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BPO General Forum => General Board for Big Dogs with Big Paws => : Rajas Mom July 31, 2009, 11:20:08 PM

: Mourning Bo
: Rajas Mom July 31, 2009, 11:20:08 PM
I feel like a doggy mom failure.  We started 2009 with 3 dogs, knowing we had to put one down.  She died in a horrible way before we made the final decision and I experienced a lot of guilt and shame over that.

Two weeks ago today Bo, our Lab and the only dog we raised from a pup, became ill.  I left the vet call up to my husband (they have Saturday hours), but as he was still drinking water and eating minimally we both agreed to wait and see.  Raja gives us so many scares like this (and our vet is great about phone consults and with these positive things in place it's generally agreed to take the wait and see approach).

By late Saturday he wasn't drinking water and his walking was off.  We rushed him to the emergency vet where he quickly continued to decline while testing was done.  In the end it was Addison's Disease and his kidneys were failing and there was suspected heart damage.  We had to make a very quick decision on the spot and put him to sleep. 

The vet was actually great and really stopped us from making the "do anything" rash decision as our credit card was in our hands.  I'll never forget his words, "This isn't like we had hoped, a dog that just ate something, do a surgery, pay a couple of thousand dollars and be done with it, it's going to cost a lot more than that even to find out if he can survive and the other costs will continue forever."

We picked up his ashes today.  We are now a one dog family.  :'(

: Re: Mourning Bo
: patrick August 03, 2009, 06:45:47 AM
Very sorry for your loss- may he rest in peace
: Re: Mourning Bo
: BigDogMama August 03, 2009, 02:34:18 PM
So sorry for your loss  :'(. Our prayers and thoughts are with you!
: Re: Mourning Bo
: Rajas Mom August 03, 2009, 09:26:35 PM
Thank-you, I've been struggling with the "did we make the right choice" for over two weeks now.  It all happened so fast, wasn't like I could go online and think it all over.

I've since read about how treatable Addison's Disease is, and even when the emergency vet initially called it (prior to lab work and all of the other "rule out he ate something" etc. testing) he mentioned this.  However once the labwork came back... I reassure myself in that the vet (who didn't know us) could have gotten thousands more from us, yet encouraged us to put him down.

And while with more research I've learned what a treatable disease it is, futher research has talked about the impact of stress on this disease... Bo was a high stress dog.  He would not have fared well.  I'm heartbroken, but my husband is devesated.  We had both sworn to never get another puppy again, but he has asked me to rescind this policy when he is ready. 

Bo was a high energy dog, his legend lives on with our friends and family.  I'm now convienced that his energy (that caused educated dog owners to have a dog that flunked out of now one, but two obidence classes) was because he somehow knew he had to pack it all in in such a short amount of time.  He wasn't a good dog by any means, but as my husband points out, you had to love him.  He was sweet.
: Re: Mourning Bo
: newf_owner August 04, 2009, 03:13:44 PM
m so sorry to hear that, its really sad, i look at my aussie cosby, hes 3 years old and in just those 3 years he has become my best friend and the most stable part of my life, no matter what happens he will always be by my side.. you always think "no matter what my dog will be at the door waiting to see me come home", but your over looking one important thing... eventually his time will come, thats going to crush me, and i really feel for you,
: Re: Mourning Bo
: NewfieMama August 04, 2009, 03:37:50 PM
I am so sorry for your loss. It's always so hard, but even more so when you have to decide in the moment and are not at all ready to say goodbye. :(

It sounds like you made the best decision for him. I'm sure he is at peace and I hope that you are able to find it too.



Mary