Yesterday night we had to euthanize our 8 year old Great Dane, Diamond.
[URL="http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond6.jpg"][t]http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond6.jpg[/t][/URL]
I came home yesterday and my sister said that said that she was limping and her front left wrist (closest equivalent I can think of) was super swollen. Her back was also dirty, so it looked like she had fallen somehow.
When our parents got home, we got her into the car (by no means an easy feat. She's like a horse), and they took her to the vet. I was expecting her to come back with a funny little doggy cast or something that she'd wear for a few weeks, and she'd be okay.
[t]http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond5.jpg[/t]
A few hours pass and my parents call, and I knew something was wrong with by the tone of my mom's voice.
Apparently Diamond had broken her wrist, but it broke because she had apparently started developing a form of bone cancer, and the tumor was right there, eating away at her wrist.
Apparently it was Osteosarcoma, and giant breeds (like great danes) are 60 times more likely to develop it than any other breed of dogs. And apparently Osteosarcoma is a particularly aggressive cancer that spreads to the lungs.
[t]http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond.jpg[/t]
So there were two choices. Amputate her front left leg (the whole thing), and put her through chemotherapy, or euthanize her.
We didn't want her to suffer at all, and there's no way she could've survived with only three legs. She's like a freakin horse, and she slips and slides on the hardwood floor as it is.
We had to put her down, and while I know it was the right thing to do, it just felt so wrong! She was perfectly fine and happy all week! And even at the vet she seemed so perfect and healthy, aside from a swollen ankle. It just felt so wrong to do that to her since she appeared to be perfectly fine.
Even if we had amputated and put her through the chemo, only like 10% of dogs that go through it actually last longer than a couple of weeks.
[t]http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond4.jpg[/t]
I know this isn't blogpunch, and most of you guys probably don't even care. But, I just don't know what to do. I've just been crying mostly ever since, thinking it's some stupid nightmare. It all came out of the blue so fast! This all sucks!
[t]http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond3.jpg[/t]
So, ban me if you need to (because it's not blogpunch), I don't really care. I just needed to get this out there. It's just been a case of the feelbads for everyone in the house since last night.
[URL="http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond7.jpg"][t]http://filesmelt.com/dl/diamond7.jpg[/t][/URL]
My heart goes out to anyone that's ever had to go through anything like this, to ANY family member, not just pets. Diamond was in my life since I was 11, and she was very much a member of our family.
I think you made the right choice OP and I know how hard it is to put down a dog. I think it was for the better though. Had Diamond continued to live on it probably would have been more painful for her. Wish you the best.
Aww.. She's really cute, sorry for your loss. And i would do the same thing.
I lost a dog 2 years ago too, he was too old, i had the same feeling. I got over it though pretty fast but i still miss him.
I love dogs.
My family has 3 great danes, and as a fellow dane owner, I'm sorry for your loss.
I don't know what I'm going to do when my favorite dies.
I grew up around a Dane, he died when I was 13. I still miss him..
Good night, Diamond. Rest in peace.
[QUOTE=AnalAnnihilator;36447770]I think you made the right choice OP and I know how hard it is to put down a dog. I think it was for the better though. Had Diamond continued to live on it probably would have been more painful for her. Wish you the best.[/QUOTE]
Thank you, and I know it was definitely the right thing to do but it still just felt so wrong. She seemed so healthy and fine and happy, like she wasn't suffering at all.
I didn't want her to suffer, ever, though, so I know it was the right thing.
[editline]22nd June 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=wootmonster;36447886]Good night, Diamond. Rest in peace.[/QUOTE]
That made me bawl like a baby.
I know you didn't mean quite for that, but thank you.
Well, that sucks more goat dicks than is easy to articulate. I sympathise, OP.
Damn, if she was like any of the great danes that I know, I would have loved to meet her.
Still, it's better than what the cancer would have done, eh?
I know what this feels like... I had a great dog, a pure bread Golden Retriever. My mom woke me up to the news that we had to put her down... Her kidneys were shutting down and she would have suffered if we didn't put her down. She was a very loving pup. Only 6 years old.
My family has lost at least 2 great pyrenees dogs due to medical issues. One had a heart condition and just died instantly on a walk. No warning or anything. The other had some kind of cancer, so we had to put him died. They both died fairly young, even for a large breed :(
We're now on our fifth great pyrenees, she seems very healthy and energetic, I just hope she lives longer than these two.
Man, I love dogs and I hate when it's their time to leave, whatever the age. You did it for the best.
RIP.
Our Broholmer was put to sleep about 2 years ago, still miss her. She was apparently born with a type of joint disorder (joint dyslexia of some sort) and therefore had to be put down. She only got to reach her 2 year birthday, she was put down only days after it.
Sucks man, I know what you're going through *hug*.
[QUOTE=That Ninja;36447741]Yesterday night.. opening post.[/QUOTE]
Aww i do care buddy... I've had the same happen to my dog 3 years ago and it really sucks. After 2 years of letting it rest we got a new dog which we obviously love just as much but you never forget a dog that passed away. Dogs personality's are so big it can feel like you lose one of your closest family members.
Good lucky buddy, and i promise you that euthanizing him was for the better.
As much as dogs are awesome, you might want to snip this before you get banned. None too fond of "my ... has died" threads around here
I find this kind of dogs creepy.
[QUOTE=download;36453931]As much as dogs are awesome, you might want to snip this before you get banned. None too fond of "my ... has died" threads around here[/QUOTE]
Did you read the OP? He don't give a fuck. Got bigger things to worry about than "lol your shit got dead, blog somewhere else ding dong ban u".
On a related note I had this happen to my German Shepherd a couple months back. He had the whole limping thing going on too and the vet said he had cancer. Unfortunately at the time we didn't have the money to get that taken care of so we left it be. Turns out it wasn't cancer and our lack of funds made it possible for him to lead a full life. Age caught up quick and he went peacefully. His name was Thor, knew him longer than I knew my own brother. We have a new Shepherd now, from the same breeder and family as Thor. I still mix their names up every once in a while 'cause they're so much alike. Goofy bastards, I love 'em both.
It's okay to cry because it's over, but don't forget to smile because it happend.
I have a 150 pound St. Bernard puppy being lazy right next to me, I would hate to lose her. A dog we owned also died a couple years ago at 15 years old, one I've never known life without.
I feel for you. Would really suck to have to go through this.
i know how you feel OP. had to have my cat put down today after it got run over and suffered brain injuries. she was 13 years old or so and still going strong :(
[QUOTE=download;36453931]As much as dogs are awesome, you might want to snip this before you get banned. None too fond of "my ... has died" threads around here[/QUOTE]
it's a decently made thread, he put effort into it and it's not like "my dog's dead im sad!!!"
besides snipping a whole op is fucking retarded
[QUOTE=download;36453931]As much as dogs are awesome, you might want to snip this before you get banned. None too fond of "my ... has died" threads around here[/QUOTE]
I've never really seen anyone against it, as long as I've been here, at least. Like that other guy said, the OP made the thread pretty neat and all. Most seem to be alright with it and it's getting a lot of positive and feel-good responses. Not to say this thread will last more than a week, or even less though.
I've got a dog whose about to go as well. :( I won't make a thread though, I tend to keep shit like this bottled up.
Just... what makes it suck so fucking much is that it just happened so quickly! I had no time to prepare myself, or make the most out of our last days together. One minute she was healthy and fine, and within a couple of hours we have to put her down. All I can think of is how she didn't even get to eat dinner that night.
I STILL can't believe that it's happened. I keep expecting her to be in the backyard or sleeping in the living room on her big mattress.
[editline]23rd June 2012[/editline]
[QUOTE=BigOwl;36455600]I've got a dog whose about to go as well. :( I won't make a thread though, I tend to keep shit like this bottled up.[/QUOTE]
I usually keep the meaningless small shit bottled up, but with this... I just don't know what to do. I'm incredibly sad, but at the same time I feel like I'm just lost in my own head.
And it's like I want to bottle this up too, but I can't for some reason, but nothing is showing. I don't know.
OP, I work at multiple vets (as I aspire to become a vet) and I 100% think you did the correct thing, her life would have been completely changed by no choice of her own. I have seen puppies euthanized at the age of 9 weeks, It's sad but it's the right thing to do.
Rest in peace Diamond. I feel for you bro, it must be so hard to go down that road. I know how strong a relationship between a dog and a person can be, I don't know what I would do if i lost my dog. When I lost my cat a few years back to cancer I was depressed for weeks, it's just a feeling that cannot be explained. My heart goes out to you and Diamond.
Sorry for your loss OP. I too had a dog that died of cancer two years ago and she saved my life when I was younger, I will never forget her. Loosing a beloved pet is always rough.
:(
god dammit today was going to be a good day to :(
I feel for you, OP. I had to put my German Shepard a few months ago. I got home from school and she couldn't stand up, let alone make any movement at all. Apparently a tumor on her spleen had burst and she was bleeding internally for several hours. The vet said that had we done a blood transfusion, she might survive, but the chance of survival wasn't anywhere near a good level. She also had a spot on her liver that may have been cancerous, and if it was, she would've only had three months to live (in pain).
Watching the life leave from her was probably the hardest thing I've had to do in my life so far. To make things worse, she was my dad's guide-dog for around ten years. I can't imagine what he must've felt when it happened.
The dog that we had since I was 4 (I'm 18 now) suddenly collapsed and died on christmas eve last year with absolutely no warning. I know exactly how you feel, it's a horrible thing to go through. At least you didn't put her through pain.
We had to put our 11 year old Australian Blueheeler down at the start of the summer, and my aunt who lives next door had to put her black lab down today. I feel you, man.
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