queenwinniesmom

Osteo is a monster. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Richy.

My heart is breaking for you. I'm so sorry. Your Slim did well by sending your lovely, smiling lady to you. I hope it can bring some comfort to know that she is with her hound family, watching over those she left behind.

You truly rescued her in every way, healed her spirit and her heart, and she returned that love tenfold. Her pictures are so incredibly beautiful that they take my breath away, and speak volumes of the wonderful life you shared. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Karma.

Shannon, your tribute to Timmy is remarkable---filled with insight, compassion, unconditional love, and the pain that only the loss of a true heart dog can bring. You will always carry his memory and his very essence in your heart because you were so enormously blessed to have shared each others lives. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Timmy.

I'm so sorry you lost your precious lady, especially after such a short time. I would wish for every senior a loving home in their last years, and their very own red couch.

Thanks for posting pictures of Bonny. She was incredibly beautiful, inside and out. I'm so sorry you lost your precious lady.

She was really lovely. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Mira. It's especially devastating when it's so sudden.

I'm so sorry you lost your precious Sallie. It's heartbreaking to have to say goodbye to your sweet babies in such a short time.

I'm so sorry you lost your precious girl so suddenly. It makes it doubly heartbreaking.

Sorry if I've told this story. I know I posted about it on Facebook the day it happened, but I'm not sure if I did on GT. I've written about the many times that Nick has sent me butterflies, usually at the beginning or end of vacations at places he loved, or when I was having a rough time and needed the comfort. The latest butterfly was the most meaningful. It was during last summer when I worried about Polly every day. She was so frail, and slipping away. I was so afraid she would die when I was in Spain, and she did. I was weepy sometimes just thinking about how I was losing my sweet girl, and how much I would miss her. On one of those days, when I had the dogs out in the yard, I saw a beautiful black and orange butterfly (like a miniature Monarch) the kind Nick sends. I said, "Hi, Nicky," like I always do. I expected the butterfly to flutter around me for a while as usual, but this time, it came closer and closer, oblivious to the 4 big dogs in the yard. I was looking at it in amazement when it landed on my foot! It stayed there for at least 10 seconds, and I burst into tears. I think Nick was really making sure that I got the message---that even though we lose them, they are never really gone. They are always with us.

The vet prescribed Royal Canin Gastrointestinal dry, and canned ID. I also got some treats from the vet yesterday---Hills Prescription Diet Hypo Treats (she does like the treats). Should we be looking at other limited ingredient diets? I know it's early in treatment, but it's discouraging, especially since Doug (and I sometimes) can't grasp the concept of what's going on, and why we need to do what we're doing. He says she doesn't eat the Rx diet well, so he wants to feed her some of her regular food so she'll eat. I said if she's eating the regular food, but that's exacerbating her problems and she's continuing to lose weight and have diarrhea, how is that better than trying to keep her on the Rx food that hopefully will help her when she eats it? Sigh. Maybe if someone can post something for him to read, it might help.

I'm so sorry you lost your precious Anita.

It's nice to know that people understand. Thank-you. Of course, the people who don't understand---the heck with them, right? Lydia literally would not be here if she had to keep going up and down those steps. And now Tess is starting to not like them too. We took a big step---we told our tenant that he would have to move out. We have to give him a few months to find someplace else and to move. But this is just something that we feel we have to do. Tess is some better as far as the stools are concerned. And she seems to be doing okay on the pred. But she is so very thin---you can see every rib and her backbone. It breaks my heart. Tracy has been so helpful and informative. We've kinda goofed up on the food situation. She doesn't really like the Rx diet, which is SO expensive, so Doug was still giving her some of her regular food. And we shouldn't be doing that. The vet said it is possible that the PLE could be secondary to a cancerous lesion. But the involved biopsy is not something we are inclined to do. Hopefully, we can get to a diet status quo. I just worry about her prognosis, and if she'll ever be able to gain weight.

Doc and your tribute are both so beautiful. I'm so sorry you lost your precious boy.

Oh, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how much you will miss your sweet boy, who was such a loving, constant, companion.

Thanks, everyone. Tracy, I'll PM you. I'm at a live in pet sitting job for another week---have been here almost 2 weeks---and I left all the stuff I wrote down at home. I get home for a while every day. Doug got a printout, so I'll look at that tomorrow. She didn't like the expensive Rx food. Starting the pred tonight. At least if she pees a lot, she has a ready made place to go---our family room is pretty much a doggie toilet right now. It works for Lydia, I'm sure Tess won't mind. I've seen her sneak in there and pee a couple times---we can hardly blame her. This is why we don't have friends over.

Bloodwork results came back, and show protein losing enteropathy. I've seen this here, but am not familiar with how to treat it. I just know it's not good. The vet recommended steroids, as really the only thing that helps, and Rx diet (expensive). I'm so worried, and would like to hear other's experiences.

Tess has always had a somewhat delicate stomach, and tends to stay a bit thinner than the others, but lately she's had us worried and frustrated. The diarrhea has been going on for over a week, but it would firm up a little, then get worse. Bland diet and a routine worming with Strongid didn't help. She eats well, and is her usual, happy, active self. So we went to the vet yesterday. I'd posted that our vet of 21 years left the practice the end of December. We loved her, and were so upset. Not only did she leave, but ALL the vets left! Yep, the whole practice. They sent out a flyer introducing the new vets, and had an open house, which was a good idea, but we thought the worst---we wouldn't like the new vets, they wouldn't like the Greys, it would be a lot more expensive, etc. Well, I'm happy to say that so far, we were wrong! The prices seem to be about the same. But on Tues. and Thurs. afternoons, senior citizens get a 10% discount! Since I'm a senior, and if the visit isn't urgent, this is great. I'd taken our cat Lily last month for her convenia shot, and even though the prices were the same, I actually paid less! So it worked out yesterday that Doug and I could take Tess in. We really liked the young female doctor. She and the tech did a really thorough history, asked lots of questions, took plenty of time with us, were lovely and gentle with Tess, and seemed charmed by her---and by Calvin, who had come along for moral support. She didn't start out recommending lots of stuff, but let us decide what we chose to do. Since Tess will be 11 in June, and has never had any bloodwork done, it seems to me that this would be a good idea, right? So we did it, including an urinalysis. She also suggested an IDEXX fecal to check for other intestinal problems, which made sense to me as well. She dispensed Metronidazole, and a can of ID. The bloodwork was the most expensive, of course. The geriatric senior profile was $123.75. Does that seem about average? The total for everything was $236, and I got a discount of $23, so it came out to $213. A lot, but better than I'd expected. With the 2 pills so far, and the ID (we'll get some more), Tess already seems better. Of course, we'll have to see what the bloodwork, urinalysis and fecal show. Hopefully, she doesn't have any major problems. She is arguably one of the best dogs in the world. So we're feeling a lot better about the vet situation, and would definitely go back.

So heartbreaking. Sharing the sadness of those who loved her.

It's doubly heartbreaking when there is so little warning. I'm so sorry you lost your lovely lady.

Oh, no, no, no! I actually said this out loud when I saw her name. We were just falling in love with her sweet silver face again a few days ago. I can't imagine how your heart is breaking. You know, I'm sure, how safe and spoiled and happy she felt with you, living in the moment, every moment filled with so much love. I'm so very sorry you lost your precious Shana.

Oh, Lori, Sheana was such a lovely, sweet, quirky presence here as well as in your home and heart. I can't imagine how much you will miss her. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Sheana.

Wow, Danger's story was so lovingly and perceptively written, with as many smiles as tears, just as a life well lived should be. If ever a dog was exactly where he was supposed to be, it was Danger. I'm so sorry you lost your beloved spook.

She reminds me of my Winnie, another tough tripod lady who refused to give up as well. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Twister.

Our first ones are truly unique, not only for holding that special place in our hearts, but for being the reason that so many other Greyhounds have come into our lives. She was really lovely. I'm so sorry you lost your precious lady.