Memorial to Albert, Canine Freeper and Attack Schnauzer

03/23/2004 | TC Rider

[TC Rider]

It's all over now.

Albert was put to sleep about 10:00AM this morning. The vet, who had treated Albert since he was a puppy, agreed that it was time. They had barely started the injection when he died in my arms. He had been hanging on to live by a fingernail.

We brought him home and buried him near where the picture above was taken, overlooking a wooded pond on our property.

Our younger dog, Emma stayed with us while we worked. She also went to the vet with us and seems to be accepting the inevitable better than we are.

Thank God, we have two dogs, I could not have stood an empty house.

Thanks again to all of you for your blessings. Our families, local friends and all of you, my online friends, help make the load a little lighter.

Emma came into our lives 2 years after we got Albert and is in great health.

[DumpsterDiver]

Albert was put to sleep about 10:00AM this morning.

Goodbye to Albert and prayers for you and yours, TC.

Emma's a fine looking dog.

[Palladin]

My thoughts are with you both on this sad day.

Albert will be waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge.

Well done, good and faithful pooch.

[Tax-chick]

TC, I'm so sorry about your loss. May the LORD console you and the Mrs., and give you peaceful hearts.

Xy

[barker]

I've had to do this several times. With the last dog we had to put down I just couldn't. My husband had to take her to have it done. It's just so hard. I'll give our current dog, Pixie, an extra bone tonight for Albert. Hugs to you.

[Viking2002]

I'm sorry to hear this. I'm a rabid (pun intended) dog lover. I've never let a pet go without a fight. Get a second opinion. What's been discussed about the possible benefits of steroids?

[Phantom Lord]

TC,

My male boxer got cancer about 6 months ago. Surgery and medicine has done him wonders. But he is still young (7). I know he will get it again soon.

[Howlin]

TC, I am so sorry about Albert! It's amazing what a hard day this is, isn't it?

I'm going to make a donation to the Vet School in the name of Albert Rider; maybe they can find a way to help more dogs with Albert's problem in the future. :-(

[tiki]

I'll keep you in my prayers. I know how much it hurts to lose a beloved pet.

[southernnorthcarolina]

As others have said... been there, done that, and I well know how it feels. I'm a fan of, and a multiple owner of (albeit always one at a time) another German breed. My current (and, I hope, long-term) companion is pictured on my FR profile page -- more info about him, in fact, than about me, which is probably as it should be. I've lost dogs after long illnesses, and I've lost them suddenly and traumatically. Neither is easy.

I was about to say "get another one," until I saw that you already have done so. I say "get another one" not to imply that Albert is replacable, but rather that having the opportunity to experience a puppy grow to maturity is a great experience. Look at it this way: wouldn't it be a bummer if dogs lived to be 80 years old? Think of the implications.

Eight or ten years is a long life for a giant breed such as a Great Dane; twelve years is getting old for a medium-to-large dog such as yours or mine; the little guys may make it to fifteen or so. But even as every dog has his day, we move on, and we may be privileged to see and assist the puppy-to-dog transition again.

[TC Rider]

I'm sorry to hear this. I'm a rabid (pun intended) dog lover. I've never let a pet go without a fight. Get a second opinion. What's been discussed about the possible benefits of steroids?

Back in early December we noticed that Albert had a little cough when exerted. We took him to our family vet who heard a slight heart murmur. They diagnosed the canine equiv of congestive heart failure. They put him on lasix at that time.

A week later he was worse. We took him to the Vet School at NCSU (North Carolina State Univ). Their cardiology dept scanned, poked and prodded him for a day. They extracted some of the fluid from around his lungs.

Pathology found carcinoma cells in the lung fluid. A best guess was that he had liver cancer and that it had metastasized.

They offered to evaluate and treat him in the Oncology department. An estimate of $6000 - 8000 to diagnose and give him chemo overwhelmed us.

Albert was 12, which is about all that's expected of Standard Schnauzers. We didn't feel the slim chance of a cure was worth making his last days so uncomfortable.

He went from a robust 48 pounds to a skin and bones 35 pounds in just a couple of weeks. He quit eating just kibble and we've had to coax him to eat with canned alpo and 'people' food. 3 days ago he quit eating entirely.

The lasix wasn't able to keep up starting last week and he labored to breath from his gut as the fluid kept his lungs from filling up. The last 2 or 3 days his bladder was leaking while he slept.

We started praying he would die in his sleep and finally acknowledged this morning that it was time.

The saddest part for me was that he never seemed to get old. His eyes and hearing were great till the end, he was alert, bright and eager to please. He was excited about going for a ride this morning. The cancer had destroyed him from the inside out.

Well, I'm tearing up again. I thought I was doing better.

Thanks again to everyone for your support.

[TC Rider]

FWIW, I have nothing but praise for the people at Town and Country Animal Care Center in Apex and the great people at NCSU.

While we were waiting for Dr. Nick this morning, Ralph came over from the attached boarding kennel. Ralph is the one who stays overnight in the kennel and feeds and cares for the dogs. We and our dogs have liked and respected Ralph for years.

If you saw Ralph walking down the street toward you, you might cross to the other side. He's a big guy, an older biker with pony tail and tattoos. He heard about Albert from the office grapevine and came over. He sat on the floor of the examining room with Albert and I and cried with us.

Dr. Nick, who had cared for and treated Albert since he was a pup was crying with us before he was done.


I know this says a lot about the people who have cared for Albert, but I hope everyone understands that it says a lot about Albert too. This dog had a huge heart and acted like everyone he met was his long lost best friend. He literally did not have a mean bone in his body.

[TC Rider]

TC, I am so sorry about Albert! It's amazing what a hard day this is, isn't it?

I'm going to make a donation to the Vet School in the name of Albert Rider; maybe they can find a way to help more dogs with Albert's problem in the future. :-(

Bless you!

check your freep mail

[Phantom Lord]

Dogs are the greatest and most loving creatures on the planet. No other being comes close.

[TC Rider]

Dogs are the greatest and most loving creatures on the planet. No other being comes close.

I heard someone say, "Thank God they don't live 30 years, we could never bear the pain of losing one after that long."

[TC Rider]

As others have said... been there, done that, and I well know how it feels. I'm a fan of, and a multiple owner of (albeit always one at a time) another German breed. My current (and, I hope, long-term) companion is pictured on my FR profile page -- more info about him, in fact, than about me, which is probably as it should be. I've lost dogs after long illnesses, and I've lost them suddenly and traumatically. Neither is easy.

Atlas is a cutie! He reminds me of Blue, a Vishla my wife had when we married over 25 years ago. He went suddenly at a young age and it broke our hearts. In hindsight I prefer that to the daily pain we've endured over the last three months watching Albert waste away.

[lakey]

I'm so sorry for the pain you and your wife are feeling. I fully understand.

My husband and I have always had pets, even favorite chickens, mille fleurs - Lester & Lucille. A cougar got Lucille one night, and broke Lester's leg. We amputated it and he lived on for another year.

Our next to the last German shepherd was put to sleep on 9/11/1999 at the age of 14 years. He could barely walk.

Swearing never to go through that again, and knowing we were too old to have pets any longer, it happened that a young German shepherd arrived on our doorstep in November, 2002. We couldn't resist - he was so smart. But, it only took a few months to realize that it wasn't fair to the dog. He needed more exercise than we were capable of giving him. So, we gave him to a law enforcement officer, who wanted to train him as an FBI sniffer. He's in Montana now, probably happy as a lark.

Having been an "owner" of 'em all, it has been my opinion that cats live too long, and dogs don't live long enough.

Try having an tabby cat for 22 1/2 years - broken teeth, arthritis - can't get all the way into her litter box, plus meaner than sin, it still took 4 cancelled appointments with the vet before we finally did it.

[TC Rider]

Sometimes you choose the dog, sometimes the dog chooses you, sometimes both.

[lakey]

All I know is, I miss every single one of them like crazy. Sometimes, I want to call Montana and tell them the deal is off!