It's just a dog.

[liv2ski]

You're right Bob, but when Bjorn is resting I think of Gunther and Maya and get pretty sad. I sure loved those two. They will be in the background of my thoughts and heart forever just waiting for me to think of them.

Sent from my moto g stylus 5G (2022) using Tapatalk

[Jax]

RIP Parker, you had a good life buddy.

https://www.9news.com/article/news/l...8-147c022a46a1

[liv2ski]

Oh, how sad...RIP good boy.

[Shredhead]

Run in peace Parker!

Kind of weird how they waited almost two months to announce his passing. I'd like to know more of the details.

Just curious, how many of you have your dogs restrained in a car?

[BmillsSkier]

I saw that about Parker in the news this weekend, how sad. I hope he's laying in a big bed of powder on the other side of the bridge.

A good question about car restraint. I will admittedly say that I do not but things like this make me think twice about my practice. I cringe when I see dogs in the bed of a truck on anything faster than a residential street or dirt road but in reality how is that any different than me letting my pups roam the back seats and cargo area unrestrained?

[dan_pdx]

Our last dog was always crated in the car, but the crate wasn't strapped down, so who knows how effective it would have been. It was big enough that I don't think it could have gotten out of the back end (Outback), so probably better than being loose, but a long way from a seat belt

[Shredhead]

I'm not so sure how safe a harness, seatbelt system would be and it's not practical for me.
I used to have my dog in a crate, in the back of an SUV. Then he got old and a little brother. It got difficult to get them in the crates.
Now I have a metal screen and padding in the back of the SUV, so at least they are compartmentalized.

[skiJ]

Shred- I believe the value of the harness/seatbelt interface is it keeps the dogs in place, And it prevents the dog from being thrown from the vehicle ;
when I have room, my dogs are crated.
The pups are always crated,
the big Black Lab. is always a backseat passenger (truck) , or in a crate in the back of the suv.

Don't Know the story of Parker's injuries -
it is a shame, though...

skiJ

[Supermoon]

<p>
I&#39;ve been avoiding this thread the last few months knowing my time to post in here was coming. This morning Charly girl crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Peacefully, at home, and after a full life. She touched the lives of so many people, and dogs over the years, and the world is a less beautiful place today without her in it. I never imagined when I held her in the palm of my hand at a week old she&#39;d have turned into ninety pounds of howling and slobber, but I did know she was going to bring so much joy and love into my life. Thank you for being my best friend.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>

[Supermoon]

I've been avoiding this thread the last few months knowing my time to post in here was coming.
This morning Charly girl crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Peacefully, at home, and after a full life. She touched the lives of so many people, and dogs over the years, and the world is a less beautiful place today without her in it.

I never imagined when I held her in the palm of my hand at a week old she'd have turned into ninety pounds of howling and slobber, but I did know she was going to bring so much joy and love into my life. Thank you for being my best friend.

[BmillsSkier]

Wishing you and Charly girl peace Supermoon. What a wonderful life you two shared, no doubt.

[dan_pdx]

Hey Supermoon, I'm sorry you lost your buddy. I sporadically attended a synagogue in my early years and the rabbi used to lead off the kaddish by saying something like "our departed friends and family still live on in the acts of goodness they performed and in the hearts of those who love them". I'm pretty irreligious these days, but I think he got that right, and it definitely applies to our animal friends - she'll always be with you

[Supermoon]

<p>

Wishing you and Charly girl peace Supermoon. What a wonderful life you two shared, no doubt.

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Hey Supermoon, I&#39;m sorry you lost your buddy. I sporadically attended a synagogue in my early years and the rabbi used to lead off the kaddish by saying something like &quot;our departed friends and family still live on in the acts of goodness they performed and in the hearts of those who love them&quot;. I&#39;m pretty irreligious these days, but I think he got that right, and it definitely applies to our animal friends - she&#39;ll always be with you

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Thanks fellas. Been a tough couple of days. Funny how we had so many adventures running around the mountains of Utah and Oregon, but what I miss the most right now is when after we&#39;d get home, she&#39;d crawl up on the couch with me and fall asleep with her head in my lap.&nbsp;</p>
<p>
We really don&#39;t deserve them, and the heartbreak is a small price to pay for what we get.</p>

[Falcon3]

Hey all,

Looking for some support, maybe some advice. My 13.5 year old husky mix best friend was just diagnosed with a large (15cm) liver mass. He was doing great and still doing long walks, playing at doggy daycare, and doing short MTB rides as of 2 months ago. He abruptly slowed down about a month ago and has lost 10 pounds and can barely finish a walk around the neighborhood park now.

Vet wants to proceed with a CT and if operable, would probably recommend surgery to remove the mass/part of the liver. The mass is on the Right side so it&#39;s a more delicate/difficult surgery than on the left. My biggest concern is quality of life after surgery/length of extension, and the possibility of a horrible painful death if we dont do surgery and something bursts. Also, money is an object, just the CT is probably $1500+ and surgery looks to be upwards of $6000-$10,000+. Thats not an insubstantial sum for me, but I also feel awful thinking about letting him die over money, which I blow on stupid shit all the time.

My pup has had a great life so far, hes travelled extensively, mountain biked, skied, hiked, camped, swam all over the West. He still goes to doggy daycare twice a week and romps with his friends and has a spring in his step and light in his eyes when hes excited about snacks, walks, or playtime, so it&#39;s hard to think about these decisions given how much life he shows me he has every day. Anyway, any support would be really helpful, this is my first dog. He had horrible separation anxiety as a rescue and basically spent every waking minute with me for many years, and still gets anxious going boarding overnight, so we&#39;ve maybe spent 40 nights apart in his 12.5 years with me.

[dan_pdx]

Falcon3, really sorry to hear about you buddy. In the past I let a dog go when we could have done more and I can tell you that's a heavy load for a long time. That experience is definitely influencing this advice.

I think you're right to be concerned about recovery and post-op quality of life, but in your shoes I would be pretty inclined to move ahead with the CT just to have a understanding if the surgery was even an option. Then if it looks like the mass is operable, need to ask those tough questions about recovery and post-op quality of life.

[liv2ski]

Tough decision for sure. I would need to be assured there was a very high chance of a successful out come. I am not sure you are going to get that. Really sorry your pup needs this done.

[Falcon3]

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the comments. I decided to go ahead with the CT and see what we're dealing with. I owe him that much

[Danno]

I feel your pain, literally, as my dog just got diagnosed with bone marrow cancer. The vet started talking about oncology and chemo and specialists and was seemingly relieved when we told her that we wouldn't be going that route. The illness my dog has had over the last couple of months has already cost a few thousand dollars, and I just don't see putting her through things like chemo and months of treatment for a chance of more good times with her. It feels selfish to me, like I would be doing it for me and not her. So I am trying to enjoy my last bit of time with my pup, it might be days, might be weeks, while I carefully watch for any signs that her time has come.

[skiJ]

two PMs sent, Falcon-

support your decision 100%. !!

tj

[ironhippy]

Falcon, it&#39;s likely that the cancer has or will spread. Factor this into your decision. We had an 8 year old Irish Wolf hound get cancer this winter. A CT scan revealed that he had many masses in his spleen, but did not appear to have spread from there. We removed his spleen (for much less than what you are facing) and he bounced back pretty good... for a month. 6 weeks after removing his surgery, we had to put him down. 10 years ago I lost a big, mixed breed dog in a similar fashion. I removed a rear leg due to cancer, he bounced back for a little while, but was put down within 2 months of his surgery. You gave him a good long life, you should be at peace with whatever you decide, but that is a lot of money for (maybe) not a lot of time and his quality of life will go down if the cancer comes back. He sounds like a lucky dog for being with you.

[Falcon3]

Thanks again to everybody. And I'm so sorry Danno, I hope you guys can get some great times in still, and that she'll tell you clearly when it's time so you won't have to guess.

[skiJ]

Falcon3 ? any good news ? (??)

[Falcon3]

We had the CT today. Not good news. He's been fading since last Friday. At his initial appointment less than two weeks ago, his hematocrit was 31%, Tuesday it was 23%, today it was 16%. (15% for dogs is apparently "Immediate Transfusion" territory). So his tumor is bleeding pretty hard and not stopping. The CT showed the liver tumor is very large and on the right side, it's displacing his kidney and pushing into some important veins. Doc says they would try surgery if I wanted, but said the most likely outcome is they get in there, the tumor keep breaking apart as they try to remove it, and he gets euthanized on the table. Definitely not an outcome I want for this little guy, so I opted for an in-home euthanasia service tomorrow before the blood loss gets even worse and he has to go to the clinic to get put down. I'll stay with him until the end and keep telling him how much I love him and what a good boy he is. I always knew I wanted him to go quick and not linger around, he's always been an active friendly pup and I don't think he'd enjoy the ravages of old age compared to tearing around after my bike or chasing squirrels in the woods. Today we're going to visit his best puppy friends and let him sniff in the woods at their house. I'll feed him steak for dinner and sleep on the floor next to his bed, and tomorrow he'll go peacefully at home to whatever lies beyond.

[riser4]

I got something in my eye. Dogspeed, F3.

[Danno]

I'm so sorry Falcon.

A question for all (that has no real answer), how do you know when it's time? Opal is on a high dose of prednisone, pants a lot, she can't jump on the bed any more. And has really low energy, just lays around all day.

But she also seems to not be in pain as near as I can tell, and still enjoys going for walks and still gets a little worked up about dogs we encounter; she's eating (but not quite as much as normal). It's easy to say "I want to end it before she suffers any," but it's really fucking hard to err on that side, when she seems happy to be with her family. People often say "you'll know when it is time" but I feel like that means she suffers, that I'll know when it's time because I will see the suffering and know to end the suffering.

She had a grooming appointment for next Monday, I just canceled that because it seemed stupid to do. But I don't know what to do.