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I know I'm mostly a lurker here, but I guess I just need to get this out. I'm still processing everything. Cricket was an 11year old cavalier kind charles spaniel. I got her when I was a kid because my parents made the mistake of telling me "Suuuure, you can get one of those fancy dogs...if you can afford it." Four years of spending zero allowance/doing kiddy jobs later, they were obligated to let me get a puppy. No exaggeration, she was one of the best things to ever happen to me. She was genuinely the most good-natured dog I've ever had the pleasure of owning. I've got some brain weirdness that causes a lot of stress, so I relied on her every day for support and my daily schedule pretty much revolved around taking time to be with her. No one could ask for a better companion in life.   Yesterday she started coughing and breathing funny, which I thought was a cold, since she's had those before. But she was lethargic, too, so I made a vet appointment for this morning. She was comfortable the whole day, and I took a lot of work breaks to spend plenty of time with her. All in all, I think it wasn't a bad day for her, which is comforting. Last night at three in the morning she went outside and couldn't climb the steps back up, and just sat staring into the middle distance like a little zombie. We rushed her to the emergency vet (a 50 minute trip, since I'm so rural--but in a way I'm grateful for that, too, as I was able hold her and keep her comfortable the entire time). X-rays came back showing a massive, intensely backed up heart that was failing. 15 minutes after I told them to try to start treatment, she arrested under heavy sedation, and I told them not to resuscitate. She'd never had any health scares before, never shown any noticeable signs of failure. It's honestly unreal right now. I don't know what I could have done differently and I definitely don't know what I'm going to do now without her. The only thing that comforts me is that her suffering was incredibly minimal, and I was able to spend a lot of time with her these last few months. Anyway, thanks for reading. I don't know how I'm going to deal with this (my current plan seems to be "stay in bed all day"), but I guess getting it off my chest is an ok start. The thing I'm most afraid of is waking up tomorrow and forgetting for a second that she's gone; I dunno if I can handle that realization a second time.
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Oct 28, 2016 17:19
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| # ? May 8, 2024 06:24 |
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Sorry for your loss. It may be of little comfort, but 11 years old is a really ripe old age for a CKC Spaniel. It gets easier, but this is the worst part of pet ownership.
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Oct 28, 2016 18:19
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I'm sorry dude. It kinda sounds like she knew it was coming. That doesn't make it really any easier, but 11 really is pretty up there.
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Oct 28, 2016 20:49
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Thanks, guys. I guess I've been pretty spoiled because I've always been able to coax my dogs to live to ~16, so having this happen literally overnight with no preceding decline is pretty devastating. Glad she made it a good long time for her breed, though.
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Oct 28, 2016 21:01
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I'm so sorry for your loss  Though a quick death is definitely better for the dog, it doesn't give the owner any time to come to terms with what's going to happen... It sounds like your pup had a wonderful life, and enjoyed you as much as you enjoyed her 
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Oct 28, 2016 21:10
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Condolences, that's unfortunately how it ends for a lot of Cavs. I'm glad you got so many good years with her.
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Oct 29, 2016 13:50
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I'm so sorry for your loss, Abominable. She sounds like a wonderful dog, and she knew she was loved until the very end.
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Oct 29, 2016 21:41
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It sounds like you gave that dog the loving Best Life a dog could have. You clearly loved and cared deeply for her, which is why it's so heartrending to lose her. You did a great job, and as far as I can tell, absolutely everything that could have been done. She went quickly and peacefully in the knowledge that she was loved every single day of her long, long life. You may not want to think about this right now, but when the appropriate time (for YOU, not what anyone might tell you) has passed, don't ever feel like you are tarnishing her memory by adopting or finding a new friend. I feel strongly that every friend, especially a best friend, won't begrudge you passing on your love to another needy animal. You clearly have a big heart and any dog would be pumped to share a life with you. If you have any more pictures, or stories about Cricket, I encourage you to share them. She was a beautiful little girl!
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Oct 30, 2016 00:14
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I'm so sorry for your loss. I know it doesn't make things better, but there was probably very little you could do for her other than give her a comfortable passing as you did. I lost my old cat in almost the exact same way. He went from fine to definitely not loving fine in a very short period of time, and the e-vet diagnosed him with congestive heart failure. We did just enough to keep him comfortable long enough to say goodbye. It does get easier, and getting a new companion when you feel ready definitely helps. Try not to feel guilty about it; you'll find new things to love about your new friend, but you'll never forget how special she was. I know for me, it's been almost 8 years since I lost my buddy, and even though I have two new cats who I love, I think about him almost every day.
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Oct 30, 2016 20:56
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Boo, that sucks rear end, sounds like she had a good long life for a Cav. As far as what cav people have told me, it's not if, it's /when/ they get some kind of heart condition. That blows.
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Oct 31, 2016 12:00
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I really appreciate everyone's kind words, thank you. It's been rough, but being able to talk about it online when I can't bring myself to coherently speak about this loss in person was really helpful, and the positive reinforcement's made me feel better about how I dealt with the situation. She was a one-of-a-kind girl and deserved a swift and painless departure, so no matter how much it hurts, I'm actually now kind of glad it was so sudden. I can't really imagine my life without a dog, so I have been thinking about adopting another companion. Cricket would've been cool with a new friend, so it doesn't feel too soon to me. There's a really good no-kill shelter nearby that I think I'll check out tomorrow.
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Nov 7, 2016 02:11
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TheAbominableSnow posted:I really appreciate everyone's kind words, thank you. It's been rough, but being able to talk about it online when I can't bring myself to coherently speak about this loss in person was really helpful, and the positive reinforcement's made me feel better about how I dealt with the situation. She was a one-of-a-kind girl and deserved a swift and painless departure, so no matter how much it hurts, I'm actually now kind of glad it was so sudden. As someone who also just lost their dog, getting another when the time is right is the greatest tribute you can give to your old dog's memory. If you didn't love your old dog, if they weren't such an important and wonderful part of your life, why would you get another?
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Nov 18, 2016 06:55
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| # ? May 8, 2024 06:24 |
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All dogs want to do is make you happy, and if being with a dog makes you happy then I reckon Cricket would be all about that for you.
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Nov 19, 2016 04:01
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