View Full Version : For anyone with a dog or pets, please read
Please bookmark or add to your contacts the information for Home to Heaven (http://www.hometoheaven.net/). They're a home euthanasia service based out of Fort Collins and they're amazing. We recently had to put our little girl Gixxer down and she just turned 8 years old a couple weeks prior. She was a 15lb Italian Greyhound who got only the best food and care so to say that we were both shocked is an understatement. She was healthy as could be for the entire 8yrs then she was sick for a couple weeks. We tried all sorts of things from bland diets to home-cooked foods to medications and treatments. Some blood work led is to believe she had an infection plus a possible parasite so we were treating for those things. Finally, after weeks of sleepless nights I found a lump on her little tummy. We took her in for an emergency sonogram that day and found out she had terminal cancer and it was all over. We made the heart breaking decision to put her down the next day. While this is a VERY difficult time for my wife and the rest of our friends and family (if you ever met Gixxer, you would understand) I can't tell you how great Home to Heaven was. Being able to have her at home in our bed in her blanky with my wife, mom and myself by her side made for a picture perfect ending to a life cut way too short. I hope non of you have to go through this so soon but, as in our case... you just never know. The vet that came was amazingly understanding and helpful when the rest of us were a mess. I highly recommend them and am SO glad something like this exists.
Gixxer 3/3/03-4/14/11
RIP Daddy's Little Girl
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-StsTGio9bhc/TbrTW_pMVMI/AAAAAAAAEXU/keub1JzuGBY/s640/IMG00290-20090729-1647.jpg
Man I know where you are with this.
It sux cause we get so attached to our pets.
It's not fair.
Peace my freind.
Lex_Luthor
04-29-2011, 09:24
Dang man, I'm sorry to hear. I hope we don't have to do something similar soon for my fiance's parents' dog.
Man I know where you are with this.
It sux cause we get so attached to our pets.
It's not fair.
Peace my freind.
Yeah, we definitely felt robbed on this one. We were even joking the day before in the Vet's office about how she wasn't even a senior citizen yet based on the chart on the wall. We figured we had MANY more years left (8?) and while it was difficult we found solace in the fact that we spent LOTs of time with her and had many many great memories from the short time we had with her. When we got home at 5:00 on Wed after we found out we laid with her in our bed in her blanky for over 7hrs just talking about all the good memories we had of her and we hadn't even covered everything yet. That was a sign to us that she managed to cram 16+ years of living into only 8 years so we were super thankful for that. I still remember when my wife wanted to get an Italian Greyhound I was oblivious as to what they were. When we saw her for the first time my heart melted though and from that point forward I was a different man. She was definitely daddy's little girl and my wife will readily admit to that. Everywhere we went she was right there in my lap. I would even put her to bed with the wife and her brother Koby and go downstairs to play video games and she would get out of bed to come sit by me while I played an watch. It was like our little bonding time and she loved hanging out with me. I could sit here and type for days on all the things that made this dog special and still not even scratch the surface of joy that she brought to our lives. It wasn't until she was gone that I realized how big of a part of my life that little dog was. For being a 'big tough guy' I was amazed at how hard it hit me. Those last 19hrs w/her from when we found out to when she was gone will be some of the most cherished minutes of my life. It's been a couple weeks now and I've been better for a while but as I sit and type this the feelings come back to me. It's gotten easier to remember the good times lately so that's what I try to remember for happiness.
Dang man, I'm sorry to hear. I hope we don't have to do something similar soon for my fiance's parents' dog.
I'm glad you saw this thread because I was going to link you to it. Your thread is what inspired me to share the info of Home to Heaven for those who may need it. It's not something that's easy to talk about but I hope that if it's needed it will be as helpful as it was for us.
Lex_Luthor
04-29-2011, 09:27
Thanks man, I really do appreciate it. I'm glad for such a good network of people here.
Sucks man.. I hate reading stuff like this.. stupid allergies making my eyes watery.
Sucks man.. I hate reading stuff like this.. stupid allergies making my eyes watery.
Yeah, I must have had some of the worst allergies ever documented in history for a few days because I was out of control. Prior to this my wife was beginning to wonder if I was an emotionless robot since this hadn't happened in the 15+ years she's known me. It's incredible how much a part of our lives these little guys become, especially since we don't have 2-legged kids.
Sister bugs babies (Boston Terrier, Pug)
Our babies after a vet killed my dog.
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/181467_1852147546059_1311890988_2136837_3747519_n. jpg
Awe, how cute. Here's some more pictures of Gixxer and some have her little big brother Koby in them as well.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrUBKOj9sI/AAAAAAAABe8/_tL0mYYissk/109-0913_IMG.JPG
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrUNA2B1aI/AAAAAAAABfA/jX4pqNoZChU/IMG_0393%20%282%29.JPG
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrUT8VvzcI/AAAAAAAABfE/fP7OxtbkG1Q/s912/IMG_0957.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrUnt6gFAI/AAAAAAAABfI/lh7ck9vNWRE/s912/IMG_0595.jpg
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrUvNM_y-I/AAAAAAAABfM/JO6swUh8OvA/s912/C360_2010-06-25%2020-06-18.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrgbqwHWUI/AAAAAAAABfU/RLmjguGGb1Y/s912/IMG00408-20090917-1145.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrggZoNFKI/AAAAAAAABfY/cFkt4swEJTQ/s912/04152007%28001%29.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrglzSar0I/AAAAAAAABfc/wwFSSi6d3Sc/s912/109-0935_IMG.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrgpefKjwI/AAAAAAAABfg/DG6GW5Ymfqs/109-0928_IMG.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrTyfUTKeI/AAAAAAAABe0/YuP70WD42pY/s912/downloadfile-2.jpeg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrgwswUPII/AAAAAAAABfk/LzCMgBuCwRU/s912/C360_2010-07-26%2014-59-21.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrhAGoR6OI/AAAAAAAABfo/Tx_EOYJtrVw/s912/IMG_1748.JPG
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_u5gGqJHjM6Q/TbrT7zalPcI/AAAAAAAABe4/VNLTnsLe6MM/s912/IMG00544-20091031-1041.jpg
[Beer]
Nice pics. She accepted you as the Alpha it looks like.
[Beer]
Nice pics. She accepted you as the Alpha it looks like.
Thanks. I don't know if I would go that far, it was a constant battle but that was half the fun now looking back. In fact, when she was a pup she would actually back sass me when I scolded her. My friends would all laugh their asses off when I would tell her to stay away from the coffee table or stop barking and she would stop what she was doing, stare at me and then start barking at me and sassing me. It was SO funny.
That sucks man. A friend of mine from work recently had to put his dog down. It was weird to see this mean, grizzled old Marine choke up like a little kid. What's worse is that our old retriever is getting old, and frankly he's made it longer than we though he would. I dread the day that we have to make that choice...seems like it's way more common than the dog living a full, happy life and then just passing quietly in the night.
That being said, a forum member was looking for a good euthanasia service. I can't remember who it was, but I hope he sees this thread because I know the decision was tearing him up.
Sorry for your loss Jer. We are huge dog lovers as well and would be devastated if anything happened to ours. sorry you had to go through that. Hopefully another pup will come along and give you the same kind of love Gixxer did
Thanks. I don't know if I would go that far, it was a constant battle but that was half the fun now looking back. In fact, when she was a pup she would actually back sass me when I scolded her. My friends would all laugh their asses off when I would tell her to stay away from the coffee table or stop barking and she would stop what she was doing, stare at me and then start barking at me and sassing me. It was SO funny.
lol, sounds like my little Lucy. Gixxer had you wrapped around her little paw!
Sorry for your loss Jer. We are huge dog lovers as well and would be devastated if anything happened to ours. sorry you had to go through that. Hopefully another pup will come along and give you the same kind of love Gixxer did
Thanks buddy. We talked very briefly about the possibility of getting another pup mainly for Koby to not be alone when one of our friends brought it up and neither of us is ready for that. While I know there will never be another Gixxer I just am not ready to have another dog in the house because it would feel like we're trying to replace her right now. I know physically we are replacing her but psychologically I don't want to feel like that.
lol, sounds like my little Lucy. Gixxer had you wrapped around her little paw!
Yeah, she sure did man. It was a sight to see how some people looked at a nearly 300lb adult male walking a 15lb dog with a pink collar & pink leash and the funny part was I didn't even care.
Koby however may not feel the same as you. The loss to him maybe more as in Where is she. a new pup would reasure him that he will not disappear too. Just a thought.
I didn't want a dog after the vet killed my Georgia. But the wife came home 3 weeks later with that little bug, and now,, well it's all cool, and we got a big brother for her to beat up.
Koby however may not feel the same as you. The loss to him maybe more as in Where is she. a new pup would reasure him that he will not disappear too. Just a thought.
I didn't want a dog after the vet killed my Georgia. But the wife came home 3 weeks later with that little bug, and now,, well it's all cool, and we got a big brother for her to beat up.
I know it would probably be a good thing long-term but I'm just not ready. It's still just too painful for me and Koby has been doing very good with it. He's getting (read: having to endure) 2x the love and affection and we go on walks all the time and he's been doing real well. He didn't eat for a few days (none of us did) and he got his appetite back and appears to be doing quite well with the whole thing. When we did it he was by her side and when she went he got up on his own, gave her a little sniff/kiss on her nose and then got out of bed. It was like he knew right away. She used to be a grump whenever she was under the blankets & he would walk around her. She would growl and before he learned to keep his distance even snap at him when he made contact with her. That afternoon after she was gone he hopped up into bed with my wife and I and was carefully tip-toeing around her blanket which was still between us and we lost it as soon as we realized what he was doing. Sometimes he gets it and sometimes he doesn't but it doesn't seem to be affecting his health or anything above the normal grief IMO. Then again, sometimes we realize it and sometimes we don't and we're humans so I think it's just part of the process. I just know neither of us is at that point of considering another dog yet.
Lex_Luthor
04-29-2011, 12:41
Dogs have a remarkable sense to be keen on people's energy. It's on a level that we don't usually even notice. If you're nervous around someone, they will be too, and become protective. If you give off sad energy, your dog's behavior will almost EXACTLY mirror yours. Your other dog is going through the exact same roller coaster of emotions as you and your wife are. Dogs will experience emotions differently than humans, but it's amazing to see how they respond to it.
Whenever my fiance and I argue, Brutus (our pitbull) gets very sad/scared and goes across the room, or down the hall and carefully watches us with his tail down and head low. He makes us make up SO quickly because when we argue, we HAVE to get our point (usually useless) across to the other. Well, we see him reacting that way and then we both have to call him over and tell him it's ok and that we're not mad at him, and we're not mad at each other. It's really interesting.
Dogs have a remarkable sense to be keen on people's energy. It's on a level that we don't usually even notice. If you're nervous around someone, they will be too, and become protective. If you give off sad energy, your dog's behavior will almost EXACTLY mirror yours. Your other dog is going through the exact same roller coaster of emotions as you and your wife are. Dogs will experience emotions differently than humans, but it's amazing to see how they respond to it.
Whenever my fiance and I argue, Brutus (our pitbull) gets very sad/scared and goes across the room, or down the hall and carefully watches us with his tail down and head low. He makes us make up SO quickly because when we argue, we HAVE to get our point (usually useless) across to the other. Well, we see him reacting that way and then we both have to call him over and tell him it's ok and that we're not mad at him, and we're not mad at each other. It's really interesting.
Yeah, Koby especially is sensitive to our emotions.
Bailey Guns
04-29-2011, 13:39
Wow! Looks like a great dog and a great life for a dog. I feel for you...I know exactly how it feels to lose a best friend. I'm sorry for your loss.
KevDen2005
04-29-2011, 13:47
I'm sorry man. I love my dog too. I know how attached we get
Wow! Looks like a great dog and a great life for a dog. I feel for you...I know exactly how it feels to lose a best friend. I'm sorry for your loss.
Oh man did she have a good life. Our friends joke that our dogs live better lives than most people. They even had their own bedroom set up for them to be able to lay in bed in the sun all day whenever they weren't laying outside in the sun. My wife & I often joked about how we would gladly trade them places. She was fortunate to be our dog and we were fortunate to find such a special little girl.
CO Retriever
04-29-2011, 23:07
That sucks man. It doesn't really matter how it happens letting go of a family dog has to be one of the hardest things. I think it gets a little easier with time, but it never completely goes away.
I have three labs, and had a german Shepard. Had to put my shepard down last June because he had s neurological issue. I love my labs, but my shepard only lived with us for 8 months, and was a very special dog. It always makes me laugh when I think about him. Our daughter couldn't say his name so she called him Tickle, and of course we just called him Tickle.
I remember the day I put him to sleep at the vet, was the hardest thing I had to do.
Thanks for passing along the info, I was looking for a vet to do this for him, and ended up taking him to the vet my sister in law works for.
The worst thing about dogs is they don't live long enough.
argonstrom
04-30-2011, 00:17
Oh man did she have a good life. Our friends joke that our dogs live better lives than most people. They even had their own bedroom set up for them to be able to lay in bed in the sun all day whenever they weren't laying outside in the sun. My wife & I often joked about how we would gladly trade them places. She was fortunate to be our dog and we were fortunate to find such a special little girl.
I'm sorry, man. It hurts so bad to lose such a good friend. :(
jerrymrc
04-30-2011, 15:52
Just went through a couple of Cats after 16+ years. Two of the dogs are now 16 and 15 (Father and son) The oldest has pretty bad cataracts but does ok otherwise. I feel for ya.
Bumping this up so it doesn't get lost.
Bumping this up so it doesn't get lost.
Good reminder, thanks. The cat I adopted when my wife said "yes", just had his first bout with cancer... so far so good, but i know some things are inevitable.
aside - no I don't claim her cat as my own, sorry I'm a bad step-owner. I'm a dog lover!
Sorry for your loss, never knew how much I could blubber until I had to put down a shepherd pup (she was a year and a half old with mega esophagus), wold have absolutely used this service.
Hope to not have a need for it for quite some time, but thank you for sharing.
I dread the day I have to put down either of our dogs. They are definitely like family. Our oldest, a German Shepherd / Aussie mix actually scared off a puke-sack who tried to get into our apartment years ago when my wife was home. He is a great dog, but getting up there in the years. Sorry for your loss.
Thanks everyone. It's been 2 years now and I'm finally feeling a little less devastated about it. I still can't believe how hard this experience hit me and I couldn't imagine if my last memory of her was at a cold sterile vet office. I hope you guys don't need to use this anytime soon but it's a sad twist of fate how short of time we have our beloved pets with us. This seems like the least we can do for our best friends and it's not something anyone ever wants to talk about but if you need it... there it is.
Sorry for your loss, even now. Pets are definitely more than possessions to me, they are family.
As an aside, another great housecall vet in the quad-city area, is Housecall Veternarian. (http://www.drmeloradvm.com/) She won't do emergency hours, middle-of-the-night stuff, but compassionate is her mantra.
MileHighOutlaw
06-14-2013, 21:11
Tears filled my eyes while reading this. December 23rd last year we had to put our pup Missy down. I feel for your loss my friend.
Yeah I'm sorry man. I am not looking forward to that day myself. This was a hard read. Sniff sniff.
I've said this may times, "A dog's only fault is that they don't live long enough".
It seems a guy has one or maybe two dogs in a lifetime that you get an attachment to that you never get with other pets. I've loved them all, but my Rhodesian Ridgeback/German Shepard, Aspen. I adopted her at 6 months after some fucktard threw a whole litter of 5 over the 12' fence at the Humane Society. She was the only one that lived. I had to put her through 2 surgeries before I could even bring her home.
I had her for 14 years, and having to put her down was one of the worst days of my life. I think about her daily.
Now, I have Cletus. He's 120 pound black and tan Bloodhound, and he's worthless as tits on a boar. But he doesn't have a mean bone in his body, and is great with my 5 and 6 year old daughters. I love him to death as well, but he isn't Aspen...
So sorry for your loss, but we sign up for it when we bring 'em home.
SamuraiCO
06-15-2013, 17:48
Same feelings here. Lost my first English Setter five years ago to lymphoma. Six months from diagnosis, five months of chemo but it came right back. He was only 9 and had a lot of life still. Just this last January it was time for my first hunting dog Sage an English Springer Spaniel. That dog had guts and never quit. It was the mileage not the years. He lived 17 years. I have his ashes I will be taking out hunting this year and spread some in the fields. It sucks because we imprint our emotions onto our dogs making the decision so much harder.
I have my second setter Luke and just got another from the same breeder, Logan. Don't regret the passing of your pets think of the life you were able to give them and to others that you bring into your family.
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g410/samurai64/IMGP2083_zps227d5616.jpg
Sage and Luke
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/g410/samurai64/ATT00001_zps84d0112e.jpg
New puppy Logan
Fentonite
06-15-2013, 23:03
...
Now, I have Cletus. He's 120 pound black and tan Bloodhound, and he's worthless as tits on a boar. But he doesn't have a mean bone in his body, and is great with my 5 and 6 year old daughters....
Awesome! I had a 120 pound black/tan bloodhound named Cletus! Many years ago in my cop days, he was my partner, and really enjoyed man-trailing. He died early, on his sixth Christmas. He was a good boy, and I still miss him.
http://i841.photobucket.com/albums/zz339/fentonite/cletis.jpg
TheBelly
06-15-2013, 23:21
http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af70/thebelly925/100MEDIA95IMAG0271.jpg
We had to put down our 13-ish yr old lab mix, Lilly, about a year ago last Christmas. Wife and I were in England visiting family for the holidays. The pet hotel called and said that she had a bleed in her liver and was fading fast. They could have prolonged her life enough for us to get home. I asked one question: "Will it better her quality of life to keep her alive?"
When the vet said no, the answer was easy.
I miss that dog just about every day.
TheBelly
06-15-2013, 23:27
http://i994.photobucket.com/albums/af70/thebelly925/6b8997d81ad39ae3412617a1d169243a_zps767051cd.jpg
This is Didi the wiener dog that was depressed for about two weeks when she couldn't find her big sister after we got back.
not much sadder than a depressed wiener.
Bumping this thread again because I had someone who was looking for this info.
funkymonkey1111
07-18-2014, 14:01
I did it this way with my oldest dog in early June and i can say it's the best way to go, especially if there are other pets around, too.
newracer
07-18-2014, 14:07
My best friends wife is a vet that only does house calls, along with normal care she can euthanize in your home.
http://drmeloradvm.com/
Seems like a good time to bump this up again. If not in Northern Colorado & want to add information for similar services in your area to help others close to you feel free to do so.
Almost time for the annual-ish bump for those who are newer and/or haven't yet seen this. Take down the # even if you don't need it because you or someone you know may someday & time may be a factor.
Almost time for the annual-ish bump
-needs to be bumped weekly. Then again, I like animals far more than humans.
-needs to be bumped weekly. Then again, I like animals far more than humans.
I couldn't agree more but if I'm the only one bumping I don't know if I'm just bothering people or if others are finding it useful.
Bumping this old thread once again to spread the word for others. Unfortunately we will be utilizing their services again in the morning for our latest rescue, London. We rescued her about 5 years ago from a rescue that specializes in puppy mill rescues.
I'll get on a soapbox briefly to say adopt, don't buy. This poor dog had been through an unimaginable hell before we rescued her & her rapidly failing health is a direct result of that treatment. Buying dogs perpetuates the cycle & rewards the evil behavior.
I digress.
If you have a pet please bookmark or otherwise save Home to Heaven's # because even talking to them over the phone reminded me how wonderful they are during these tough times.
Hold your fur babies close tonight, gents.
funkymonkey1111
01-27-2017, 23:24
Bumping this old thread once again to spread the word for others. Unfortunately we will be utilizing their services again in the morning for our latest rescue, London. We rescued her about 5 years ago from a rescue that specializes in puppy mill rescues.
I'll get on a soapbox briefly to say adopt, don't buy. This poor dog had been through an unimaginable hell before we rescued her & her rapidly failing health is a direct result of that treatment. Buying dogs perpetuates the cycle & rewards the evil behavior.
I digress.
If you have a pet please bookmark or otherwise save Home to Heaven's # because even talking to them over the phone reminded me how wonderful they are during these tough times.
Hold your fur babies close tonight, gents.
Sorry to hear this, but take comfort in knowing you gave her a great five years
cableguy11
01-28-2017, 08:03
I couldn't agree more but if I'm the only one bumping I don't know if I'm just bothering people or if others are finding it useful.
Heck no, I just saw this for the first time and I am glad you bumped it up! We got us a furry guy after years of not having pets and if something were to happen I like this choice the best. Thanks for the information.
-Art
Bailey Guns
01-28-2017, 08:32
Sorry, Jer... It's tough to let go of a friend.
Slightly Off Topic: Along the same lines of adopting, I'd also like to recommend to those of you like me, who buy tons of stuff thru Amazon, to use "Amazon Smile (http://smile.amazon.com)" instead. A small portion of everything you buy (almost) will be donated to a charity of your choosing. We live thru Amazon and support a local shelter every time we click "Submit Order". You'll be surprised how quickly it adds up over a year.
I did it this way with my oldest dog in early June and i can say it's the best way to go, especially if there are other pets around, too.
I'm a firm believer that animals are very smart and social, and love each other deeply. So if one goes to the vet and never comes back, it can traumatize them emotionally. Same with their owners, mom or dad never comes home, the dog can suffer terribly emotionally.
But if they can witness their companion/owner's body and smell/nudge them, then they'll know what happened and can move on. Animals understand death, but don't understand sudden disappearance. Read that somewhere.
Anyway, thanks for this Jer! Info recorded. In fact, I told a co-worker about this when they had to have his wife's dog euthanized. They weren't aware such a service existed, and were very grateful to find out. They weren't looking forward to taking her on that final trip to the vet's. His wife really appreciated it.
A quick update and good news: She made a miraculous recovery this morning at the last minute... almost literally. We made the decision last night to have it done at 9:00am this morning. After that point she got even worse. Like bad enough that my wife was saying we should call them back to see if she could come out on an emergent basis to end her suffering. I was able to get London calmed down and relaxed (she was struggling to breath among other symptoms) and she was able to have big chunks of time of calm between the occasional struggle to breath so we made the decision to just keep the 9:00am appointment. Needless to say we had a LONG night of waking up regularly to her struggling to breath. Then, at about 5:00am or so I woke up and she seemed better. I began to pet her and she tried to shake my hand and had a better look about her already. Her breathing was less labored and she seemed more herself. So, London & I both took the calm as an opportunity to get some sleep. I woke up about 2.5 hours later and she seemed like she was feeling better. We tried to give her her daily treat w/her meds in it and she ate it. She was walking around a little bit and just looked better. We fed her and she ate for the first time in days. When they called to make sure we still wanted them to come out a short while later we called them off. I don't know if she's going to continue to improve or if it's just the eye in the middle of the storm & she's going to regress but we owe it to her to find out and I'm happy to report we've got a glimmer of hope.
Bailey Guns
01-28-2017, 11:43
Fingers crossed and praying for the best.
Fentonite
01-28-2017, 11:52
Glad she's perking up! Hopefully she'll make a great recovery.
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