End of an era...RIP Peg

rottydaddy

rottydaddy

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Peg, my 3-legged Rotty mix and bestest friend ever, was pretty ill the last month or so... probably cancer, but maybe an infection. Whatever the case, her liver was very badly beat up, and she was dropping weight at a scary rate and growing very lame. She couldn't get up, and was very shaky once helped to her feet. In about a week, she was no longer trying to get up, but still hobbled out from the freight elevator to do her "business" if I helped her up. Clearly it was time to get her to the doc.
A round of antibiotics, steroids, and iron/B vitamin liquid supplements seemed to help a lot at first, but then she sort of backslid. Still alert and good appetite, but growing skinnier and weaker practically before my eyes.

I'd just moved her permanently to my friends' place down by the shore over the weekend...backyard, no stairs, kid, another dog... Peg always stayed with them when I was out of town, and they loved her. They knew she was having trouble getting up, but Lyell, saint and animal lover that she is, said "no problem, I'll help her..." I hoped that the more "wholesome" environment and the continued meds might get her to rally again.

But she called last night almost in tears: "Peg can't even stand once I get her up. She just pooped lying on the ground...!!"

So I had her bring Peg to the vet's first thing this morning, where I met her. Doc Cohen didn't even have to see the dog; I told him what was up and he basically said "at her age (13-ish), whatever we might be able to do won't be worth it for her."
I knew he was right, but it sure wasn't easy just calmly petting her while someone gave her a lethal injection. Not easy to do, but the right thing. I am thankful I was right there when she took her last breath, for both our sakes. She was not scared, and didn't feel a thing.

Even more right was burying her myself, at Lyell's old family home on a hill by the seashore. Just a few feet away from Lyell's shepherd Grover, who was Peg's friend before he passed away several years ago. I'll miss her terribly, but it was about as good a passing as I could have hoped for.
I have only one regret: that I never got her up in an airplane!!! She would have enjoyed that.

Sorry, ol' gal, it just never worked out...


Two of the best pics of my friend of 11+ years...

Just this last July, near the airport:

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...a few years ago, at Doug and Lyell's place in Asbury Park.


 

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I cry for your pup; putting down Dixie was the hardest thing I had done in my life to that point...
 
We had to have our Golden Retriever put down last December. I know exactly what you are feeling. Not fun at all.
 
Sorry to hear about your loss. I went through that last summer with a dog we had for 15.5 years. It took almost a year before I could get another one.
 
Ugh -- what is it lately????

So sorry.

My daughter had an idea I'll share -- we took Lad's collar, various pictures, clips from his favorite dog food (Purina One Lamb and Rice! Yay!), etc and made a shadow box. Just putting it together brought up all sorts of good memories.
 
Sorry to hear the sad news.

Our (collective) four legged youngens mean the world to us, as we do to them.
 
Aww... geez... I'm so sorry to hear about Peg; she sounds like a real sweetheart.
 
Condolences. It's hard losing members of the family like that, but you brought her a lot of joy over the years, and she you.
 
Many condolences. I can only imagine how bad it will be when my little Moogie dog dies.
 
Hey Sean,
Sorry to hear about Peg. I was glad to have met her and had time to play with her while her Dad was working on the glider rebuild.
Mike G
 
steingar said:
Many condolences. I can only imagine how bad it will be when my little Moogie dog dies.
Click to expand...
It helps to be proactive... monitor your pet's health, increase the number of vet visits as they get older, and to have the details sorted out beforehand. that way you can just be there to say goodbye properly. I did OK in that department, and it made it much easier.
 
Sorry for your loss. I lost my Golden Retriever a year ago this Thursday in nearly the same way you lost Peg.
 
I'm so sorry to hear this. One of the most difficult things we have to do is part with our family members.

:frown3:
 
It's hard saying goodbye. I'm sorry for your loss.
 
Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

I am doing OK but already noticing that the little things will be making me wince for a long time.
For so long, most of my daily mental checklist items had to do with Peg: feeding, walking, or just checking on her to see if she's OK or wants to play. So I think of her automatically, several times a day. And after a hard days' work, the simple pleasure of greeting her and spending a little time together was always such good medicine for me... gonna miss that.

That will go on, for years probably. But I can handle that- Peg is not the only loved one I miss a little almost every day. It gets easier as time goes by.

The heavier stuff will pass soon, I hope: last night I was lying awake wondering if she was comfy- couldn't remember if I laid her out on the side she usually slept on. Couldn't stop thinking about it. Actually thought about grabbing the shovel and driving down there. I know it's silly (and a little crazy!), but then again it's hard to accept that she's in a hole in the ground, yet is OK. But I will, in time. It will be nice to stop by there some time when the ivy has grown back, and know all is well.
 
I put both my labs down on the same day. They were litter mates. The blk one was going blind and having a hard time and my choc. lab had hip dysplasia. I knew one couldn't live without the other. :(

Sometimes when I come home in the evening...I still think the dog pen is there...but we turned it into a fire pit area soon after they were put down. It's still hard.

My mom found 2 figures that looked like Bradley (blk lab) and buddy (Choc lab) and painted one black and one brown. I went to petsmart and bought a red and a purple collar...like they used to have. It was like having them sit by the fire with us.

One day some strong winds came by and a tree feel over in our yard and landed in the fire pit area....but missed the figures by 2 inches. Went to prove....they are still looking out after us and that they are still with us. :)
 
I had to put my "Big Dog" down a few years ago. Time heals the wounds.



110 pound pure bred Siberian Seppla.
 
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