Lost our beloved Golden

I had a really difficult day this week. We had to put down our beloved Golden Retriever, Holly. Holly was almost 14 years old and had been the constant companion to my three kids when they were young. In her older years she had been my constant companion in my office. I bred Goldens for 10 years and this was our last dog. We had been treating Holly for severe arthritis the last 5 months and on Monday we took her to the vet because of massive swelling in her leg, paw and elbow. The vet took a few x-rays that indicated cancerous bone involvement all over her leg. In the last few weeks she had really gone down hill, slept all day, and had a lot of difficulty getting up and going out. The only treatment would have been amputation and my husband and I couldn't do this to our beloved girl. Her quality of life had so decreased and the only choice we had was to put her to sleep. What makes this even worse is that my daughter is currently hospitalized for depression and doesn't know what we had to make this difficult decision. Please keep our family in your prayers. Leslie

Hello, I am very sad. I had to euthanize my 13 1/2 yr old silky terrier-Kami. I feel as though my life will never be happy again. I had to make this decision yesterday (2/9/2006). I have felt sick and heartbroken. Will I ever stop crying ? I am trying to remember all the happy memories but each time I do I start crying harder. Please remember me. Thank You. La Von

Leslie- I am so sorry to hear of your loss-just found this messageboard and felt the need to reply. I am a veterinarian and from your description you saved your beloved Holly from a painful end to her life. Truly I believe that euthanasia is a gift that we give our pets- they don't have to have a long, drawn out period of suffering- a painless, dignified way out of this life is a blessing to them when there is truly no hope.Having said that, I have been where you are now, losing a dear companion, and even when you know you did the right thing it is still so hard. May God bless you and your family and I hope that your daughter recovers soon. Sincerely, Phyllis

Phyllis - Thank you so much for your kind words. It means a great deal to me that you responded. It was a difficult decision for sure, but our vet handled everything so compassionately. We told our daughter this week about the loss of her dog and she is doing fairly well. I know a new puppy will be in our future when she is better. There is nothing like the joy of a new puppy to bring a smile to your face! Leslie

Leslie- You are very welcome. I'm glad that your daughter is handling this difficult news fairly well and I know that a new puppy is a wonderful thing to look forward to. I have a 9 month old Akita pup that I am training for competitive obedience and she puts a smile on my face everyday(except when she's busy chewing something she's stolen from my daughter's room). Best wishes to you and your family. Phyllis