OT - A traumatic Weekend

Submitted: Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:27
ThreadID: 38936 Views:2109 Replies:18 FollowUps:3
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Sheesh!

We have just experienced an episode that most will come across one or more times in their lifetime. The loss of a beloved pet.

Our 10 year old Border Collie had reached the end of a quality life, with irreversible problems with her kidney function and we had to make a practical decision on what was best for her, rather than us. So we gave the painful but practical decision to euthanase her. Chit!

Even though we loved her so much I could not bare the thought of a big hole in our life and within an hour of giving the Vet permission to "free her from her ailments" I had checked the "pet" advertisements in the local paper and arranged to inspeca possible replacement pet to "fill the physical and emotional hole".

On a much brighter note, we wish to announce the introduction to the Sand Man household, of a brand new (6 week old) male Border Collie which is already giving us much joy and we intend to introduce him to the "wide brown land" we enjoy, at the earliest opportunity.

I can't believe I (we) have substituted a long term beloved pet so quickly, but "life must go on". Time will tell how much we appreciate him and him, us.

All up though, I could not resist telling "my family" about the new addition to the Sand Man household. Please forgive my sentimentality but I'm happy again!
Bill


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Reply By: Gramps (NSW) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:39

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:39
Sand Man,

I know how you feel. Best to get 'out there' as soon as possible.
AnswerID: 201614

Reply By: Member - Mark & Jo (Brisbane) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:45

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:45
Ohh geez.. I am so sorry to hear that about your 4 legged baby!
we always say 'nope, that's it, not getting another pet!' but within 24-48hrs we have gone out and bought ourselves another 4 legged baby to love!!!

Once you've had pets you can never imagine life without them hey!

Cheers
Jo
AnswerID: 201616

Reply By: Footloose - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:47

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:47
Sorry to hear of the loss of your mate.

When I die I want to come back as one of my wife's dogs. Talk about spoilt rotten ! They have humans. They have a house. They have anything they want.
But when they go, I'm not having any more. I get too attached to them.
AnswerID: 201617

Reply By: T-Ribby - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:50

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 19:50
Know how you feel. Look at it this way, a fine young pup now has a new home !.
cheers

T-Rib
Dogs have masters
Cats have staff

AnswerID: 201618

Reply By: FZJ 80 - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:12

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:12
Sand Man,

We had to go thru the same about 3 weeks ago. Our best mate Whitney had cancer of the throat and glands under her jaw. We put it off for a few weeks but in her best interests had to put her down. She was 12 and we had her for 8 years.
Without doubt it was the saddest day of our lives. The house is very quiet and sad now. No replacement in the near future as the "Big trip" starts next March.

Hopefully the puppy "Teething Problems" don't give you too much grief.

Regards

Greg
AnswerID: 201623

Reply By: Member - Axle - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:13

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:13
Mate can relate to that, my wife is nuts about persian cats, boy we have had our dramas!!. The last episode was with angel (yep thats what she called him) a tom with one nut and a deformed spinal cord was like it from birth.

But you know what that cat tootled around happy as larry, he would walk 3mtrs and then go sideways fall on his side get up and have another go. Was in no pain ,

But the wife nurtured that cat for 5yrs , until one day i spotted him dragging his back legs behind him,, , could not stand up, Down the vet we went and you know the rest of the story. She now has another drives me nuts with the thing at times , but must admit a pet of any discription is a important part of family life.

My daughter has a boxer bullmastiff cross, a beautiful dog but age is catching up, The day something happens there I'm going bush for a month!!.

Cheers Axle

AnswerID: 201625

Reply By: Al & Mrs Al (Vic) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:23

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:23
Sandman,

know how you feel, I lost my beautiful big Irish Wolfhound Finn 5 years ago and I miss her, she was only 5 years old, we had another wolfhound who was 6 years old and missed his friend so we got another dog a 2 yr old Brittany called LJ a couple of months later, he has been a joy - [eventhough he's been a bugga lately] and when we lost our other wolfhound Tully almost 2 years ago [aged 10] it was a comfort to still have LJ as part of our family. Pets are wonderful family members and when they're gone we miss them greatly, I"m sure your new puppy will give you years of love and licks...

enjoy

Lyn
AnswerID: 201628

Reply By: Member - Michael J (SA) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:27

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:27
Sandman,

You and yours have my total empathy.

We too have lost our share of animal friends over the years.

My big 75kg german shepherd mate is getting on in years and I am dreading the time we have to part.

Enjoy and love your new found friend. An animal, particularly a dog, is a total joy.

They are just there to please.......

Happy times
Michael
AnswerID: 201630

Reply By: Member - Errol (York WA) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:30

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:30
We can also relate to what you are going through . Two German shepherds , one blue healer , and now a Maltese/ papion cross , he's my shadow . (Check out my pick's to see him.) Couple of cat's as well . Good luck with the new one . Errol
AnswerID: 201631

Reply By: Mike Harding - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:32

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:32
I understand your loss - it's just as bad as loosing a close human - hell! I was closer to my dog than most people I have known but I think you should have waited a bit longer before getting another one. Nevertheless, I hope it works out really well for you all - basically, if you are capable of love, you can't go wrong with a dog :)

Mike Harding
AnswerID: 201634

Reply By: Member - Brian (WA) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:36

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:36
Sandman.
Sorry to hear that. I know how you feel.Over the years we have lost 4.And it's still
painful. Funny that. I keep saying no more pets, but you know you can't do without them. I don't know why some people miss treat them. cheers brian
AnswerID: 201636

Reply By: Member - vivien C (VIC) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:59

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 20:59
Sandman,

Sorry to read about the loss of your dearly loved Border Collie. Like everyone else who has written I understand how you feel. I lost my Blue Heeler, Jackson two years ago. He was only 2 and such a character. I loved him. Luckily within a few months I found Ziddi, my new Blue Heeler. She chose me when she bounded towards me from the middle of her brothers and sisters. I didn't have a hope, she had to be mine. I hope that your new family member brings you a lot of joy.

Viv
AnswerID: 201649

Reply By: Brian B (QLD) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:01

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:01
G'day Sand Man,

Hope you have a lot of great times with your new mate and hopefully you have a lot of great memories from your old girl.

Have a good one.
AnswerID: 201653

Reply By: Member - Clive G (Int) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:03

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:03
Mate I know how you feel. I'm typing this with my ever faithful 12 year old German Shepherd (Mikila) lying on the floor beside me. She is losing the use of her back legs but otherwise happy and healthy, started quite slowly about 6 mths ago but is accelerating rapidly now, perhaps another month, two at the most. Bred her myself as I had her father. Have taken her to work most days so she has rarely been out of my sight for 12 years. Sorry, eyes getting wet.
Clive G.
AnswerID: 201654

Follow Up By: Member - Michael J (SA) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:09

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:09
Clive,

Carbon copy of my own....good luck.

Michael
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FollowupID: 461031

Reply By: Sand Man (SA) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:05

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:05
Thanks everyone for your comments.

Mike, I understand what you are saying and we loved our "mate" as well as we could.

But, having had two dogs in the family over the past eighteen years, I for one, could just not comprehend life without another companion. Children are certainly one important joy in life and we have been so blessed in this regard. A Grandchild eludes us at present but time will tell and we wait with anticipation.

In the meantime a dog to us, is both a challenge and a joy we cannot comprehend being without.

Everyone who has owned a pet will know that the effort applied to establish that special relationship with an animal is generally rewarded by the "blind faith" that animal return in kind.

The only "challenge" we now have is to develop this 6 week old puppy into the best companion we could hope for.

I am missing my quality walks already with my previous companion which tooks years of mutual trust to develop. Hopefully, this "task" will soon be resolved to our mutual satisfaction.

Cheers for now folks.
Bill


I'm diagonally parked in a parallel Universe!

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AnswerID: 201657

Follow Up By: Mike Harding - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:16

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:16
>Mike, I understand what you are saying and we loved our "mate" as
>well as we could.

I have no doubt you did - otherwise you would not have posted such personal information here.

I was thinking more of giving you time to adjust to the loss - grief is a hard thing.

Anyway! You have a new pup and lots of fun - let alone trouble! :) ahead of you :)

Go well

Mike Harding
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FollowupID: 461039

Follow Up By: Member - Pedro the One (QLD) - Monday, Oct 30, 2006 at 15:27

Monday, Oct 30, 2006 at 15:27
Hi to Sandman ........ and all :

Relate to all the sentiments on this thread and agree with most ...............
I have had Beagles for many years and have found a way to deal with pet-loss
that works for me, but maybe is not every-one's cup o' tea.

My first Beagle (called Beau!) died at the ripe old [dog] age of 14 years.
My second (also called Beau!) was accidently killed by a vehicle, [not the drivers fault !] at the very young age of 14 months.
My last and current Beagle, funnily enough called ........ Beau, is my constant companion today.

I had extreme anxiety in getting the new Beau, for the obvious emotional reasons.
All three were small-bodied Beagle bitches, all pedigree'd and thus were all of like body, size, temperament and nature.

The only real difference were their personalities and that Beau 1 was a JUMPER Escaper where-as her successors were/are both DIGGER Escapers .... !!!

I found that keeping the SAME name seemed to imbue my current Beau with all the attributes of her predecessors and that's how I now think of her ........... the sum of all three ...........

perchance, for me, the key to this is the fact that all three have been almost indistinguishable from each other ............ or possibly a poor remembery ???

We all like to think that our pets really are irreplaceable in our memories but over timemy remembery has blurred all three into one entity ...........maybe not every-one's cup o' tea BUT ........ works for me !

Anyway, sympathy extended ...............

0
FollowupID: 461214

Reply By: Member - Davoe (Nullagine) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:07

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 21:07
good to see you made the descision. The first family pet we lost no one would do it and he lived for nearly a year where he would have been much better off dead. The second was left for far too long it was only until even blind freddy could have seen it had too be done
The toughest descisions shouldnt wait
RIP
AnswerID: 201660

Reply By: Member - Dunworkin (WA) - Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 23:48

Sunday, Oct 29, 2006 at 23:48
Sorry to hear about your Border Collie, they are a lovely dog. We know what you went through, we had the same problem a couple of years ago with our chinchilla cat, but yes you do need to move on particular if there are children in the household.

Cheers

D&B


Simba, our much missed baby.

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AnswerID: 201724

Reply By: Ozboc - Monday, Oct 30, 2006 at 19:24

Monday, Oct 30, 2006 at 19:24
Sorry for your loss - i had the same dilema a few years back - My rottie became paralized over night ( was not a paralasis tick btw ) Was the best pet / friend. and also the hardest decision of my life - infact i was more upset about the loss of my dog , than the marage break down a few months before.

Long and short - never replaced her , no dog could ever live up to her. Still miss her even 5 + years down the track.

moral of the story - enjoy your best friends today as they may not be here tomorow

Boc
AnswerID: 201855

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