Posted on 05/27/2002 11:36:10 PM PDT by acnielsen guy
And she would not longer eat her dog food...but she ate her daddys bakery cookies everyday...that is what she lived on, her last month...cold water and bakery cookies, and no exercise...
Now, I suppose some would say, we should have encouraged her more to go out, and play, but she was so old(at least for a basset)...and she so enjoyed her cookies, that, I am sorry, we could not deny her those special treats, when we could see she was on her last legs...
We just wanted to make her last days as happy and carefree and wonderful as we could...so even if she weighed a lot more than her usual 85lbs, we did not care...
It did take both me and the hubby to lift her off of the family room floor, where she died....we drove her, in the wheelbarrow to her little personal gravsite, out in back, under her favorite shade tree, and placed her in her homemade(made by the hubby) casket, and buried her alongside her two other doggie pals...
She was a big roly poly gal, who made our lives blessed by her presence...those 85lbs meant there was just a lot of her to love...
Y'alls bassets are HUGE! Goodness. ;-)
When she was younger, she would run around lots, with our other doggies, she ate just moderate meals, once a day, the dogs generally got very little table scraps, and once Helga even got put on diet doggie food...nothing ever worked...she just remained the same big girl...in the end, we just stopped worrying about it, as did the vet, and Helga went about her life, happy and healthy, but certainly roly poly...
I was fortunate, my last three dogs, all died at home...when I was taking the first one, who was ill, to the vet, to have her euthanized, on our way out to the car, she just dropped dead right in front of the car...it was like she was saying she was going to die at home...the second dog, her son, pined away for her so badly...he had never known his life without her...he died, at home, at the foot of our bed, about 10 months later
Helga lived for another year or so...and then she too died at home...she just got up, tried to walk, screamed like I had never heard before, fell down, took one last breath, and she was gone...I was always thankful, that my doggies died at home with me, so I could be with them in their own home and familiar surroundings when the time came...
All three of my doggies are buried out back...every time I pass the big old shade tree, I look beneath, to where my dear doggie friends have gone...
Indeed, you are right...our pets teach us lessons each and every day...they usually always die ahead of us, and they die surrounded by love...we should all be so lucky as our pets in those final moments..
Ten years ago we had five cats - we started with one after we were first married and the rest just wandered into our house and our hearts. (Cats are good at finding their people.) Anyway ten years ago our old German Shephard died and I found a chow-lab mix puppie to fill the void, and then a few months later another free chow-retreiver mix puppy joined our merry band.
The pups were fine with all their kittie brothers and sisters since they were on the scene when the pups were brought home. Life was good, everyone was young and healthy and got along famously.
Three years ago our eldest kittie crossed over the RainbowBridge and when I tried to replace her, our older dog would have no part of it. He would have pulled a Happy on that little kitten had I not been super alert for it. So as the years have passed by and the kitties have passed on we're down to the two dogs and one indoor cat of seventeen years, and one outdoor kittie who found us a couple of years ago.
They all just enjoyed nice roasty treats a few minutes ago. ;-)
I wish we could get a basset...but Mr. Dizzy is really frightened of dogs, and hes too old, I think, so be able to change much, so I just have to be content with having him, and have stories of Mrs. Mussolini Lulu....
Its so wonderful to be owned by pets, and those who never have had them, just dont know what a treat they are missing...I just love hearing stories about other peoples pets, and their lives together...
Frankly, I dont trust a person who cannot love an animal...to be able to accept an animals love and devotion, and give back, seems to me to be a great gift...and I think we humans get so much more back than we give...my pets never care if I am ugly looking, or grumpy, or out of sorts, or poor, or sick, or whatever...they just empathize in a way thats so touching, and they love you with no limits...
Palo, there are very small bone, and small bassets...not all bassets are equal, they come in small, medium and large....altho these are just varying degrees of the same body type...
The fellow across the street from us has a dog who is 1/2 basset and 1/2 beagle....she is a porky gal, tho her ears are not real long bassety ears, they are the beagle type...and her legs are not incredibly short, not stumpy like a basset...but her main body part is thick and plump, just like a basset...and her tempermant is like a basset...she is willful, stubborn, never listens to anyone, and goes about her business, oblivious to anyone elses wishes....
Her name is Violet, and she lives with another large dog, somewhat like an Irish Setter...
Every day, their dad loads them into his truck, after work, and takes them to the local park for a good run...the bigger dog jumps right into the truck, but Violet has to be picked up...and you can see the guy strain, when he has to pick her up to load her in the truck...
Then when he returns, he has to pick her up to get her out of the truck...the hubby and I always watch this routine, and get a laugh break, and say, someday that guys gonna hurt himself, lifting that porky Violet in and out of the truck...
Shes a sweet gal tho, and I admire her for her bassety tenacity...
Did Lulu behave while she got her shot? Did she flirt with any doggies in the waiting room? Ah, Lulu, you cannot imagine the pure joy I get, when I hear about you...
We survived the first wave of Thunderstorms.. Second wave coming soon.. Winds of 65 to 70 miles per hour. I don't thind we had them that high, but it sure ripped some leaves off the trees.. The tarps covering parts of the roof held well.. No leaks... Temps dropped over 20 degrees in less than an hour.. Thank goodness.. I'm not ready for the eighties and humidity yet.. here.. The pools up to 77 tho..
Tho, a few years ago we had 8 of them taken out, either because they were too close to the house, or they did not look healthy...but we still have lots of trees left...
Stay safe...
So I guess that means I had better stop chatting, and finish up...
Still need to vacuum the whole house again, finish the laundry, start supper, open my new dolly boxes, play dolls, for a short while, play with Dizzy...
Then I need to bathe, and make myself look beautiful(hahahahah).....I will report back either tonite, or tomorrow, with tales from Chicago......
See ya later...
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