queenwinniesmom

You were blessed to have the love of a wonderful man AND a wonderful Grey. But I guess when the love is so deep, the hurt is deep as well. Hoping that your cherished memories bring you comfort.

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

What a lovely, lovely boy he was. I'm so sorry that you didn't have more time with your precious Oscar.

Pam, I'll keep you and your big gorgeous boy in my prayers.

Oh, I'm so, so sorry.

I'm so sorry you lost your precious little Grace. The loss of a best friend leaves a huge hole in your heart. I've always found that lovely poem very comforting.

No! No, no, no.....Oh, Jen, I know that saying that won't make it so, and trying to wrap my mind around your enormous loss and being unable to, won't bring him back or ease your pain. So I can only cry with you and share your sadness. To say I'm sorry seems not enough. I believe that your tribute is the most beautiful I've ever read. I'm going to print it so that I can come back to it if I ever doubt that a human and a dog can be soul mates. You have a gift with words as you do with everything else you create. And you have a gift for opening your heart so totally, and loving so deeply. Oh, sweet Crisco, you were truly bessed, weren't you? To be precisely where you were supposed to be, sharing your life with the person who loved and understood you best, that was the most precious gift of all, a gift that you returned a thousand times over. I know you are safe and free of pain and weariness, and I wish that you could send your Mom a sign to bring just a little comfort to her broken heart. Your love will live on, I'm sure, and what you have started will continue to grow. You were the best, best, best boyhound Lydia could have ever had. We'll miss you so much, just knowing you were out there being Crisco Roo, hoping we might be able to see you again.... Jen, my heart is breaking for you. I'm sharing your sadness, and I'm so, so sorry you lost your precious boy.

What an eloquent tribute. Thank-you for sharing your sweet boy with us. You can never be sure what those final moments will be like, but you did everything you possibly could to insure that he was safe and unafraid, and the last thing he knew was that you were with him, and how very much he was loved. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Tarmac.

That beautiful box brought tears to my eyes too. It shows the deep love you had and still have for your precious Flash.

Well, I feel kinda dumb---I'm sitting here at work crying, and it's GOOD NEWS! Seriously, you know how thrilled I am to hear this. Now, you and Eric and the girls need to come to Dewey and stay at the Bellbuoy! Well, if we DON'T see you at Dewey, hugs to you and Ruby and Rascal.

No more bad news, Melissa! Sweet Ruby will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Mary Pat, I'm so sorry. You are faced with such heartwrenching decisions, and you and Diamond will be in my prayers during this difficult time.

Jen, what a lovely tribute. Thank-you for sharing and celebrating your boy. It's clear that you loved and understood him so well, and that for those last months of his life, he was truly "home" in every sense of the word. Though there is never a good time to lose them, my heart is breaking for you---the suddenness, the lingering sadness, the sadness to come---it seems too much to bear. But your tribute shows that there is joy, appreciation, gratefulness that will grow as your pain eases. I know it's hard to see that through your tears right now, but he was a gift that you can treasure forever. Run free, sweet boy, and send your Mom a sign that you are watching over her still. She loves you and needs you so much.

Oh, Jen, honey, words won't come, and I'm crying too hard. Marilyn pretty much said exactly what I'm feeling. I too opened this thread with a sinking heart and sense of dread, expecting to see that Crisco had left you even sooner than you expected. I'm having trouble processing Sly's sudden passing, and I can't imagine the level of your grief right now, dealing with this and the sadness to come. I think when you open your heart and give of yourself as much as you do, having your heart broken is a risk you take because you understand deep inside that it is worth it. At times like this, it certainly doesn't seem like it, I know. But there couldn't be a better, safer, more loving and joyful place for any of your precious dogs to live out their lives, however long that might be. Sly knew the happiness of being truly loved and being precisely where he was meant to be. And he got to be with the person he loved in return, doing what made him happy, right up until the very end. That awful suddenness makes any loss doubly hard to bear. You understood that when I lost my Nick, and the picture of him is something I treasure. I look at your angel Greys on my wall, and know you have the gift of making your own angels live on, in your heart, and in the hearts of so many others. I know everyone says, I wish there was something I could do. I wish that too. And I want to ask that literally as well. Truly, is there anything I can do, we can do, to help ease your pain? If knowing that we share your sorrow, and hold you in our prayers helps at all, then you can be assured of that. I'm so sorry you lost your beloved Sly. Sending hugs to you, and a special hug to Crisco.

That was such a lovely tribute. It is clear that George was very loved, and very lucky to have found such a wonderful home for his final months. I'm so sorry that it couldn't have been longer.

Oh, no! This is so terribly sad. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Buck.

I'm so sorry for your sadness and anguish at losing your Roady so suddenly. Being in no way prepared adds an extra layer of grief that we have to process (along with the shock and even anger), before we can actually start the grieving process. I understand too well those feelings because my Nick left us suddenly too. You did everything you possibly could have. I'm so sorry you lost your precious girl.

Carrie, I'm just seeing this. No wonder you were scared! After everything you went through with Treat, even though you've seen it before, it still is agonizing to see your baby going through that. And to not be sure of the cause is doubly upsetting. I'm so glad she is doing better. She'll still be in my prayers for a wonderful 14th birthday. Give your sweet girl a gentle hug.

Sending much sympathy for the loss of Miss Heart. It sounds as if she touched the lives and hearts of many people.

What a lovely girl. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Fiona. Cancer is a monster.

I did use it with Winnie. We did the amputation, but no chemo. And she was with me for 3 1/2 years, till we lost her to kidney failure, two years ago. I have to believe I did something right, with the artemisinin, a high protein, low carb diet, pycnogenol (another immune system booster) and fish oil. But that said, I also feel that we were incredibly lucky. But I would definitely use artemisinin again. I talked to Dr. Couto about it, and he was recommending a much higher dosage. I just gave her 1 pill a day, not at meal time. We got ours from Nutricology, another recomended source. I learned about it in the special cancer issue of Celebrating Greyhounds. It's several years old now, but perhaps you could find the article in archives. I sure don't think it could hurt, and just might help. I'm so sorry you've gotten this terrible diagnosis. You and Rocky will be in my prayers.

I've heard some real horror stories about vet staff. If I really liked the vet, I think maybe I'd let them know. Sometimes they don't know. Sometimes you give them the benefit of the doubt---they could be having a bad day. But if it's consistent, then something needs to be said. I know if I was rude to a client, I wouldn't be surprised if they complained. I'm lucky---everyone at my vets is wonderful (Avalon, in Pittsburgh). My vet has had Greys and loves and understands them. When Winnie had her amputation, they kept her for 5 days at no hospitalization charge because they knew we had steps. And also importantly, because they loved her. They let me come in and visit and sit in her cage and feed her chicken! Whenever she'd come in, you'd think a true celebrity had crossed the threshold---even though we had to carry her because she would NOT do slick floors. The staff would fight to carry her too, and be the one in the exam room. We've euthanized all our dogs and cats there, and they are so kind. We always get a sympathy card afterwards too.

I hadn't heard Pegasus' story before, Hilda, and it made me cry! You're right, fate meant him to be exactly where he was---with you. How devastating when they leave us so suddenly. I feel that it takes our hearts extra long to heal because we're in no way prepared (not that we ever are, but I think there is an extra layer of grief when it's with no warning). But over the years, I hope you have found comfort in knowing that he was safe, happy, and so very loved, right up to the end.

What a wonderful tribute. He was magnificent! I'm so sorry you lost your precious Bull.

What a lovely tribute. And the pictures, so touching and beautiful. I'm so sorry you lost your precious Juneau. I think you were the perfect home for him.