Bad News For Me Guys

[teaser]

Hello to everyone here, I have some bad news about my dog Squirt.

He fought hard for 28 days and 5 operations but the infection and the pneumonia he developed from his ordeal got the best of him and I had to end it Friday at noon.

As you might remember I gave him a bone and it got caught in his colon and had to have it surgically removed, well the colon opened up after 4 days and he got a very bad infection and blood poisoning from it.

They re-did the surgery again and gave him the strongest antibiotics they had but he started to leak fluid from the incision and needed to be operated on again.

That one was looking good but he started to have a problem with his liver and the infection was worsening, so they opened him up and they were treating him as an open wound for 5 days to help clean out the infection and keep an eye on the colon, on the 5th day they closed his abdomen back up and he was doing better.

A couple of days later he started to leak again and go downhill, they thought maybe the colon opened up again, so back to the operating room.

They found out his colon was closed but some of the skin around the colon that had closed up the leak had died and was badly infected so they removed it along with his splein which was now trashed.

After 2 days of doing absolutely great, he went downhill again fast, I got there and a short time later I had to put him down. But I did get to spend the last minutes of his life with him and let him know I was proud of him for trying so hard to get better, and that he IS still my best friend and that I love him.

He fought a tough fight for 28 days and never gave up until I told him it was okay to stop fighting and close his eyes. I held him while he took his last breath in my arms, he will be forever missed.

If any of you own dogs or at least like animals ... "NEVER" give them a bone!

This lesson cost me 1 dollar for the bone $37,000.00 for the vet bill, but most of all ... it cost me my BEST friend!

Thank you to all who wished him well and said prayers for him, I know he would have loved to meet you all.

GOD BLESS

[reelecstasy]

Sorry for your loss Teaser...I know the feeling all to well...

[Roseneath]

Sorry to hear about your loss.

[B-assman]

Sorry man - I know exaclty how you feel. Lost our dog last Dec 29. Life hasn't been the same since. My kids (2 & 4) will still get quiet all of a sudden and when I ask what's up? they'll say "I miss Gansett" - It doesn't help much right now but it does get easier in time.

Our new puppy is arriving in 2 more weeks and I will definitely heed your advice.

[Al Hadfield]

So sorry to hear of your loss. It is a hard time when one looses one's best friend.


" If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went"

- Will Rogers

Al

[Springtides]

I had a 140 Pound Newfy named "Shadow" that I had to euthanize. It was best for him but was like losing a member of the family. I share your heartfelt loss.

[MakoMike]

Sorry to hear about your and your best friend's ordeal.

[piemma]

I am very sorry to hear of your loss. I have dogs and I realize how attached one can get.

[lennyr]

Very sad story, wish he had pulled through. My wife yells at me all the time about giving bones to Luther. Guess i should listen to her.

[Surfcastinglife]

sorry for your loss man my mom's always givin bones to our 2 dogs and it takes some yellin to get her to stop i couldnt imagine losin one of those 2. really sorry he didnt pull through

[chris L]

that sucks ! such and old tradition . I used to always give my dogs bones from the butcher . some of them bones I wouldnt have minded nawing on .

[partsjay]

Sorry for your loss. As a dog owner myself, I also know the love and attachment that comes with it. My Dad had to put down his dog a couple of months ago, it still is tough to deal with. Sorry for your loss.

[MikeTLive]

...$37G's aint pocket change.

talk to the vet about donors to help offset that cost.
Many have lists of people that like to help out.

[justplugit]

Sorry for your loss Teaser,its like loosing a member of your family.

[Christian]

sorry for your loss

[Nebe]

[FishermanTim]

I can't say that I know exactly how you fel, but after having to put 2 great dogs down both due to age and sickness, you definitely feel the loss and emptyness. The good thing is that you can get another dog to help fill the void. Mind you, you can't replace the dog, because that's impossible. I was lucky enough to have had a number of dogs since I was a kid. The first was Champ, a shepard/ huskie mix. A great dog that sacrificed his body to save small children from speeding vehicles (he got hit twice and survived both times with only one broken front leg.)

Lady, a miniature collie/huskie mix. My sister was in a trasitional phase and she couldn't care for her, so we took her for a few months. She was a smart dog. She would carry the little kids school bags home from school, before the books started getting really heavy.

Brandy, a pure mutt (from MSPCA). This was probably one of the best dogs I've known. She had a great disposition, acted like a puppy up to the age of 12 when the day when she actually got struck by lightening in our house caused her health to decline rapidly.

I only hesitate getting another dog due to the time requirements that I cannot give a new dog. If I could, I would do it all again, even with my allergies!

There might be another dog out there for you, but I'd take some time before deciding. Relish the fond memories.

[Saltheart]

Its always sad to lose a pet. After some time , consider getting another. You won't forget Squirt but you will eventually find a new friend in a new pet.

[afterhours]

VERY SORRY TO HEAR OF YOUR LOSS

[tynan19]

As a dog owner I am really sorry for your loss.

[jbuck]

Sorry to hear that. Almost lost my pointer last year.Thanks to my vet he found that he has addisons and get a monthly shot.

You'll never forget him,
J

[MAC]

Sorry to hear of the loss of your friend.

[chubsdad]

teaser sorry for your loss

[redneck24]

very sorry.

[BigFish]

Teaser I am very saddened to hear of your losing Squirt, your best friend. That must have been a very difficult moment for you....I am quite certain that he felt your love and appreciated you being there for him right up until the end! My best to you...take some time to grieve and then....when the time feels right to you, get yourself a new friend! I am sure Squirt would want you to give yourself to another lucky dog when you feel comfortable doing so.

Keep your old friend close to your heart!

[Striperknight]

Sorry for your loss.

What type of bone was it?

Was it from butcher shop or a Petco?

[teaser]

Striperknight, it was a ham bone.

The vets all told me if you must give you're dog a bone to make sure it is a raw bone, un-cooked.

The cooked bones shatter like fiberglass and they can splinter in the dogs mouth and get caught in their throats, that would be the same as swallowing a bag of needles.

And the same goes for rawhide, be careful when it gets very small as they become plugs that get caught in their throats and they can suffocate in 3 minutes.

The pigs ears that are barbequed are also in the class of cooked bones as they shatter too and become a plug.

Thank you guys for all the great posts in regard to Squirt, it's true ... this is the best site on the net.

All the best wishes and sympathy mean alot to the wife and I and we just want you's to know how much we appreciate it.

[nor-easter]

Our Hearts go out to you in your time of loss.
Sabastian, our 15 Yr. Golden is carrying a giant Tumor which was diagnosed as Cancer 4 years ago. He has continued his wonderful life with us but the time is getting shorter with each day.
Had a Vet in Vermont remind us, as he was prepping a needle for one of our cats, that "If this Cat were a human we would put it on life suppoert and make it suffer another 6 or 7 months. However, we are going to do things right and end the suffering before it gets worse." With that having been said, old "Kitty" was sent to rest.
It hurts to say "Good Bye" but as a person who loves animals God makes special considerations and as noted above, you will never replace "Squirt", nor forget him either, but there is another animal waiting to meet you as soon as you are ready.

Take care. You are not alone in your loss! You are amongst friends here and friends care!

[In The Surf]

sorry to hear about your loss teaser

[gilligan]

i will never give my dog bones again. he just had a throat infection that scared the hell out of the wife and i. keep your head up pal and know that squirt is looking down at you wagging his tail.