying right in front of me, all I could think is I didn’t want her to heart to give out like this and pass away out there in the god damn cold wet snow, she deserves to be warm and comfortable when she goes. I struggled to get her back on her feet and guided her into the House, with every step she seemed a little more solid. It took some coaxing by the three of us to get her back upstairs where she took 3-4 steps and laid down on the rug. Later, In bed I told Liz that I was afraid that she wouldn’t make it through the night. She did, but she was laying in the exact same spot where had been when we went to bed, normally she come up and lays down next to the bed during the night.
I did my morning routine and left for work, before I did I petted her and told her what a good girl she was, and that I see her when I got home. Mid-Morning, I texted Liz asking how Bella was after I left. She told me not good, apparently, Taylor and Elizabeth has taken her out front to relieve herself and She collapsed the same way she had the night before, the recovery seem to take her longer than the last time.
I’d been trying to prepare the family over the last couple of weeks to the reality that we may have to eventually put her down if things got too bad, and her quality of life suffered too much. Even so, it was a bit of a gut punch when Liz sent me information this morning for an In-home pet euthanasia service. I guess the time, I was dreading and was trying to prepare everybody else for night have blind-sided me. Right now, I fear that the Kids may come home to find their dear old friend dead and cold. I hope she make it until I can get home, I’d Like to spend a night with her lying next to me on the floor so I can pet her and let her know how much we’ve appreciated her company all these years. Then we have to figure out what’s best for her.