He doesn't know it, but he's waiting for the end, which will come shortly.
An hour later....
The vet (who was nice enough to make a house call) arrived, and I took Puff outside for the last time. I put his bed on the front porch, and he lied down comfortably. The vet gave him a tranquilizer by intramuscular injection, and very quickly he went to sleep with a relieved look on his face. (He had a seizure last night and he hasn't been sleeping well at night, so I can understand his relief.)
Once he was completely out, the torniquet went around his front leg, the needle went in the vein, and almost as soon as the pink solution started flowing in, Puff breathed his last. Very, very peaceful.
I requested the sedative because when I put Puff's grandmother to sleep she hadn't been pre-sedated and got the "big one" right away without warning. This gave her time to give me a look of shock and disbelief (I'm probably anthropomorphizing, but that's how it looked) before she died. That didn't happen with Puff, and I am so relieved. To anyone who has to go through this, I highly recommend pre-sedation before the final, fatal shot.
Rest in peace, Puff!
Here's the last picture I took of him:
But I think this one (taken in Berkeley in January) is a better reminder of Puff's last few months:
He was a great dog, and I really miss him.
(I'm afraid I'm only beginning to miss him, too.)
posted by Eric on 06.10.05 at 01:50 PM
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R.I.P. Puff! January 23, 1990 - June 10, 2005" href="http://www.classicalvalues.com/archives/002455.html">Classical Values :: R.I.P. Puff! January 23, 1990 - June 10, 2005 Eric lost Puff the other day. Puff was 15 and suffering from cancer. For a dog P... [Read More]
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Comments
My thoughts are with you. Never easy to do, having had to do it several times with my cats.
Rest in peace Puff.
Tragic. All I can say is that there must be a Heaven, a Valhalla, for good, loyal, noble creatures like dear Puff, that he may there await the final return of his good, loyal, noble master. Requiem in Pacis, Puff. Good-bye. We will all miss you. Our prayers are with you.
I want to say I'm sorry for your loss, but I really can't; I've read about Puff's deteriorating condition over the last few months, and I'm just glad he isn't suffering. I'm happy that you guys had a good long time together.
Everything we have in this life comes at some sort of price... and grief is what we pay for love. My sympathies as well... it sounds like a good thing to have done it at home, and with the sedative, as well. So very peaceful, without the trauma of having to take them to the vet. And the presence of Coco takes away a little, at least, of the emptiness.
Sorry to hear of your loss. I've lost pets before, but never been there for the actual moment. That's been hard enough. It's amazing how they can get under your skin, even the ones that are mostly annoying.
My condolences. I was never much of an "animal person" and didn't get why some people mourned pets as much as they did. After having my cat (named Coco, btw!) for 13 years now, it's no longer a mystery and I dread the thought of going through what you just have.
All my sympathies. He's waiting for you, standing on all fours, in good comfort. And, though I'm not a religious person per se, I believe that he understands, that he holds no resentments but much love, and one day, he will speak on your behalf.
-Jen
Jen · June 12, 2005 07:07 PM
That's no less sad for being inevitable. One of these days I'll have to do something similar for one of my cats. I know I'll miss the cat, as I know you miss your dog. May he rest in peace (or have a good reincarnation, as the case may be).
Sorry I missed the day you posted this. My condolences. I believe there must be some sort of life afterwards -- maybe not for all, but surely for gallant spirits like Puff. I hope you'll get to see him again.
My thoughts are with you and I'm glad Puff is no longer in pain, but sorry to hear he left us -- even if he was just a "second hand" presence on the blog.
P.
Portia · June 16, 2005 11:36 AM
I am so sorry to hear this Eric, but glad to hear Puff is free from his pain. I've thought a lot about you and Puff this spring as Uno and I also shared the hardest part of the journey: saying goodbye.
I hope Puff gets along with cats. There's an orange tabby up there looking for a dog to cuddle with.
At 56 and never having children animals have been my babies. I have suffered the pain of losing my "Babies" time and time again but I recover a little and invite another into my heart. I also try to help ones "with no-one", For They Are Many. Even in your grief try to remember PUFF had a wonderful life because of YOU. My sympathy for you for your loss
reba travis · June 26, 2005 01:21 PM
At 56 and never having children animals have been my babies. I have suffered the pain of losing my "Babies" time and time again but I recover a little and invite another into my heart. I also try to help ones "with no-one", For They Are Many. Even in your grief try to remember PUFF had a wonderful life because of YOU. My sympathy for you for your loss
The Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler
Don?t bang your head!
My thoughts are with you. Never easy to do, having had to do it several times with my cats.
Rest in peace Puff.