Posted on 06/29/2012 1:17:17 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Full Title: Finn is now at peace: TOBY HARNDEN recounts the final, heart-rending days of the beloved rescue dog who was put to sleep in his arms
Finn is now at peace: TOBY HARNDEN recounts the final, heart-rending days of the beloved rescue dog who was put to sleep in his arms
When the end was nigh for Finn, my faithful shaggy companion for more than 14 years, he knew it and I knew it. We had travelled a long way together, from Belfast to Washington to Israel to London and ultimately to the suburbs of northern Virginia but it was clear his journey was over.
The pain in his body was suddenly making him cry and yelp much more frequently. And then he just stopped eating and drinking. For several days, he didn’t touch his food and had to be forced to drink. I took him for a walk but he moved with agonising lassitude.
His hind legs seemed to have seized up. They would fold underneath him, he would try to haul them up and then he would let his front legs down in resignation and just look up at me plaintively. On his final proper walk, he collapsed nose first in the dust and I had to carry him home.
As I wrote in my recent piece about Finn’s waning days, his decline had been slow and steady. For a year, I had been carrying him up and down the stairs. For more than six months, he had been incontinent and wearing a nappy inside the house – something that distressed me at first but never seemed to bother him much.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
I cried as I read it.
The old lab Stewart was definitely my husband’s dog and he made the decision when Stewart’s back legs began giving out as Finn’s did.
He wouldn’t go with us to the vet so it was me, and my daughter and son-in-law.
Stewart never seemed to be in pain. I think Finn was kept alive too long.
It took my husband a year to get over Stewart. Really I don’t think he ever has. He thought he made the decision too soon, that Stewart could have lived longer.
I wish he could read this to see that it was much kinder to put him out of pain, but he could never read a story like this.
Thank you for the ping, Joe. These things are hard to read, as we’re close here- but please keep me on your list.
They are such a gift & a Blessing.
I’m so sorry, afraidfortherepublic. I didn’t mean to “bypass” you. (It hit me as my reply was loading but too late to stop it)
Thank you.
We are praying we keep her for a while.
Open your Bible, turn to Romans 8:19 and ponder those passages.
Then turn to II Corinthians 15:44 and ponder those.
Hershee is adorable and lucky to have you,as you are lucky to have her.
I’m sorry, beginning at II Corinthians 15:36.
2 Corinthians only contains 13 chapters.
Thanks, yes we are all lucky to have each other.
You’re correct, that’s what I get for relying upon memory.
At first I thought you were correct. Then I looked for it and realized I too was wrong. So I checked it out and then realized the error.
However, those are good scriptures to suggest for those who wonder about their pets and the after life.
As for me, I have a firm understanding about the afterlife that I keep to myself when I stumble upon a discussion about a pets afterlife.
Somethings are best left alone. I would never want to compound the hurt one is already feeling from the loss of a loved one.
I firmly believe that there is a special place in heaven for our four legged friends and that we will meet them there someday.
The last sentence of your post tells us all that you do not believe in an afterlife in which we again meet with our pets.
If you are so sensitive to not hurting the feelings of those of us who hope for such an event, why in the world did you even say what you said?
Thank you.
Clancy didn’t suffer. The trauma was quick and clean, thankfully.
He’s buried next to “Cali” (Caliban) in the woods next to the house. Cali was our 13 year old Chocolate Lab, Chow, Greyhound mix we had put down for cancer.
Both of them were my virtual shadows and pains in the butt at times. But they were my pains in the butt!
Good point, I guess I had a foot in mouth moment.
Thanks for posting this.
I’m not a dog person but I just stumbled onto it elsewhere and was coming here to post it.
It’s so heartfelt, very moving.
We’ve been there, us animal lovers, it’s very difficult.
This was an excellent article, again, thanks for finding it and posting it here.
They do, however, get vestibular syndrome which *looks* like a stroke when it becomes acute and causes nystagmus, vertigo, limb weakness, instability and falling down.
It's very common in older dogs.
Has your vet ever -really- checked her ears?
http://suite101.com/article/what-is-canine-vestibular-syndrome-a51752
Please check into it.
There may be treatments that can improve her quality of life.
I lost my beloved Minny to it because my vet wouldn't listen to me when I told him she hadn't ‘had a stroke’ and didn't have ‘epilepsy’.
By the time another vet listened, it was too late.
I grieved -hard- for 2 years and then “just deeply” for another 10.
Good luck!
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