Tigers knee info please

Gail · Big Cheese

RE: Tigers knee info please

Dave · Enlightened One

Hi Emma, big hugs to Tiger. We lost our old boy Gerry to bone cancer a while back, it's nice to look back at their pictures and remember them so thats the advice I'd give to you. I took a video of old Gerry a few days before we lost him, eating a pigs ear just as the video ran out he looked up and gave the most satisfying burp I've ever heard, still makes me laugh now...

emma · Guru

Dave,

Thanks for that I know what you mean about looking back and smiling. I can do that now with Charlie (we have photos everywhere) so it's just as well.

Please Dave, can you tell me more about Gerry. How did the cancer progress. I really don't know what to expect. I was thinking Tig would lose weight like Charlie did with the lymphoma but thus far (he has put it on - don't tell Glendy it comes from ice cream and choc drops and ham with his tablets etc!).It sounds like Gerry was eating well too.

I find things easier to cope with if I know what to epect. Will the leg pain get too much or will the secondary in the lungs be the thing to watch? Or is there something else to watch for?

Thanks Dave, Emma, Tig and Chad xx

Dave · Enlightened One

Hi Emma, in Gerrys case the pain in his leg just got too much for him. Gerry was 11 and a half when he was surrendered to GAL and came to stay with us, he was already a bit slow, just the old age catching up. The first sign of anything wrong was Gerry occasionally limping on his front leg, would last for a day or so then he'd be back to normal, this went on for a while, he then started wincing a bit when getting up out of his bed, this progresed over time to the point where he would give a little yelp when getting up. Gerry being Gerry didn't let it bother him and we just let him get on with it, giving him a bit of pain medication from time to time when he was limping for a bit longer than usual. This just gradually progressed and towards the end he was having real difficulty getting up, once he was up he was OK and otherwise he had a healthy appetite but he would scream out in quite a lot of pain just by the effort of raising himself. In the final few days he had to be helped out of is bed and his limp got really bad. We took the decision then to let him go when he still had his dignity..

Hope that helps Emma...

Jennifer · Big Cheese

what a beautiful looking dog Dave, is he grey?

Dave · Enlightened One

Jennifer wrote:

what a beautiful looking dog Dave, is he grey?

Hi Jennifer, yeah thats Gerry, he was Black when he was younger and turned this very elegant grey as he got older..

greyluvver · GAL Membership Co-Ordinator

Emma, I'm sorry to read about your Tig's condition, especially after the loss of Charlie not so long ago. I'm glad some of the forum folk have been able to offer support and advice and understand what you're going through.

Thinking of you all. Hugs to Tig and you.

emma · Guru

Hi and thanks everyone (again) sorry to keep posting but it really is helping.

Dave, Gerry was lovely and had turned perfectly grey just like our Charlie. When people used to say "gosh he's grey" I used to say 'yes he's a grey-hound they are meant to be grey!!!' lol

Thanks for telling me what happened to him. I am in rather a quandry at the moment because I keep seeing Tig struggle to get up and sit back down and he has difficulty with the back door-step too. I know he is not comfortable alot of the time (and he seems very hot too and pants and coughs quite alot).

Then he sees ice-cream and wags his tail and pricks his ears still when his best mate Luke comes in from school.Chad is a tinker too, he runs about and knocks into Tiger and hurts him quite a bit. Yet, I don't feel ready to call it a day for him because he is happy still some of the time (Charlie was totally miserable and didn't want to do anything). This made my mind up it really would have been cruel to keep Charlie going much longer. This feels like a much different situation to me with a finer line, I am quite worried that I won't know when to let go (as you said Gerry was still eating). When they can't talk to tell you what the pain is like I just don't want to do the wrong thing - either way.

Forgive my ramblings - if anyone has any experience of knowing when to stop, please add your thoughts it really is appreciated more than you will know. Em xx

neeroz · Master

Hi Emma

Kinda going thro the same at the mo although not with one o ma groos. Toffee (my ferret) is six (gettin old for a fuzzies) has lumps in her stomach, her kidneys aren't working properly and she is anaemic, but she still comes out for her wanders and is eating loads. Not ferret food tho, chicken, kitten food, yoghurt, cheese etc, but as the vet says whatever takes/she will eat.

Am sure she will let me know when life isn't fun any more, just am sure Tiger will tell you.

(Our lurcher died of lymph cancer too, poor soul was only 2 and a half)

Anyway, big cuddles to all concerned.

-- Edited by neeroz at 12:14, 2006-07-11

Amanda · Master

You ramble away Emma as much as you need. For what it's worth I'm sure you will know the right time to let go.

Thinking of you

Amanda

Nicki · Big Cheese

Emma,

it is so hard but I tuly believe that Tiger will let you know when the time is right, you can see it in their eyes when they look at you and you just know.

You just treasure every moment, I am sure you are doing.

Thinking of you

Nicki and wee Janie.x

Gail · Big Cheese

Hi Emma,

You are obviously devoted to tiger and you will know better than anyone when the time comes to let him go. Try to cherish every moment even though it's hard to keep thoughts of the future far from your mind. Keep your chin up, there are a lot of people thinking about you,

Dave · Enlightened One

Hi Emma, we've been through this with a lot of the older dogs we've fostered over the last 4 years, it's kinda hard to explain in words, I think it's easier to say that ''you just know''. I can't explain this any better than that, there'll be a point when you'll look at Tiger and just 'know', he'll tell you and you'll 'know'...

max · Enlightened One

Hi Emma , Please feel free to talk as much as you want if you can,t talk to friends who can you talk too. You take care and Tiger will let you know when he has had enough. What you do for now is keep his days as normal as possible with some extra cuddles and love.

Nora

emma · Guru

Thanks gang! Em,Tig and Chad XX

Lesley · Guru

Hi Emma - I can only reiterate what everyone else has said: that you will know. But the waiting and wondering is awful isn't it.

Some years ago my Siamese boy Simon had a degenerative condition which we struggled with. Every meal was a trauma: coaxing him to eat. One morning it was just suddenly clear that his struggle was greater than any pleasure in life.

Amanda · Master

When I lived with my parents we had a ****er spanial that got breast cancer. People are so right when they say you can tell by their eyes when the time is right. The spark seems to fade. Jan also couldn't no longer eat the fairy cakes we made her to hide her tablets in anymore (we used to hide the tablets in the buttercream icing!)

Enjoy spoiling him and feeding him anything he fancies and give him and Chad a hug for me

emma · Guru

Hello all,

Just to thank you all for your support over the weeks that this has been going on and to let you all know that we are taking Tiger to the vets for the final time tomorrow.

We have decided to have him cremated in order that we can either scatter him on Charlie's grave or take him with us when we move house. I was definately going to have him scattered on the big bears grave but since we are in the throws of moving I feel funny about it. I feel strange about leaving Rusty and Charlie behind and to put another one there when we are hoping to move this year seems wrong now. I have just shaved £5,000 off the purchase price of our house, since Mum and Pop have sold and we really need to do the same in order to secure the house we have all set our hearts on (We are buying jointly in order to help Pop look after my Mum). We have had a constant round of viewings since this reduction at the weekend and I feel confident to sell soon, before the move lagged into the distance but it is a very real prospect now.

We will be visiting the vets at 1.30pm tomorrow (Tues) please think of us.

Love to all Em and Kev xx

Gail · Big Cheese

My thoughts are with you, be brave for tiger's sake and give him a big kiss from us. x

MojoTilly · Master

Our thoughts will definately be with you tomorrow. Its a horrible decision to make and thing to go through but you know when the time as come.

Debbie

Jennifer · Big Cheese

Will be thinking of you

Jennifer x

FAJ · Enlightened One

Hi, Emma - Will be thinking of you and Tiger today.

Fiona

Amanda · Master

Will be thinking of you....

Dave · Enlightened One

Hi Emma, we're all thinking about you and Tiger.

greyluvver · GAL Membership Co-Ordinator

Our thoughts are with you at this time Emma

silverhippo · Master

Our thoughts are with you, be brave for Tiger he knows you love him very much and are doing the right thing.

emma · Guru

Thank you all for your kind words,

Tiger was put to sleep at 1.45 today in the back of the car - I had to walk away but Kevin held him to the very end and assured me it was peaceful and this time the vet was able to find a vein. (This is why I couldn't stay Charlie's death was quite traumatic as his veins had all collapsed).After worrying that we were doing the wrong thing the vet took one look and remarked at the rapid growth in just two weeks. He said Tig would be in considerable pain by now and we were definately doing the best thing for him. Afterwards we then drove to a place about an hour away which is the nearest to provide pet cremation. They took him from the car and laid him surrounded by his favorite old duvet in the chapel of rest. He looked very peaceful and was still warm.All of us went and I think it has helped the kids to come to terms with it. The ashes will be delivered back in a week to our vets we opted for an urn rather than the scattering pouch we were going to opt for. We have decided that our garden is not going to be his final place since we hope not to be living here for much longer!

Chad cried the house down when we left him 'home alone' (he has never been left with no other human or dog for company and we didn't know what to expect). He was a good boy and must have settled down to the radio after we left. He has so far not reacted to his friends abscence, which we find a bit odd. He wagged like mad when we came home and ate his dinner in the garden with us. We then sat and talked (over a bottle of red and then a cup of tea) for a long while and finally went for a long, long walk, the like of which we havn't managed for months with Tig so sick (have just arrived home).Chad is on his bed and seems content and untroubled so far (it is just us humans that are in bits!)

Thanks everyone for thinking of us and wishing us well, it means alot! Em xxx

Teresa · Enlightened One

em, what can i say? except that my heart goes out to you. well done for giving tig the happy times he obviously had with you. i applaud your courage in making such a hard decision but it was clearly the right one for your boy.

I'm Sorry For Your Loss

with all my love, from teresa, xxxxxxx

Gail · Big Cheese

Tiger is free from pain and his spirit will always be with you no matter where you go...Love to you and your family Emma, cherish your memories.

Nicki · Big Cheese

Hi Emma,

I am thinking of you at this very difficult time. Take comfort in the fact you and Tiger shared a wonderful life and you have all your wonderful memories to keep with you forever. You have done the hardest thing, which is to be unselfish and do the best for Tiger, I truly believe that it is the one last act of love and kindness you can do for them.

Remember we are all here for you if you need us. Thinking of you.

Sleep tight Tiger

Love Nicki and wee Janie.x