Losing of a Pet - DPChallenge Forums

10/16/2006 03:34:23 AM · #1

I am sad at the moment. I have/had a stunning two year old Bull Terrier. Thorough bred Show dog with the most wonderfull loving personality you can think off. About two weeks ago he started getting sick. Something wrong with his brain. Took him to the vet and the vet first thought it was some Vascutobulor sydrome and that it would clear up in 3 days. He just got worse. 3 days later he couldn't walk anymore.
Just to find out what is wrong (cat scan etc) will cost me in the region of R10 000-00. I don't have that kind off money.
Today I must go and tell the vet to put my friend down. I am not one for crying, but it sure brings a tear to my eye and a lump in my throat thinking that I must go and say good bye to my friend today. My whole life I wanted a Bull Terrier and he was perfect. Playfull, lovable and an extremely good specimen. Took a couple of first prices in shows. Breeders in the area was lined up to get their females to him. Now, after two short years I must say good bye.

10/16/2006 03:37:12 AM · #2

Oooh that ff-ing hurts! I can imagine you can also get MAD about it, just because of the money (I assume it's a lot of money) you can't save him...

I hope for you some kind of miracle will happen!!

take care.. and think of the good times with your bull

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

10/16/2006 03:42:27 AM · #3

Thanx - Yes, It is sad. Vet asked me if he can have a post mortem done to determine what was wrong. What makes the decision worse is that we can not determine what is wrong. Vet might be able to save him or he might not be able to.

BeeCee

Nikon D40

10/16/2006 03:44:33 AM · #4

Nothing more painful than losing a family member, especially before their time :(
I am soooooo sorry :(

10/16/2006 03:45:28 AM · #5

do you want that? I think that's a tough decision too.

10/16/2006 03:53:44 AM · #6

Originally posted by biteme:

do you want that? I think that's a tough decision too.

I need to do it. It is a tough decision, but two reason I need to do it;
1 - I need to know what was wrong and that he couldn't be saved. If he could've been saved, I will just have to deal with that.
2 - It is the first time in 15years that the vet saw a case like this. He wants to check and build up info just in case he gets another similar case. It might just help another dog in the future.

Just thinking about it. I don't even have a good photo of him. Nothing digital. Couple of film photos though. I will post one if I can find it.

10/16/2006 03:56:09 AM · #7

ok, these are good reasons.. go for it.

and please take some photo's for your memories.. even though he's not at his best, you will have regrets if you don't..

what's his name by the way?

Best-Buy Easy Point & Click

10/16/2006 04:07:03 AM · #8

No, I will not take photos of him like he is now. I do have a couple of photos somewhere that I will take out and brush up a bit. Don't want to remember him like he is now with tubes and drips etc. He is barely responding to me. Does still try to eat though, but just lying there. It is sad to see this muscled strong young dog just lying there - no control over his body. He still feels pain, but his responses (especially on his left side) is way off. I also think he is blind in his left eye. The whole thing started with him going off balance. His head tilted to the left and he kept on walking to the left as well. He would see me on the other side of our swimming pool and wants to get to me, but kept on falling into the pool. Show of his character - not once did he complain - Even now his tail still wags weakly when he sees me - Still tries to greet me with a lick to the hand.
His name is Spike, born in Empangeni 2 years ago. One of 12 pups - Cutest little thing you can think off. Sadest thing is that my wife also wants to say goodbye - Spike was her baby.
This is what he looks like.

Message edited by author 2006-10-16 04:08:14.

heathen

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

10/16/2006 04:11:56 AM · #9

I'm so very sorry to hear this. This is indeed devestating news. I've always wanted a bull terrier too, since the first time I saw Bullseye in Oliver roughly 30 years ago. This news breaks my heart :(

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

10/16/2006 04:13:07 AM · #10

Oh I didn't realise he had tubes and stuff... sorry..

eschelar

Canon EOS-7D

10/16/2006 04:16:45 AM · #11

We had a situation like this with a cat of mine named Bentley (had a bent tail when we found him as a kitten) who was a great comfort for me when I had no friends and had some very difficult things to deal with in my life.

He got some sort of mental illness that the doctors could not understand where he would become extremely aggressive and vicious for no reason.

It was very difficult for me and I still remember him fondly, but one thing is good. We knew he would not suffer for long. Animals are never very long-lived, so somehow it makes a premature passing somewhat easier.

However, my mother felt that it was important to find a replacement as quickly as possible and within two weeks, she had found two of the loveliest little kittens (brother and sister) to fill the void. They are not replacements for Bentley, but they did and do help fill the gap left in our lives of having fine animal companionship.

Like the Beatles said: You say goodbye and I say hello.

10/16/2006 04:18:20 AM · #12

weird and fascinating and beautiful how much we can love our pets...

10/16/2006 04:20:57 AM · #13

Thanx - Poor guy. One good thing I just remembered - He loves the sea. He hated splashing water and he used to go wild on the beach with the waves - Always tried to bite the waves. The day just after he started getting sick (He could still walk and run etc - early stages still), I took him to the beach. He had a 4 meter leash that I had to keep him on. People are generally afraid of bullies - they are build for fighting though, mine had the body of a fighter, but the temperment of a lover :-) - He would always go for a swim - as far as the leash would allow him to. I would walk on the beach and he would swim in the sea. Luckily he could do that before he got too sick to do it.

10/16/2006 04:22:39 AM · #14

Originally posted by biteme:

weird and fascinating and beautiful how much we can love our pets...

Ek sien jy is van Nederland. Gewoonlik verstaan julle afrikaans baie goed?

10/16/2006 04:24:05 AM · #15

Originally posted by marcellieb:

Originally posted by biteme:
weird and fascinating and beautiful how much we can love our pets...

Ek sien jy is van Nederland. Gewoonlik verstaan julle afrikaans baie goed?

haha! ik kan het niet schrijven, maar ik kan het wel lezen. leuk taaltje :D

10/16/2006 04:25:49 AM · #16

Originally posted by biteme:

weird and fascinating and beautiful how much we can love our pets...

I have 4 cats - all getting on in years. One of them also has a "pig-Tail". He is also the most prone to get sick, but I love him. Cats are funny things.
I will also look for a replacement dog - Don't think I will go for a Bull Terrier again.Friend of mine has a baby Husky he wants to sell, but it is too expensive and the temperature around here is too hot for a Husky. Think I will go for a small breed like a miniture dauberman od something.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

10/16/2006 04:28:51 AM · #17

Originally posted by biteme:

Originally posted by marcellieb:

Originally posted by biteme:
weird and fascinating and beautiful how much we can love our pets...

Ek sien jy is van Nederland. Gewoonlik verstaan julle afrikaans baie goed?

haha! ik kan het niet schrijven, maar ik kan het wel lezen. leuk taaltje :D

My vrou was 'n lang ruk in Nederland - Au Pair. It is sometimes very funny the diference in words. For instance the word "puss" - You guys see it as a cat - In afrikaans it is a bad swearword indicating a womans private parts. When my wife got back from Nederland, she called cats puss - Like "Waar is daai puss nou? Her Mom almost had a heart attack when she heard this coming from her sweet daughters mouth.

BeeCee

Nikon D40

10/16/2006 04:39:19 AM · #18

And in North America pussy means both ;)

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

10/16/2006 04:44:18 AM · #19

Originally posted by BeeCee:

And in North America pussy means both ;)

LOL - In Netherlands they have another word for the thing that is not a cat :-).
I saw a show of Casper de Vries the other day. He is a brilliant Afrikaans comedian and he can speak Dutch - Brings it into his show. He mentioned the word - can't remember what it is though.

suemack

Canon EOS-20D

10/16/2006 05:00:25 AM · #20

I'm so sorry to hear about Spike (((hugs))) He sounds like such a great dog.

Funny watching them in the ocean....Bailey splashes and bites at the waves.

Olympus 14-42mm f.3.5-5.6 ED Zuiko Digital Zoom

10/16/2006 05:45:48 AM · #21

Originally posted by suemack:

I'm so sorry to hear about Spike (((hugs))) He sounds like such a great dog.

Funny watching them in the ocean....Bailey splashes and bites at the waves.

Thanx - I am going now to say goodbye - :-(

faery

Olympus E-400

10/16/2006 06:11:08 AM · #22

Hi,

It is exactly a week ago that I put my 13 year old beloved Jack Russle to sleep. I was hollow from crying in the days before taking him in, and I have gone to sleep and woken up every day since last Monday, crying silently from deep down. I can only explain his dying as leaving an ache and an empty space in me. We have his sister still, who is a healthy lively 12 year old, but she too is lost and disorientated. I don't know if another pet will ever take his place and if the memories will ever fade. Putting him down was the single hardest thing I've ever had to do, although it was the right thing. Last Monday was the darkest day in my life: which is crazy since we as a family have been through so many life-changing events??? All I can make of it now is to thank him for being the terrific companion he was and that he is now healthy and well in the spirit world where one day we'll meet again.