TJandDante

but it has to be said. While we all hope for remission and cure, (and I don't want anyone to give up hope!)you need to have a plan for if things go very wrong very quickly. Our holistic vet only works Mon thru Thursday, and our regular vet works every day but Sundays. I thought we had more time with Dante so hadn't looked into the vets that will come to your house to put your dog to sleep, or any backup clinics. We ended up, on a Sunday morning, going to a pet emergency where we didnt know anyone and they didnt know Dante. Luckily we probably got the nicest, most compassionate people I have ever met to help us help our friend and companion on his final journey. But we had wanted to have him leave us here at home, where he would feel safe and comfortable, and we didnt get to have that because we failed to have a plan.
So please-even though I hope you don't have to use it, and I pray it doesnt come to that, please have a plan for the after hours or the weekend or the middle of the night if you need it, so that your sweet beloved pet doesnt have to suffer. Know the who and the where and the phone numbers you can call to make it happen. If you want to have a private cremation ,know what it is going to cost, will they pick up your pet and deliver the ashes back, how long will it take.If you are going to bury him in your yard, what happens if you want to move? I wish I hadn't been in such denial-up to two days before he died, I had decided I couldn't have him put to sleep,I wasn't strong enough, I didn't have any plan about cremation, we had to go through that right after he was gone when we couldnt think clearly or see through our tears. Thank God we made the right decision but we should have thought about it before.

I'm sorry to bring up such an uncomfortable issue here but I wish someone had sat me down and told me theses things, when I could still think rationally. It hasn't been quite three weeks and the grief is so fresh, but I couldn't let anyone else go through what we did .

If you have any questions or concerns about the process, you can ask me privately on the member page or right here, I care about all of you and if I can ease one worry or pain, I am happy to do it. There are so many kind people who have gone through this before me and have helped so many here.
TJ

mybestfriend

TJ, You are so right about this topic. We did have a plan in place. Our vet was so compassionate in this area which helped us out a lot.

__________________
Rene, Bailey,Angel, Dolce and Jim Remembering "Daddy's girl Dasha"

alyson

So true, i buried my head in the sand so never gave it a thought, then it all happens so fast! billy was my first fur baby and i didnt have a clue what to do and what options, my vets was great, but never mentioned about a home visit, possibly because i had to take billy in a few days before because he was bleeding quite badly! and he stayed in overnight to try and see if we could get the bleeding to stop! so he was already at the vets when they said it had to be done! so i had to go through the ' do you want him privatly cremated, do you want a scatter box or urn, the costs and how long, all just before they put him sleep, my head was spinning!! plus billy thought id come to bring him home, he didnt know what was going on, he just wanted to get out of there, i wish id planned it, if id have had the choice i would have brought him home, let him settle at home then had the vet come to us.

So TJ thank you for being honest and trying to help other people, its what is needed, painfull but true and very very helpful..

Alyson

Raymond

Good stuff TJ. Just like with people making "pre-arrangements" it is good to do with our fur babies. Once I had a plan in place, verified the vets availability and that he would come to house, grave dug, I had a bit of piece of mind and relief. Difficult to do at the moment but once you've done it, relief. I highly recommend having the vet come to your home. So much less stress for everyone. Mine did, whole thing only cost $75. He even brought his assistant since they all knew and loved my Larry boy. (Still very much missed)

Benpaws

Dear TJ,

How brave of you to bring forth these issues now after just losing your own best friend such a short time ago and with your own pain so "fresh."

When we took our Willie in on a Saturday morning after only ONE NIGHT of illness and got a vet we had never met and who didn't know our Willie and were told that "his time was up" and there was nothing which could be done, we were overwhelmed with emotion and grief and had to say "goodbye" to this outstanding little fur boy.

With Benny, we did have a plan in place and wanted our own vet to be the one to administer the final medication into the little fluffy, white paw.I guess we could have waited another day, but then our vet would not be on call and we needed him because he loved our Benny and Benny loved him back. It was just the kind of day Benny loved with the sun shining and the air cool and the fresh grass and first signs of Spring. The ending was peaceful and calm and Benny was surrounded with love.

Thank you for posting this difficult topic for those who will be facing the "end" at one time or another.

Sometimes, the end comes too quickly and plans cannot be put into place even though we have made them. Willie's death was a SHOCK!

God Bless you friend and please continue to come here and offer such wonderful suggestions and support to us all.

Blessings,
Joanne & Shadow

Shadow is a little more than 9 months and I didn't think I could love another puppy again, but I do and he brings daily joy and comfort into our home. I know Benny would approve.

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Raymond

Shadow is soooo beautiful. Really striking colors for a schnauzer.

Benpaws

Thanks Raymond. He seems to be staying dark for now. All the others were salt and pepper.

He does get lots of looks and he is the most affectionate schnauzer we have ever had. Benny was unique in his independence and of course stubborn. He was dominant which Shadow is not.

We loved them ALL!

Thanks for your kind comment.


Blessings,
Joanne & Shadow

Zullymom

Absolutely true, and I was not prepared,as many of you, I didn't want to face the fact that my beloved friend would eventually die, and had no real plan in place, just dread. But I thought we had more time, and it was unexpected, that it would happen the way it did. And on a weekend. Our vet is not available on weekends,and we had to call the vet he refers people to on weekends, and they are over 2 hours away. But we never made it there. We put Zully in our van, and we weren't 2 miles down the road when I looked at him and he had died. If I knew, I would never even have tried to move him, justlet him die in peace at home. We took him back home, and we went out in the back yard, where our other chows are buried andwe dug his grave, it was late evening, a month and days ago. That was what we wanted to do for him. I haven't written in here much lately, because, as you know the feelings don't go away for a very long time, but I wanted to share this at some point. But, ultimately, I think if you can get a vet to come to your home,that is best for your best friend, because that is where he/she truly wants to be.So, thank you TJ for bringing it to us.

TJandDante

Same thing with us, we weren't expecting to face that yet-we had just had a "normal" day the day before and it was the weekend and no plan for what if,because somehow if I didnt thnk about it, it wouldn't happen. We were so lucky it went as smoothly as it did but still, in the high emotional state you are in, you have to make decisions you aren't in any shape to make.

I don't want anyone to go through that on top of the already gut wrenching emotions you have when your dog is fading or suffering. I was in a total state of denial, would not even face the whole euthanasia issue to make a choice.
TJ