pet lover warning: Dexter crossed the rainbow bridge

[rfuerst911sc]

Hello everyone: let me apologize for the downer posting but I need to just vent . It's been a rough 2 years for Sue ( wife ) and I in regards to our dogs . Back then we had three weiner dogs , Sophie our black/tan short hair , Mickey our red short hair mini and Dexter our chocolate short hair . Life was good until about a year and a half ago when Sophie just wandered off the property one day . This was very out of character for her . We live in the country and searched and searched with flyers posted but she never was found She was 17 years old .

Then a little under a year ago Mickey became sick and the trip to the vet confirmed it was time . We held him in our arms .......... crying ........ as the vet did her thing . Buried him in the backyard with a small granite headstone . He was one month shy of 18 .

Aprox. two weeks ago Dexter was restless with labored breathing . He was still eating/drinking/pooping ok so we thought it was a temporary thing . But over the weekend it seemed worse so this morning we called the vet , they had an open appointment at 8;30 . With Covid protocol we handed Dexter off to the vet assistant . They took an x-ray and 10 minutes later the vet was at our car informing us of the bad news .......... Dexter's lungs were full of cancer and it had spread throughout his body . My wife and I were devastated by they news . My wife and I are firm believers in not letting a pet suffer , we feel as responsible pet owners it is our duty to make the tough decision when it is necessary .

After a lengthy discussion in the car we decided it was time . So with Dexter in our arms and my wife and I crying like babies he crossed the rainbow bridge at 9:15 this morning I am 62 years old and have owned dogs all my life so I know the drill but it doesn't get easier . Dexter was 15 and paralyzed in his right rear leg . The vet said we did a great job with him which was comforting . I buried him next to Mickey and my wife will paint another piece of granite for his headstone .

I know there are a lot of dog owners on this forum and again I apologize with the downer of a posting . But I needed to vent a little , at the moment my mind is numb . Thank you for listening .

[Scott Douglas]

Sorry for your loss.
It's not venting, it's grieving.

[vash]

DAMN! Dexter!

sorry for your huge lose(s). i am gonna come unhinged when it's.....i cant even think about it.

[Sooner or later]

Sorry to hear.

I had my 15 year old dachshund, Katie, run away a month or so ago. Have not found her. It is always hard to take.

[pwd72s]

Aye, that's the rub...it never gets easy. My sympathies on the loss of a family member.

[masraum]

My condolences. Sherlock is out mini dachshund and is 15. We are not looking forward to when the time comes.

[Skytrooper]

I am sorry to hear of yet another loss for your family. RIP Dexter

[island_dude]

What a difficult thing. I am so sorry to hear this. It is painful to see a pet go, but at least you kept his suffering to a minimum. My sincere condolences.

[ramonesfreak]

sorry for your losses

one of our dogs died the day after christmas. she was a rescue so we never knew how old she was but probably only about 8. we took her the saturday before chirstmas because of shortness of breath and cough and because all of a sudden she couldnt jump onto the bed......x rays showed same thing. lungs filled with cancer that spread from a brain tumor she had for 2 years but without any symptoms. since i was on vacation that week we decided to keep her a few more days. the procedure was awful. i dont like how the doc handled it one bit. im still not over how she handled it

our other dog was raised by her and missed her so much. then in march we found a dog living under a truck in the snow. she was sick and a real mess. we took her to the vet to check for a microchip and searched everywhere for the owner. doc thinks she had been loose for a year or so....maybe an elderly person left a door open or died or something

she has turned out to be the best dog ever. pekingese are amazing and i never realized it. our other dog loves her too

still, the pain of losing our other dog(s) is there everyday. we lost 2 in 2 years time and it still haunts me more than losing people ive loved that are gone

when these two are gone, im done. cant handle that kind of pain again. I dont have kids. the dogs are our kids

[Seahawk]

Dexter. Great name.

It is hard, which the price of admission into the Dog Park.

We rescued two cars nearly 19 years ago, two kittens, a boy and a girl: Dexter and Dee Dee

Hang in their.

[GH85Carrera]

Sorry for your loss. No other words really convey the pain of a lost life of a beloved pet.

[Baz]

The most important thing is you were there with Dexter when he crossed the bridge.

Hard for you.....but even harder for Dexter if you weren't.

Condolences, Rick.....

[wdfifteen]

Sorry for your losses. It is so hard to let a pet go.
Dexter was a lucky dog - you gave him 15 years of love and great care right up to the end. Bless you.

[rfuerst911sc]

Thanks everyone your comments really help . The house is eerily quiet but also somehow peaceful . Sue and I think it's nature's way of saying you did the right thing . Tonight may be rough as Dexter slept in bed with us . But time heals all wounds and I am sure another dog will be part of our lives again .

[3rd_gear_Ted]

Dogs and people have an evolutionary bond that transcends any other animal. The loss of a dog can only be mitigated by the youth & companionship of another one.

[creaturecat]

sincere condolences.
the only cure is another dog, judging from my experiences.
give it some time.

[dewolf]

Sorry to hear this. I'm taking my beautiful old girl to the vet this afternoon. Sadly I do not think she'll be coming home.

[rfuerst911sc]

Originally Posted by dewolf

Sorry to hear this. I'm taking my beautiful old girl to the vet this afternoon. Sadly I do not think she'll be coming home.

Dewolf I wish you the best with your vet visit .

[widgeon13]

So sorry for your loss, heartbreaking.

We have suffered the same events a number of times. At 74 it is hard to have another dog knowing that we might not be around for their full life. That is our biggest sorrow.

I wish you the best and hope you can have another four-legged companion. They are the best!

[drcoastline]

Sorry for the sadness and your having to make such a hard decision. But, you know you did the right thing,