An Arf-Arf Here and a Meow-Meow There... E I E I O!

[JoeP]

Inside the nailed plywood box was a cardboard tube with a lid, like a short Pringles tube. Inside that was ... a ziploc plastic bag. It was all somewhat bizarre.

[ChuckF]

That is extremely weird. What is the function of the plywood there? Surely another cardboard box would be easier to seal and equally useful.

It is interesting, though. My mother-in-law died last year and came back in a cardboard box with a plastic liner inside. It was NOT cheap, and they spent a lot of energy trying to sell expensive urns. Every pet we have had cremated has come back in a lovely urn, usually with an engraved brass plaque, without us even asking. A plastic bag would have been fine. Husband gets free cremations through wrok, but even if we paid it only would have been like $300-400.

[lisarea]

Zsa Zsa's really going downhill. Her knees are failing so she can barely walk sometimes. She still gets around OK for limited times, and she keeps trying to walk around even when her legs are buckling, but she can't be on her feet too long, and she's starting to trip and fall every now and again.

And now, as of today, Flossy's not eating. She's temporarily lost her appetite before, so I'm hoping this is that, but she does have cancer.

I cannot express how much I hate this.

[BrotherMan]

I love them as much as a person who's met them once can possibly claim to. They are both the best. I can only send them my virtual love and concern. My heart goes out to you. They could not have had better lives than the ones they've had with you. The hard part isn't loving them. The hard part is loving them knowing that it won't ever be for as long as we want it to be.

[ChuckF]

I hate to hear that. It is so hard with dogs. They are tough as hell and know they have an important job, and it makes it hard to know when. Give those old ladies the best of everything.

[vremya]

I'm sorry lisarea

[beyelzu]

We are going to Tahoe and taking just Gizmo as she is a silent dog and we are living Puppyshark Barksalot with our friend Steph.

I miss Mookie already

[beyelzu]

Originally Posted by lisarea

Zsa Zsa's really going downhill. Her knees are failing so she can barely walk sometimes. She still gets around OK for limited times, and she keeps trying to walk around even when her legs are buckling, but she can't be on her feet too long, and she's starting to trip and fall every now and again.

And now, as of today, Flossy's not eating. She's temporarily lost her appetite before, so I'm hoping this is that, but she does have cancer.

I cannot express how much I hate this.

I feel for you.

When Gizmo wasn’t eating, I found it agonizing.

They are good girls. You love them so it hurts, but hold on to that love through the pain.

[Sock Puppet]

Went through that with VC last year. It's terrible and I wish no one had to go through it.

Tell them one of the many cuddles is from me.

[Qingdai]

I am sorry about Flossy an Zsa Zsa. Tell them my son and I say they are good girls.

[slimshady2357]

We had to put Bryn down today. He was nearly 14, so he had a good long life. He was an absolute legend of a dog. Loved all people and all dogs, super friendly giant he was.

This is him when we first got him, he was 6 and so much less grey around the muzzle.
20140705_163345.jpg

He was limping badly yesterday, but feeling well otherwise. He was even annoyed he didn't get to go for a walk. But we made a vet appointment for today because the limp was pretty bad and we couldn't see an obvious reason. Then this morning he wasn't limping really because he could hardly stand at all, he wasn't interested in eating (and he is normally super greedy), he had no energy and his breathing was super laboured. We got him to the vet, they did some blood tests and it seems like he was in total organ shutdown.

We got to be with him as he drifted off, so that was nice.

Just 2 days ago he was eating, going for walks and as good as you can expect a 14 year old dog to be. Not a bad way to go really, he hardly suffered at all.

He was a good boy.

[JoeP]

Can I just interrupt this thread with some off-topic good news about my cat?

CatP, actually called Dusty and not one for going by pseudonyms at the sedate old lady age of 14, had symptoms of a uti problem last week, so I took her off to the vet. Dreading even the best outcome which would be medications because she is impossible to give medicine to: getting her to swallow pills is impossible however much injury I accept, and she's a picky eater so won't take medicine in food.*

Then the vet was ever so encouraging identifying that she probably has arthritis and diabetes in addition to the cystitis and/or kidney infection and has lost a significant amount of weight plus something else but I had stopped taking it in. They prescribed antibiotic pills and a liquid painkiller, and took blood for later testing. I was moderately worried before but the vet's worry about her weight just multiplied my worry.

* However, she did. She's accepted the pills crushed and mixed into her wet food, and - after an initial few hours sniffing and leaving - also the liquid. It's been a few days and she's much livelier and more comfortable. And the blood test results have come back with nothing to worry about.

She's now getting more wet food per day, and I'll continue this until the vet says she's at a good weight - although actually they will say oh, now she's overweight.

[vremya]

I'm sorry about Bryn slimshady

[lisarea]

I'm so sorry, slim. Bryn was a good boy.

I don't know how best to say this, but we had Flossy (Florence Esmerelda) put to sleep today, too.

Last night, she just kind of collapsed, couldn't walk and couldn't keep food or even water down anymore. So we figured it was time, and found a mobile vet specializing in euthanasia who came today. Flossy took to her right away and didn't even seem to mind the sedation shot, and then she went to sleep surrounded by her whole family, including Zsa Zsa.

It was good, really, or as good as that sort of thing can be. She'd been slowing down and losing her appetite for a while, but was otherwise doing OK. The precipitous decline last night, though, was sudden and very clear, so it didn't leave any question that it was time.

[beyelzu]

My heart goes out to you both, lisarea and slim. We just passed a year since Ripley died. I empathize with how yall are feeling right now.

I was and still am comforted by this old quote

"I am in tears, while carrying you to your last resting place as much as I rejoiced when bringing you home in my own hands fifteen years ago."

Internet says ancient greek, regardless of authenticity, the words are comforting.

We have a long ancient bond with dogs. Our species have coevolved and we grieve for them because we love them.

[slimshady2357]

Originally Posted by lisarea

I'm so sorry, slim. Bryn was a good boy.

I don't know how best to say this, but we had Flossy (Florence Esmerelda) put to sleep today, too.

Last night, she just kind of collapsed, couldn't walk and couldn't keep food or even water down anymore. So we figured it was time, and found a mobile vet specializing in euthanasia who came today. Flossy took to her right away and didn't even seem to mind the sedation shot, and then she went to sleep surrounded by her whole family, including Zsa Zsa.

It was good, really, or as good as that sort of thing can be. She'd been slowing down and losing her appetite for a while, but was otherwise doing OK. The precipitous decline last night, though, was sudden and very clear, so it didn't leave any question that it was time.

It sucks.

But it's best when it's clear cut and the decision is easy.
Really glad you got to all be there too.

How is Zsa Zsa today?

Alice seems a little down, but that could be projection. They were never really best buds though, more like roommates.

[vremya]

When it comes time I'm going to have a mobile vet come to our place. I still feel guilty that going to the hated vet was the last memory our cats had.

[JoeP]

Dusty seems not to mind the vet so much now. (Still hates the car journey there MEOW - MEOW - MEOW) She gets a bit limp and scared there but accepts it all. Probably too much to think that she might associate visits with getting better afterwards.

Of course maybe she's just too old to fight it...

[lisarea]

Originally Posted by slimshady2357

How is Zsa Zsa today?

Alice seems a little down, but that could be projection. They were never really best buds though, more like roommates.

Zsa Zsa seems to be taking it well. She's acting normal, mostly. They both slowed down a lot and spent most of the day sleeping, so I guess not too much has changed for her. And dogs seem to take this sort of thing better than people do.

It does suck, though. But it sounds like both our doggies were doing well right up to the end, and that's about the best way for things to go.

[ChuckF]

RIP Bryn and Flossy. I am so sorry. It doesn't make it easier to say goodbye, but it is nice that they were old poopers with full lives lived well right up to the very end. You did well by them to make the tough call at the right time.

And truly, death has come to the Arf-Arf Here and a Meow-Meow thrad this season.

Originally Posted by JoeP

CatP, actually called Dusty

This is a HIPPA violation, probably

Originally Posted by JoeP

Dreading even the best outcome which would be medications because she is impossible to give medicine to: getting her to swallow pills is impossible however much injury I accept, and she's a picky eater so won't take medicine in food.*

After CatF took up vomiting as his main hobby, we faced a similar problem because the best anti-emetic is an oral. We tried a lot of things, including those cheap plastic pill guns which he also hated. UNTIL we discovered cream cheese, which worked pretty well as a pill pocket.

And then, we found butter. Push the pill into a small tab of cold butter. Load the buttered pill into the pill gun thing, and jam it in the cat's mouth to dispense. Pre-butter, at this point, he would scream at us in rage. But once we covered the pill in a little envelope of butter, he would sort of protest but only half-heartedly, and would eat the pill and spend a few minutes licking up residual butter.

[specious_reasons]

Alphabits has a large lump on his head that's grown significantly in the last 2 months. I took him to the vet today and they did an Xray and a biopsy. We were hoping this was a bone cyst, but the initial takeaway from the conversation is that it's not. We get to wait around a week for complete results, but I think the best we can hope for is non-malignancy.

[Stephen Maturin]

Flossy was a true blue friend, and I miss her terribly. Life won't ever be what you'd call good again, but hey, given my age and physical infirmities, good was likely going to be a fer piece off in any event.

Originally Posted by ChuckF

This is a HIPPA violation, probably

That is epic in at least eight different ways.

[specious_reasons]

Originally Posted by specious_reasons

Alphabits has a large lump on his head that's grown significantly in the last 2 months. I took him to the vet today and they did an Xray and a biopsy. We were hoping this was a bone cyst, but the initial takeaway from the conversation is that it's not. We get to wait around a week for complete results, but I think the best we can hope for is non-malignancy.

Haven't gotten the biopsy back yet, but the X-rays results have me expecting the best news is that it's treatable. Alphabits has blood dripping from his nose because the tumor has gotten into his sinuses, and the radiologist is saying the cancer is eating away at the bone.

He's 11 - I generally expected him to live to 15 or so, so I'm pretty unhappy right now.

[BrotherMan]

Originally Posted by Stephen Maturin

Flossy was a true blue friend, and I miss her terribly. Life won't ever be what you'd call good again, but hey, given my age and physical infirmities, good was likely going to be a fer piece off in any event.

I have several regerts in my life. One is that I didn't get to pat Flossy as much as I wanted or as much as she deserved. Two is that the whole world will never know how soft and velvety she was.

[specious_reasons]

Originally Posted by specious_reasons

Haven't gotten the biopsy back yet, but the X-rays results have me expecting the best news is that it's treatable. Alphabits has blood dripping from his nose because the tumor has gotten into his sinuses, and the radiologist is saying the cancer is eating away at the bone.

He's 11 - I generally expected him to live to 15 or so, so I'm pretty unhappy right now.

So, the biopsy was almost as bad as I expected. I am going to try to get an oncology consult, but this started in his nasal cavity. It's not likely they could surgically remove it entirely, even if it hasn't metastasized. Expected lifespan in this case is at most a year.

It's highly aggressive - pretty clear that he didn't even have a noticeable tumor 2 months ago. If I can't get an oncology consult within a week or two, I doubt that Alphabits will be in a state fit enough to receive care, and I'll probably just plan for end-of-life.