Shysmum
Well-Known Member
On monday, my beloved 5 year old lab Stanley was PTS.
He had been on house rest for a month with a mild limp, but then in the last week it became so much worse, and the vet arranged for xrays. I knew it was going to be bad before we left him - but when the vet rang, I thought he was going to say arthritis, broken bone, ripped ligament/tendon. But no, he said it was very bad, a tumour.
We rushed straight round, and looked at the xrays - incredible, his humerous was being eaten away by this tumour, and it was at his shoulder joint too. The vet said he was almost certain that the tumour would have metastised to his lungs by this stage, and there was no treatment he could offer. He said some people amputate, but then the dog suffers with his lungs.
I then had to get hubs to agree that taking him home for a last few days would just cause him more pain, and that he should be PTS while he was sedated. When he saw us, his tail wagged continuously, and we sang his puppy song as the deed was done. I clipped some hair from him, and just laid with him. That night I saw him at Rainbow Bridge - he was "electric" - eyes shining like stars, coat gleaming and he could run again !!! He told me he was ok now.
This is the second lab we've lost at 5 years old. Sydney died in Sydney Quarantine when we emigrated in 2007 - we never got to say goodbye as we were up north. We like to think that we were chosen to have two dogs who would die young, so that their short lives would be so happy in the time they had.
Stanley mended my broken heart when Syd died.
Stan was my pony's best friend - they grew up together, went out on rides every day, and he taught Shy to carry sticks in his mouth. Shy would chase Stan for ages to get at his stick.
This is a pic of my three best boys from last month, and one of Stan smiling for the camera ;
My heart is broken. Bone cancer - just stunned. Thanks so much for listening, I need to talk about him. xx
He had been on house rest for a month with a mild limp, but then in the last week it became so much worse, and the vet arranged for xrays. I knew it was going to be bad before we left him - but when the vet rang, I thought he was going to say arthritis, broken bone, ripped ligament/tendon. But no, he said it was very bad, a tumour.
We rushed straight round, and looked at the xrays - incredible, his humerous was being eaten away by this tumour, and it was at his shoulder joint too. The vet said he was almost certain that the tumour would have metastised to his lungs by this stage, and there was no treatment he could offer. He said some people amputate, but then the dog suffers with his lungs.
I then had to get hubs to agree that taking him home for a last few days would just cause him more pain, and that he should be PTS while he was sedated. When he saw us, his tail wagged continuously, and we sang his puppy song as the deed was done. I clipped some hair from him, and just laid with him. That night I saw him at Rainbow Bridge - he was "electric" - eyes shining like stars, coat gleaming and he could run again !!! He told me he was ok now.
This is the second lab we've lost at 5 years old. Sydney died in Sydney Quarantine when we emigrated in 2007 - we never got to say goodbye as we were up north. We like to think that we were chosen to have two dogs who would die young, so that their short lives would be so happy in the time they had.
Stanley mended my broken heart when Syd died. Stan was my pony's best friend - they grew up together, went out on rides every day, and he taught Shy to carry sticks in his mouth. Shy would chase Stan for ages to get at his stick.
This is a pic of my three best boys from last month, and one of Stan smiling for the camera ;
My heart is broken. Bone cancer - just stunned. Thanks so much for listening, I need to talk about him. xx
), and tonight it was silent. I wish I'd never told him to shut up when he did it, *sigh*
