We lost our furbaby yesterday

[GrouseMan]

Sorry for your loss. We also lost one of ours on Friday he was an English Pointer named Fred. He was a horseback field trial dog, and had previously won runner up champion in the Georgia Shooting dog championship. Our handler was going to run him in a trial 2 weeks ago and something seemed off about him. So he took him to the vet right away. His lungs seemed to be full of fluid. There is something they call grass all. Its when seeds from some sort of grass get in their lungs and causes and infection. It happens sometimes with dogs that run field trials in dry conditions. That's what we thought we were dealing with. So they drained the fluid though it looked like more in the X-Ray than he managed to get out. Fred was on a course of antibiotics, and no running him the rest of the season. He seemed to be just fine until Friday, when he all of a sudden in a 2 hour period he started to go down hill rather rapidly worse than when he was originally taken in to the vet 2 weeks ago. This was a strong athletic dog only 4 years old! The vet had to put him down, nothing about his lungs and chest looked anywhere near normal in X-Ray or Ultrasound. We are having an autopsy performed to find out for certain what the problem was. The vet is thinking either cancer in his lungs or heart failure now not an infection. We want to alert the people, that have had puppies from him to be particularly watchful of their dogs if this should turn out to have been caused by cancer or heart disease.

It was a pretty terrible day for my wife as this is one of the few things she has to look forward to is her dogs running in field trials. He was performing the best of any dog we have ever had, so she was excited and hoped to see him run in the national championship next year. This dog was just phenomenal!

Anyway - Dogs are our children so this was a blow. I can see how it would be for you as well. We have another that is nearly worn out. He is over 15 years old. He has a real hard time standing up and getting around now. Fortunately we have a couple of young pups, that I hope my wife will get to bring forward.

GrouseMan

[weisssoccermom]

Grouseman....I am SO sorry. It's hard when our babies get old and even though we may not want to admit they are changing in their 'golden years', we truly know in our hearts that their time on this earth is drawing to a close. However, when your furbaby is only 4, well, that must be a more difficult scenario to have to deal with (not saying that any furbaby death is easy). Just like with our human babies, we envision them as 'youngsters'....playing, running, chasing balls, etc. and when that vision is cut short....well, it's hard. For me, even though Lesley was over 14, until the last month, she was older but still 'normal'....going for walks, eating well (doing that up until the last day), still eating her Greenies, etc.

I can't even begin to imagine your pain with the loss of Fred. Furbabies at four are so full of life....happy, playful, energetic...and to have that taken away from them is just heartbreaking. I hope that the autopsy will help with closure to what the problem was....sometimes I wish we had had one done but then, I'm not sure I would have wanted to know.

Tell your wife that we are thinking about her as well. This is just such a sad time. Give your elderly furbaby lots and lots of love....you never know when they will no longer be around.
Hugs.

[ziggymonster]

Grouseman, I so very to hear about Fred.....this is devasting...especially since he was so young.I still grieve for my Ziggy and she has been gone for over a year, even though she died from cancer I still had 13 years with her....for that I am blessed. Time can help with your loss. My thoughts are with you and your wife.

[Delinda2]

Dear G'man & wifey, so sorry to hear of your loss. It's heartbreaking to lose them at any time, but a young, healthy, active, working dog taken suddenly is so shocking. I like to think that Kodiak and Fred are romping together near the Rainbow Bridge. Again, my condolences for the loss of both furbabies.

[GrouseMan]

Well I hope that he is looking for birds together with Annie, Jill, Abby, and Special.... our past English Setters, And wrestling with Herb and Victor, our two past Boxers, that taught our bird dogs manners and proper pack behavior. We have 11 other English Setters, Ernie, Special's nephew the oldest now at just over 15, followed By Danny, Specials Son, Toby, Danny's son, Stevie, Specials granddaughter, Marco, Special's great grandson, Olivia, Marco's Daughter, Faye, Specials grand daughter, Jerry, Tess and Lacey, three of Faye's pups. Plus Buddy not related to this pack. Our two Boxers hit me the hardest. Especially Herb who I had to put to sleep because of a brain tumor, that caused him to forget all his training, and get aggressive towards the English setter girls in the end. The seizures were pretty bad in the end also. Victor I think was developing sever heart disease I believe. Eventually he couldn't get up. But he made it to almost 10 which is probably pretty good for a boxer. He was the best puppy sitter... I still choke up and nearly cry when I see a boxer puppy, and its been a little over two years since I had to put Victor to sleep.

It was a little easier on us to lose Fred since we didn't raise him from a puppy as we had all the rest. We had bought him from a couple that couldn't keep him and compete with him themselves because of their own family health issues. They had to find homes for their dogs and horses, as well as sell their farm. Lori felt worse for them, as they wanted to sell him to us as they knew we would continue to allow him to compete, and they could still come to the trials to watch him work. He is the sire of the only girl they could keep themselves. His ashes we likely will split between us.

GrouseMan