Put that vacuum cleaner away!
Abby had been eating less and less over the past month, but it wasn’t entirely noticeable since she’d eat some, go away, come back and eat some more, go away again, and so on. While I was away on the mainland, though, she stopped eating kibble altogether. She seemed to eat soft canned food for a couple of days, but after I got home she stopped eating even that. She was looking very skinny, too. In addition, she seemed to be incapable of seeing or hearing when someone spoke to her. I took her to the vet this morning and got a horrible diagnosis.
The vet drew blood and discovered a complete kidney failure, with creatinine levels over 6 millgrams per deciliter, which put her at Stage 4 kidney disease. She offered a solution which might perk the poor girl up for a day or two but wouldn’t last, so we decided the best thing for Abby was to put her down today before her quality of life deteriorated even further.
We got her from a rescue outfit in 2013 and took her to this veterinarian almost immediately, and here’s where we feel some guilt. We were told she was in reasonably good condition but her teeth were pretty bad and some should be pulled. We looked at the teeth, looked at the cost, looked at her eating dry dog food with every indication she had no trouble doing so and decided we’d wait to have that done. We never did, and we regret it. The vet looked at her teeth today and said there was no question she had serious periodontal problems and the bacteria from them contributed to her kidney troubles. The vet was careful not to put any blame on us, but I feel awful anyway. It may be that had we had the teeth pulled three years ago not much might have changed, but it’s also the case that it might have slowed down Abby’s decline had we done so.
Crap. She wasn’t the most active dog in the world or the most loving, but she was a good dog and a nice addition to the house, and we’re going to miss her.
Sorry, Steve. I had to bury a pet this past weekend. I feel your pain.
I am so sorry about this. I’ve lost four in the past sixteen months myself. You gave her a great life, and she was very fortunate to have you for a human.
Holding you and Abby in the light, Steve. Just remember that you rescued her. The shittyest day with you was for her better than the greatest one without you, no matter what. Love love forever love.
I am so sorry, Steve. She was lucky to have you for the past years. And you were kind enough to include us the story of her life with you. With everything, everyone you love, there is always the what if…
She was loved and valued.
So sorry, Steve. You gave her a good life…. remember the good times. Thank you for sharing her story with us.
I’m so sorry Steve, she came into your lives and was an instant family member. Loved hearing your stories about her. Don’t beat yourself up over it, most of us would probably make the same decision. Taking care of dog’s and cat’s teeth was not ever something anyone ever even mentioned – back in the old days :). Do not blame yourself.
Ah, that’s a sad thing. Sorry for your loss. She looks like a good dog.
I’ve repeated the Will Rogers quote to many dog lovers, and I’LL repeat for you: “If I get to Heaven and there are no dogs, I want to go where they went.”
The sad truth is that pups live much shorter lives than we do. So, we love them while we have them.
Yes, your actions condemned your dog. You condemned her to a warm, safe, loving home, where she had delicious food, people who cared for her, protected her from cruelty and pain, showered her with affection, and constant, reliable companionship. We should all be so fortunate!
Your compassion and desire to do more for her is just who you are. Speaking for Abby, someday you might find another little girl dog who could use some Aloha!
I’m so sorry, Steve. You made the best choices you could at the time, and she was a happy dog. You didn’t let her suffer, and you listened when she told you it was time.
My personal theory is that dogs have shorter lives than we do because if they had even more time to burrow into our hearts, we wouldn’t survive their deaths.
Oh, Steve. What a sad day for you. It’s hard to know the outcome of the choices which seem right at the time. Hugs to your family and I hope you find peace in knowing you gave Abby a great life and in the beautiful memories you made together.