my good dog

been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

x-no-archive: yes

ellen wrote:
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

Aw, she looks so happy and sweet.

I so vividly recall getting to the point of accepting the need for That
Last Ride with Maurice, my greatest feline love.

It's such a sad time, but I have to say, I found a sweetness in the fact
that we could provide comfort and a peaceful passing and an end to
suffering, too.

So sorry you have to say goodbye.

Susan

ellen wrote:
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

So so sorry to hear this. She's a lovely dog - collie in the mix?
Elsie was my mother's name.


--
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

ellen wrote:
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

Ah, ellen - she has been dearly loved. It's so hard to let them
go, but in doing so you are giving her the ultimate gesture of
love. I hope that the hole she leaves in your heart is filled
with many happy memories.

FurPaw

"ellen" <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d0b8abf2-e16f-4520-b6bc-650cc1ddfeca@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

Awww... I'm sorry. I hope the euthanasia for her goes as well as that sort
of thing can go; super-easily & peacefully.

Cathy

ellen <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in
news:d0b8abf2-e16f-4520-b6bc-650cc1ddfeca@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...et-72157603448
> 152540/

{{{{{{{{{{{ellen}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

I particularly liked 'elsey in the wind'. :-)

Chak


--
I like the scientific spirit - the holding off, the being sure but not
too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against
them: This is ultimately fine - it always keeps the way open.
--Walt Whitman

On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:01:21 -0800 (PST), ellen <epdpster@gmail.com>
wrote:

>i wait for my husband to get
>home so we can take old gal for that last ride:

So sorry. Hope everything goes well for her.


Dana
Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons,
for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.

ellen wrote:
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/


O ellen!! So sorry! What a great joyful long life she's had,
but o how awful it is to have to say goodbye.

((((ellen))))

((((Elsey))))

--
pax,
ruth


Save trees AND money! Buy used books!
http://stores.ebay.com/Noir-and-More-Books-and-Trains

ellen wrote:
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/


Awwww Ellen, so sorry about your dog. We had ours euthanized (sp?) back
in 2001. She was 15 years old. I know how it feels to say good bye :-(

{{{{{ellen}}}}}

Eva
---------------------
"ellen" <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d0b8abf2-e16f-4520-b6bc-650cc1ddfeca@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
>
http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

ellen wrote the following on 12/13/2007 3:01 PM:
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

Ellen -- I'm so sorry. Even knowing it is for the best those last rides
are so difficult. It is hard, but try not to second guess yourself the
way I did. My head knows it is best to let a loved pet go peacefully
rather than wait until they are in horrible pain. But my heart wonders
who I am to decide when a pet dies. Be very kind to yourself as you get
over this loss.

Karen R.

On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:

hey, thanks so truly much to all of you for your kind words, hugs, &
support. there are so many amazing things - that your kindness across
this electronic medium can be so warm & encompassing & that we can
form such wonderful bonds & connections with the animals that are
brought into our lives. (bad parallel sentence construction, but it is
1:30 am)

for as hard as the goodbye was, there were many gifts in the day. for
the 1st time in over a month, i awoke with no pain & virtually all
things working normally. & that meant i could be fully present in the
experience. in the last month, we could tell that the decline was
neurological in nature & that we couldn't impact it's course. so
today when elsey tried to get up, it was like the communication to the
back legs was just gone (but she could still wag her tail). but it
also meant that she wasn't in significant distress & pain. i had
leftover chicken & beef & one can of her favorite dog food - so she
had some happy meals throughout the day. she got to see her best
friend, our elderly neighbor, & her pack (my brother's dogs, who are
usually the biggest spastic dogs on the planet but who carefully
climbed into the car, gently licked her muzzle, & then nestled against
her while refusing to get back out of the car). we got to spend time
with her saying our goodbyes. the hardest part was how badly she
shook at the vet before the tranquilizer took effect. we got to hold
her & look into her eyes until she was gone.

such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.

xo,
ellen

ellen <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in news:7924a6ca-dff6-46d5-b49b-
679311ef5679@d27g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
> for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.
>

Oh, ellen, I ache for you.

chak

--
I like the scientific spirit - the holding off, the being sure but not too
sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against them:
This is ultimately fine - it always keeps the way open.
--Walt Whitman

ellen wrote:

> such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
> for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.

{{{{{{{{{{{{ellen}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

FurPaw

--
"Every gun that is made, every warship launched,
every rocket fired, signifies in the final sense
a theft from those who hunger and are not fed,
those who are cold and are not clothed."
- Dwight D. Eisenhower

To reply, unleash the dogs.

On Dec 13, 10:39 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> hey, thanks so truly much to all of you for your kind words, hugs, &
> support. there are so many amazing things - that your kindness across
> this electronic medium can be so warm & encompassing & that we can
> form such wonderful bonds & connections with the animals that are
> brought into our lives. (bad parallel sentence construction, but it is
> 1:30 am)
>
> for as hard as the goodbye was, there were many gifts in the day. for
> the 1st time in over a month, i awoke with no pain & virtually all
> things working normally. & that meant i could be fully present in the
> experience. in the last month, we could tell that the decline was
> neurological in nature & that we couldn't impact it's course. so
> today when elsey tried to get up, it was like the communication to the
> back legs was just gone (but she could still wag her tail). but it
> also meant that she wasn't in significant distress & pain. i had
> leftover chicken & beef & one can of her favorite dog food - so she
> had some happy meals throughout the day. she got to see her best
> friend, our elderly neighbor, & her pack (my brother's dogs, who are
> usually the biggest spastic dogs on the planet but who carefully
> climbed into the car, gently licked her muzzle, & then nestled against
> her while refusing to get back out of the car). we got to spend time
> with her saying our goodbyes. the hardest part was how badly she
> shook at the vet before the tranquilizer took effect. we got to hold
> her & look into her eyes until she was gone.
>
> such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
> for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.
>
> xo,
> ellen

Ellen,
Condolences for your loss. No matter how much you do to prepare
yourselves for a dog's absence, it's always a shock to realize you'll
never see that dear friend again.
At least it was an old age situation. I'm pretty sure our last dog
was poisoned by a creepy neighbor. We'd just settled a lawsuit he
brought against us, for stopping him from stealing our water. A
spring on our property waters a desert canyon, and this guy decided he
needed it to start an alfalfa patch in his back yard. Right after the
suit ended, our dog's kidneys turned up destroyed, and we had to get
her put to sleep. The whole thing was so devastating that we had to
sell our dream house and move far away. Thank goodness time heals all
wounds.
Les

In article
<d0b8abf2-e16f-4520-b6bc-650cc1ddfeca@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
ellen <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote:

> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

I'm so sorry. She looks like such a good dog!

Priscilla

On Dec 14, 11:30 am, sage hen <desertny...@cwo.com> wrote:
> On Dec 13, 10:39 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > hey, thanks so truly much to all of you for your kind words, hugs, &
> > support. there are so many amazing things - that your kindness across
> > this electronic medium can be so warm & encompassing & that we can
> > form such wonderful bonds & connections with the animals that are
> > brought into our lives. (bad parallel sentence construction, but it is
> > 1:30 am)
>
> > for as hard as the goodbye was, there were many gifts in the day. for
> > the 1st time in over a month, i awoke with no pain & virtually all
> > things working normally. & that meant i could be fully present in the
> > experience. in the last month, we could tell that the decline was
> > neurological in nature & that we couldn't impact it's course. so
> > today when elsey tried to get up, it was like the communication to the
> > back legs was just gone (but she could still wag her tail). but it
> > also meant that she wasn't in significant distress & pain. i had
> > leftover chicken & beef & one can of her favorite dog food - so she
> > had some happy meals throughout the day. she got to see her best
> > friend, our elderly neighbor, & her pack (my brother's dogs, who are
> > usually the biggest spastic dogs on the planet but who carefully
> > climbed into the car, gently licked her muzzle, & then nestled against
> > her while refusing to get back out of the car). we got to spend time
> > with her saying our goodbyes. the hardest part was how badly she
> > shook at the vet before the tranquilizer took effect. we got to hold
> > her & look into her eyes until she was gone.
>
> > such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
> > for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.
>
> > xo,
> > ellen
>
> Ellen,
> Condolences for your loss. No matter how much you do to prepare
> yourselves for a dog's absence, it's always a shock to realize you'll
> never see that dear friend again.
> At least it was an old age situation. I'm pretty sure our last dog
> was poisoned by a creepy neighbor. We'd just settled a lawsuit he
> brought against us, for stopping him from stealing our water. A
> spring on our property waters a desert canyon, and this guy decided he
> needed it to start an alfalfa patch in his back yard. Right after the
> suit ended, our dog's kidneys turned up destroyed, and we had to get
> her put to sleep. The whole thing was so devastating that we had to
> sell our dream house and move far away. Thank goodness time heals all
> wounds.
> Les

les, that's just horrible to lose your dog that way. & then your home
as well. so sorry. i know we were very very lucky.

ellen

On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926.../set-721576034...

last song for my good dog: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfBw0IWwO5U

On Dec 14, 9:51 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:

realized i forgot the end of the story & the beginning: this morning
dh & i were taking elsey's food & other items to the animal shelter &
were reminiscing about how she loved to go for rides in our old car,
with her head propped on the back seat & staring out the back window.
we had given the car away to a local family.

when we pulled up to the shelter, there was elsey's volvo. & inside
the car was new books on cats & other kitty items. & inside the
shelter was the family getting ready to leave with their new kitten.

how cool is that?

ellen

ellen <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in news:48339ab3-102c-4a94-97f5-
1da7c579368b@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com:

> On Dec 14, 9:51 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> realized i forgot the end of the story & the beginning: this morning
> dh & i were taking elsey's food & other items to the animal shelter &
> were reminiscing about how she loved to go for rides in our old car,
> with her head propped on the back seat & staring out the back window.
> we had given the car away to a local family.
>
> when we pulled up to the shelter, there was elsey's volvo. & inside
> the car was new books on cats & other kitty items. & inside the
> shelter was the family getting ready to leave with their new kitten.
>
> how cool is that?
>
> ellen

Very cool indeed!

Chak

--
I like the scientific spirit - the holding off, the being sure but not
too sure, the willingness to surrender ideas when the evidence is against
them: This is ultimately fine - it always keeps the way open.
--Walt Whitman

"ellen" <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7924a6ca-dff6-46d5-b49b-679311ef5679@d27g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> hey, thanks so truly much to all of you for your kind words, hugs, &
> support. there are so many amazing things - that your kindness across
> this electronic medium can be so warm & encompassing & that we can
> form such wonderful bonds & connections with the animals that are
> brought into our lives. (bad parallel sentence construction, but it is
> 1:30 am)
>
> for as hard as the goodbye was, there were many gifts in the day. for
> the 1st time in over a month, i awoke with no pain & virtually all
> things working normally. & that meant i could be fully present in the
> experience. in the last month, we could tell that the decline was
> neurological in nature & that we couldn't impact it's course. so
> today when elsey tried to get up, it was like the communication to the
> back legs was just gone (but she could still wag her tail). but it
> also meant that she wasn't in significant distress & pain. i had
> leftover chicken & beef & one can of her favorite dog food - so she
> had some happy meals throughout the day. she got to see her best
> friend, our elderly neighbor, & her pack (my brother's dogs, who are
> usually the biggest spastic dogs on the planet but who carefully
> climbed into the car, gently licked her muzzle, & then nestled against
> her while refusing to get back out of the car). we got to spend time
> with her saying our goodbyes. the hardest part was how badly she
> shook at the vet before the tranquilizer took effect. we got to hold
> her & look into her eyes until she was gone.
>
> such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
> for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.

Yeah, I can imagine... :-(

But am glad the day had some "up"/positve times in it.

Cathy


>
> xo,
> ellen

"ellen" <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:48339ab3-102c-4a94-97f5-1da7c579368b@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> On Dec 14, 9:51 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> realized i forgot the end of the story & the beginning: this morning
> dh & i were taking elsey's food & other items to the animal shelter &
> were reminiscing about how she loved to go for rides in our old car,
> with her head propped on the back seat & staring out the back window.
> we had given the car away to a local family.
>
> when we pulled up to the shelter, there was elsey's volvo. & inside
> the car was new books on cats & other kitty items. & inside the
> shelter was the family getting ready to leave with their new kitten.
>
> how cool is that?
>
> ellen

That is very cool!

Cathy

ellen wrote:
> On Dec 14, 9:51 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> realized i forgot the end of the story & the beginning: this morning
> dh & i were taking elsey's food & other items to the animal shelter &
> were reminiscing about how she loved to go for rides in our old car,
> with her head propped on the back seat & staring out the back window.
> we had given the car away to a local family.
>
> when we pulled up to the shelter, there was elsey's volvo. & inside
> the car was new books on cats & other kitty items. & inside the
> shelter was the family getting ready to leave with their new kitten.
>
> how cool is that?
>

That is a very cool coincidence


--
Jette Goldie
jette@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
http://wolfette.livejournal.com/
("reply to" is spamblocked - use the email addy in sig)

In article
<48339ab3-102c-4a94-97f5-1da7c579368b@e10g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
ellen <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Dec 14, 9:51 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> realized i forgot the end of the story & the beginning: this morning
> dh & i were taking elsey's food & other items to the animal shelter &
> were reminiscing about how she loved to go for rides in our old car,
> with her head propped on the back seat & staring out the back window.
> we had given the car away to a local family.
>
> when we pulled up to the shelter, there was elsey's volvo. & inside
> the car was new books on cats & other kitty items. & inside the
> shelter was the family getting ready to leave with their new kitten.
>
> how cool is that?

So cool I believe Elton John wrote a song about it.... something about
the Circle of Life? ;-)

Priscilla

On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 12:01:21 -0800 (PST), ellen <epdpster@gmail.com>
wrote:

>been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
>anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
>makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
>home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
>http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

Oh, Ellen, I'm so, so sorry. She's a beautiful girl. Please know that
she will be playing with all of my good dogs and cats that have gone
before her. She will be warm and safe and happy, I promise.

Dana

On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:39:50 -0800 (PST), ellen <epdpster@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>hey, thanks so truly much to all of you for your kind words, hugs, &
>support. there are so many amazing things - that your kindness across
>this electronic medium can be so warm & encompassing & that we can
>form such wonderful bonds & connections with the animals that are
>brought into our lives. (bad parallel sentence construction, but it is
>1:30 am)
>
>for as hard as the goodbye was, there were many gifts in the day. for
>the 1st time in over a month, i awoke with no pain & virtually all
>things working normally. & that meant i could be fully present in the
>experience. in the last month, we could tell that the decline was
>neurological in nature & that we couldn't impact it's course. so
>today when elsey tried to get up, it was like the communication to the
>back legs was just gone (but she could still wag her tail). but it
>also meant that she wasn't in significant distress & pain. i had
>leftover chicken & beef & one can of her favorite dog food - so she
>had some happy meals throughout the day. she got to see her best
>friend, our elderly neighbor, & her pack (my brother's dogs, who are
>usually the biggest spastic dogs on the planet but who carefully
>climbed into the car, gently licked her muzzle, & then nestled against
>her while refusing to get back out of the car). we got to spend time
>with her saying our goodbyes. the hardest part was how badly she
>shook at the vet before the tranquilizer took effect. we got to hold
>her & look into her eyes until she was gone.
>
>such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
>for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.
>
>xo,
>ellen

I couldn't snip a word. Beautifully written, Ellen.

I've just gotten a bad diagnosis on my Good Dog Guinness. We've caught
his condition early, but it will eventually be terminal. He hasn't
figured out he's sick yet, and is happy and healthy for now. We'll
keep him as happy as possible until it's time for him to go too.
Because we caught it so early (chronic active hepatitis of Dobermans)
he probably has a couple of good years left, but there's almost no
research done on this condition.

We also lost one of our very old cougars at the wildlife sanctuary
where I volunteer this week. He was 18 and we miss him terribly.

http://www.bearcreeksanctuary.com/kody.htm

What a crummy week.

(the other) Dana

On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 19:57:18 -0800 (PST), ellen <epdpster@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Dec 14, 9:51 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>realized i forgot the end of the story & the beginning: this morning
>dh & i were taking elsey's food & other items to the animal shelter &
>were reminiscing about how she loved to go for rides in our old car,
>with her head propped on the back seat & staring out the back window.
>we had given the car away to a local family.
>
>when we pulled up to the shelter, there was elsey's volvo. & inside
>the car was new books on cats & other kitty items. & inside the
>shelter was the family getting ready to leave with their new kitten.
>
>how cool is that?

SO so cool.

(the other) Dana

"Dana Taramina" <dana@spamicide.gryffyn.com> wrote in message
news:1clam35oqv3q1fs3qpqnban0rhel794e7m@4ax.com...
> On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:39:50 -0800 (PST), ellen <epdpster@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>hey, thanks so truly much to all of you for your kind words, hugs, &
>>support. there are so many amazing things - that your kindness across
>>this electronic medium can be so warm & encompassing & that we can
>>form such wonderful bonds & connections with the animals that are
>>brought into our lives. (bad parallel sentence construction, but it is
>>1:30 am)
>>
>>for as hard as the goodbye was, there were many gifts in the day. for
>>the 1st time in over a month, i awoke with no pain & virtually all
>>things working normally. & that meant i could be fully present in the
>>experience. in the last month, we could tell that the decline was
>>neurological in nature & that we couldn't impact it's course. so
>>today when elsey tried to get up, it was like the communication to the
>>back legs was just gone (but she could still wag her tail). but it
>>also meant that she wasn't in significant distress & pain. i had
>>leftover chicken & beef & one can of her favorite dog food - so she
>>had some happy meals throughout the day. she got to see her best
>>friend, our elderly neighbor, & her pack (my brother's dogs, who are
>>usually the biggest spastic dogs on the planet but who carefully
>>climbed into the car, gently licked her muzzle, & then nestled against
>>her while refusing to get back out of the car). we got to spend time
>>with her saying our goodbyes. the hardest part was how badly she
>>shook at the vet before the tranquilizer took effect. we got to hold
>>her & look into her eyes until she was gone.
>>
>>such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
>>for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.
>>
>>xo,
>>ellen
>
> I couldn't snip a word. Beautifully written, Ellen.
>
> I've just gotten a bad diagnosis on my Good Dog Guinness. We've caught
> his condition early, but it will eventually be terminal. He hasn't
> figured out he's sick yet, and is happy and healthy for now. We'll
> keep him as happy as possible until it's time for him to go too.
> Because we caught it so early (chronic active hepatitis of Dobermans)
> he probably has a couple of good years left, but there's almost no
> research done on this condition.

Veterinary research & treatments seem to have been growing by leaps & bounds
in the last 15+ years. Maybe in a year or two more will be known?

> We also lost one of our very old cougars at the wildlife sanctuary
> where I volunteer this week. He was 18 and we miss him terribly.
>
> http://www.bearcreeksanctuary.com/kody.htm

What a handsome guy he was.

Cathy


>
> What a crummy week.
>
> (the other) Dana

On Dec 16, 11:48 am, Dana Taramina <d...@spamicide.gryffyn.com> wrote:
> On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:39:50 -0800 (PST), ellen <epdps...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >On Dec 13, 3:01 pm, ellen <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >hey, thanks so truly much to all of you for your kind words, hugs, &
> >support. there are so many amazing things - that your kindness across
> >this electronic medium can be so warm & encompassing & that we can
> >form such wonderful bonds & connections with the animals that are
> >brought into our lives. (bad parallel sentence construction, but it is
> >1:30 am)
>
> >for as hard as the goodbye was, there were many gifts in the day. for
> >the 1st time in over a month, i awoke with no pain & virtually all
> >things working normally. & that meant i could be fully present in the
> >experience. in the last month, we could tell that the decline was
> >neurological in nature & that we couldn't impact it's course. so
> >today when elsey tried to get up, it was like the communication to the
> >back legs was just gone (but she could still wag her tail). but it
> >also meant that she wasn't in significant distress & pain. i had
> >leftover chicken & beef & one can of her favorite dog food - so she
> >had some happy meals throughout the day. she got to see her best
> >friend, our elderly neighbor, & her pack (my brother's dogs, who are
> >usually the biggest spastic dogs on the planet but who carefully
> >climbed into the car, gently licked her muzzle, & then nestled against
> >her while refusing to get back out of the car). we got to spend time
> >with her saying our goodbyes. the hardest part was how badly she
> >shook at the vet before the tranquilizer took effect. we got to hold
> >her & look into her eyes until she was gone.
>
> >such a beautiful gift to have had her as a friend all those years.
> >for such a quiet dog, her absence is deafening.
>
> >xo,
> >ellen
>
> I couldn't snip a word. Beautifully written, Ellen.
>
> I've just gotten a bad diagnosis on my Good Dog Guinness. We've caught
> his condition early, but it will eventually be terminal. He hasn't
> figured out he's sick yet, and is happy and healthy for now. We'll
> keep him as happy as possible until it's time for him to go too.
> Because we caught it so early (chronic active hepatitis of Dobermans)
> he probably has a couple of good years left, but there's almost no
> research done on this condition.
>
> We also lost one of our very old cougars at the wildlife sanctuary
> where I volunteer this week. He was 18 and we miss him terribly.
>
> http://www.bearcreeksanctuary.com/kody.htm
>
> What a crummy week.
>
> (the other) Dana

dana - that's horrible news all around. so sorry about the diagnosis
for guinness. how old is he? hard to get that news & hard to know
that you most likely will be unable to alter the progression of the
disease. i always struggle a bit with hope, but as cathy points out,
perhaps there may be some aspects that will appear that may change the
course of things. man, can't even get my thoughts together at all
tonight - my hope, of course is for many good days to enjoy with him.

kody was a magnificent animal - sorry as well.

sometimes i am so overtaken with the fragility of things, but try to
return to the inherent beauty & grace that such fragility offers us.
give guinness a hug from me.
& i send you one as well.

best,
ellen

I tried sending this a few days ago and it wouldn't leave my mailbox..so
thought I would try it again.
Ellen,
So Sorry to hear about your friend of many years. Know that she is out of
pain, and waiting on the other side of the bridge. We had to put our old Bea
dog down a few years back because of kidney disease. About three months
after we lost her my husband was watching TV and he kept on glancing over to
where her bed used to be...He said "Honey we just have to get another
dog...I can't stand the silence" She too was a very quiet dog. In all of the
years we had her I had only heard her bark twice. We have had many 4 legged
companions through out our 39 years together and have had to say goodbye to
a few...we have nothing but good memories to give us peace....May you find
the same peace. (((((HUGS))))
Jacquie

"ellen" <epdpster@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:d0b8abf2-e16f-4520-b6bc-650cc1ddfeca@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
> been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926...7603448152540/

On Dec 17, 12:33 am, "jacquie" <happikat...@earthlink.net> wrote:
> I tried sending this a few days ago and it wouldn't leave my mailbox..so
> thought I would try it again.
> Ellen,
> So Sorry to hear about your friend of many years. Know that she is out of
> pain, and waiting on the other side of the bridge. We had to put our old Bea
> dog down a few years back because of kidney disease. About three months
> after we lost her my husband was watching TV and he kept on glancing over to
> where her bed used to be...He said "Honey we just have to get another
> dog...I can't stand the silence" She too was a very quiet dog. In all of the
> years we had her I had only heard her bark twice. We have had many 4 legged
> companions through out our 39 years together and have had to say goodbye to
> a few...we have nothing but good memories to give us peace....May you find
> the same peace. (((((HUGS))))
> Jacquie
>
> "ellen" <epdps...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:d0b8abf2-e16f-4520-b6bc-650cc1ddfeca@i29g2000prf.googlegroups.com...
>
> > been sitting with my dog all day - she can't support her weight
> > anymore. but at least she's not in a lot of pain. somehow it just
> > makes me feel better to share this as i wait for my husband to get
> > home so we can take old gal for that last ride:
> >http://www.flickr.com/photos/3254926.../set-721576034...

jacquie - i know that so many here at asm really understand the bonds
that we share with our animals & how we grieve when we lose them. so
appreciate the kind words & hugs from all.

these past days i've come to be thankful for the dog hair attracting
capabilities of my fleece clothing...

best,
ellen

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 12:31:08 -0500, "Cathy F."
<clfrclfr@adelphiadotdashdot.net> wrote:

>Veterinary research & treatments seem to have been growing by leaps & bounds
>in the last 15+ years. Maybe in a year or two more will be known?

I hope so. Right now he's fine, on a ton of meds and eating well. My
vet is the best and if something new shows up she'll be right on it.
>
>> We also lost one of our very old cougars at the wildlife sanctuary
>> where I volunteer this week. He was 18 and we miss him terribly.
>>
>> http://www.bearcreeksanctuary.com/kody.htm
>
>What a handsome guy he was.

He was. And very grouchy - sweet, if that makes sense.

(the other) Dana

On Sun, 16 Dec 2007 19:27:09 -0800 (PST), ellen <epdpster@gmail.com>
wrote:

>dana - that's horrible news all around. so sorry about the diagnosis
>for guinness. how old is he? hard to get that news & hard to know
>that you most likely will be unable to alter the progression of the
>disease. i always struggle a bit with hope, but as cathy points out,
>perhaps there may be some aspects that will appear that may change the
>course of things. man, can't even get my thoughts together at all
>tonight - my hope, of course is for many good days to enjoy with him.

Thanks so much, Guinness is only 4, just a baby. Acts like a puppy.
>
>kody was a magnificent animal - sorry as well.

He was magnificent. And very, very crabby. I identify with that, some
days more than others. ;^)
>
>sometimes i am so overtaken with the fragility of things, but try to
>return to the inherent beauty & grace that such fragility offers us.

<deep breath> You're right, of course. Going back to the sanctuary,
where we have over 100 more animals, always helps. Big cat fix.

>give guinness a hug from me.
>& i send you one as well.

Thank you from both of us.

(the other) Dana