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Well, after the rally, unfortunately things went south.
He just quit eating, was having trouble walking, becoming more and more listless as the days marched on. He began panting and licking his chops a lot. Last night he had a rough night and by this morning, my worst fears were becoming a reality. I began to see new lesions on his tummy and one of his eyes was totally bloodshot. Even though we couldn't see his regular vet or the specialist today, we needed an opinion as he really seemed to be in a lot of pain. Turns out he was bleeding internally and that was the clear sign then that he was not going to overcome all that has plagued him. So with tears in our eyes, we made that most devastating of all decisions to let him go. The vet was supportive and caring. And the only thing that got us through the decision was knowing that he was struggling so much. 
This is tough. We've had so much loss in the last several years that for me I think it is just coughing up all of that. It's going to take us some time to adjust to not having our big bundle of love and goofy around. We have so many dear memories of him that in time, I know those will all bring us such joy. But for today, we are devastated. There are no words to describe the odd feelings that accompany a pet's death. Those of you who have experienced this know this clearly.
We are thankful that we were able to have him for 11 years. Sometimes you just wish you could rewind a dog's life and start again with him as a pup. So now we need to rest up a bit, heal a bit, and try to cope with all of the difficulties that we've been through over the past few weeks. It's especially hard given that we had hoped he was turning the corner but alas, the problems were too deep and we all finally had to say, enough. Go to doggy heaven. Be well again. No more pain. No more sickness. No more hardship. For this we are grateful. For all of the unconditional love he gave us, we can only say thanks Tanner...you really have been the best dog ever.
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| The last photo I took of Tanner while he still alive. We will miss you love bug. |
This is tough. We've had so much loss in the last several years that for me I think it is just coughing up all of that. It's going to take us some time to adjust to not having our big bundle of love and goofy around. We have so many dear memories of him that in time, I know those will all bring us such joy. But for today, we are devastated. There are no words to describe the odd feelings that accompany a pet's death. Those of you who have experienced this know this clearly.
We are thankful that we were able to have him for 11 years. Sometimes you just wish you could rewind a dog's life and start again with him as a pup. So now we need to rest up a bit, heal a bit, and try to cope with all of the difficulties that we've been through over the past few weeks. It's especially hard given that we had hoped he was turning the corner but alas, the problems were too deep and we all finally had to say, enough. Go to doggy heaven. Be well again. No more pain. No more sickness. No more hardship. For this we are grateful. For all of the unconditional love he gave us, we can only say thanks Tanner...you really have been the best dog ever.
Tanner: June 5, 2005-August 20, 2016
You loved us well and we are so grateful for your amazing companionship.
