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. ;-)