[badgerguy]

Dang man so so sorry. In my lifetime I have been lucky to not have lost any close relatives so I had no idea the pain losing my 6 year old Golden Retriever would be. She had liver cancer and just wasnt living her best life. Decided to put her down...I was in the room at the vets office, laying on the ground with her. Holding her, crying...listening to her gasp for her last breath of air...I cant even describe it.

[Johnnythunder]

Sorry man. Thats rough. Lost a 5 year old cat unexpectedly & its so tough to take when they are so young. The pain is unreal.

Dang man so so sorry. In my lifetime I have been lucky to not have lost any close relatives so I had no idea the pain losing my 6 year old Golden Retriever would be. She had liver cancer and just wasnt living her best life. Decided to put her down...I was in the room at the vets office, laying on the ground with her. Holding her, crying...listening to her gasp for her last breath of air...I cant even describe it.

[dogkatcher]

You were blessed to have him for 17 years, so sorry for your loss.

[Bostongambler]

Sorry for you loss, Johnny. They really are part of the family.

[Johnnythunder]

You were blessed to have him for 17 years, so sorry for your loss.

That means a lot man. You're right. Feels like we should have had more time though.

[Johnnythunder]

Sorry for you loss, Johnny. They really are part of the family.

Thanks guy

[nyplayer33]

Op, glad you had that many years...i had 16 with a cat that was great

[Johnnythunder]

Thanks man...same here

Op, glad you had that many years...i had 16 with a cat that was great

[BigdaddyQH]

It is very sad. They are so helpless. The longer they are with you, the tougher it is when the time comes. It is never easy. Take care man. The pain does subside. It just takes time.

[Johnnythunder]

Words of wisdom BigD

It is very sad. They are so helpless. The longer they are with you, the tougher it is when the time comes. It is never easy. Take care man. The pain does subside. It just takes time.

[Fishhead]

Stay strong
You provided for a great life, stand proud.

[Johnnythunder]

Its going to be rough going through Xmas w/o him but these replies have really helped me out

[RudyRuetigger]

get a new one for christmas bro

youre not forgetting your dog, but helping another

[BrickJames]

He made it a very long time for his breed. Those German Shepherds usually only live about 10 to 12 years.

[fecgp40]

get a new one for christmas bro

youre not forgetting your dog, but helping another

Wise words. Rescue and adopt.

[fecgp40]

Its going to be rough going through Xmas w/o him but these replies have really helped me out

Saw this thread a while ago and just haven't looked until now. My condolences man. I currently have 2 dogs and 4 cats and have dealt with losing pets before, so I certainly know how you feel. I echo everyone else on here who has said you should be proud you were a good pet parent and gave your dog a great life. At some point the time will come and you will be ready for another. It's different for all of us, but you will know when the time is right.

[Madison]

Sorry, but get a grip. Adopt as suggested above. I lost my 21 year old God Child (human) at 21 to a drunken driver. Can't adopt another one of them.

Don't require sympathy but keep things in perspective and get a needy new pet for the holidays.

All my best,

[Johnnythunder]

Thanks buddy. That means a lot.

Saw this thread a while ago and just haven't looked until now. My condolences man. I currently have 2 dogs and 4 cats and have dealt with losing pets before, so I certainly know how you feel. I echo everyone else on here who has said you should be proud you were a good pet parent and gave your dog a great life. At some point the time will come and you will be ready for another. It's different for all of us, but you will know when the time is right.

[Johnnythunder]

Thanks man. He was a mixed breed & they live longer than purebred. I appreciate it.

He made it a very long time for his breed. Those German Shepherds usually only live about 10 to 12 years.

[Johnnythunder]

Brief yet powerful sentiment.

Stay strong
You provided for a great life, stand proud.

[hehfest]

I'm almost crying here reading this because its so similar to my situation. The 6 vets I saw in the last year were clueless (even a supposed holistic one). There is little doubt they hastened his decline. I was basically on my own reading & watching videos about everything from supplements & kidney massages to accupressure. My gf & I were giving him Sub Q fluids at home for 9 weeks & feeding him home cooked food (as we had all along). Sadly he only ate sparingly & it was all syringe administered by me as many times as I could try each day. He also had some walking in circles episodes & some suspected a brain tumor. He got too thin in the end & was mostly skin & bones.
Best thing to do is to feed them clean food (pet foods have as high as 100x the cancer causing crap as people food), learn as much as you can about supplements & limit shots/vaccines. Most are useless & harmful & many natural vets believe a dog only needs to be vaccinated once (around 1 year of age). You sound like an awesome dude.

I think it really boils down to life over death. You two didn't want to give up. I didn't want to give up. I had people that got really angry at me for not putting her down. They said I was making her suffer. So many people rush to put them down at the vet. They give up. I understand it. Some people can't do it financially. Some people don't want to go through the sadness of seeing their friend die, etc. You know, your lady knows, and I know that it takes strength to do what we both did. It's not for everyone. To me, it was about giving her every possible chance to survive...

I will go down the same road again someday with my current buddy that has the diabetes. I agree about the vaccines. I'm almost thinking that's what could have gave him the diabetes problem. I kept vaccinating him to take him to his favorite park. I think from here forward just what is he has to have by law which is rabies.

It's special to run into people like you and your lady. Feels good to know others out there that are the same in the heart like that. PM me anytime JohnnyThunder.

[Cuse0323]

I feel much better about turning down vaccines throughout the years with my boy. Really I was just trying to save my mom money, and not get bitched at, but it may have helped him out in the end. He will turn 15 in April, and shows no signs of stopping. My mom is rooting for his death in the next year, but I really think he can make it to 20. I thought their lifespan was lower, but it’s actually 13-15, and 16-18 isn’t abnormal.

I’m gonna have to get my own place in 2020, or she may off him. His only issue is that his kidneys are starting to slow down a bit. Nothing major. Heart looks great. Lumps are all benign. His eyes are fcked, but he can see better than everyone gives him credit for. I actually think his hearing is worse, but he’s probably just ignoring me most of the time. I have rarely walked him over the years, and I think that may have kept his heart fresh. We get lots of sleep, food, and water.

Years ago he had internal bleeding, and they said he had an autoimmune disease. He was on some steroids and other medication. Eventually I weaned him off, and just completely stopped that shit because it was making him act weird. Hasn’t had an issue since. No more bleeding, and that autoimmune crap is nowhere to be found. I think if you just give them fresh water, decent food, keep them away from junk and strange dogs then they’re good to go. He doesn’t get much exercise or interaction with other dogs, but he’s healthy as shit and gets to sleep, eat, piss, and shit as he pleases.

[chidondollars]

Don't like pets but from your expression,I can only say sorry for d loss

[hehfest]

I feel much better about turning down vaccines throughout the years with my boy. Really I was just trying to save my mom money, and not get bitched at, but it may have helped him out in the end. He will turn 15 in April, and shows no signs of stopping. My mom is rooting for his death in the next year, but I really think he can make it to 20. I thought their lifespan was lower, but it’s actually 13-15, and 16-18 isn’t abnormal.

I’m gonna have to get my own place in 2020, or she may off him. His only issue is that his kidneys are starting to slow down a bit. Nothing major. Heart looks great. Lumps are all benign. His eyes are fcked, but he can see better than everyone gives him credit for. I actually think his hearing is worse, but he’s probably just ignoring me most of the time. I have rarely walked him over the years, and I think that may have kept his heart fresh. We get lots of sleep, food, and water.

Years ago he had internal bleeding, and they said he had an autoimmune disease. He was on some steroids and other medication. Eventually I weaned him off, and just completely stopped that shit because it was making him act weird. Hasn’t had an issue since. No more bleeding, and that autoimmune crap is nowhere to be found. I think if you just give them fresh water, decent food, keep them away from junk and strange dogs then they’re good to go. He doesn’t get much exercise or interaction with other dogs, but he’s healthy as shit and gets to sleep, eat, piss, and shit as he pleases.

Check into buying Vet's Best Vitamins at: https://www.chewy.com/
Also check the website:
https://www.planetpaws.ca/
Lots of good dog and cat food recipes on that site. They are all natural. You only need a food processor or a blender. You could even mix it by hand or use a mixing bowl. It's not that much work and you can freeze it, etc. so make a lot at once.
For his eyes:
Can-C eye drops. Ebay, Amazon, other places.
I used these on my 21 year old for a few years before she passed. She had full-blown cataracts and couldn't see. I tried doing the surgery to remove, but it was like 5K and I didn't have it. Her vision actually improved from them.

Also can BOIL hamburger or chicken breast with some white or brown rice all the time. Put a little beef or chicken stock on it. Just don't give garbage dog food all the time from stores if you can help it. Also, don't give too much people food that you eat. Absolutely, no bread! No pizza. etc.

Hope this helps anyone reading. I'm not a vet, but I got a dog to 21.

[hehfest]

Brief yet powerful sentiment.

Where the heck did Johnny Thunder go?

[deeppckts]

17 year old German Shep/Rottweiler mix. His health was declining the last year & a half. Doctors thought he wouldnt make it through the night 2.5 months ago but he kept fighting. Just kept getting thinner & thinner. Had a rough week this week & never woke up from a seizure. He fought through every health obstacle in his path but his body wasn't strong enough to keep fighting. The majority of the last 8 years my life revolved around him. To me he was perfect.
Nothing like kissing his angel nose of a lick on the chin from him. Even though he was sick he looked young & handsome + the oddest thing is even if he hadn't had a bath in months he smelled like honeysuckle. So happy to work at home & spend every minute with him. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Dog is man's best friend. Undisputed.

[HurryUpAndDrink]

my dog is a very very tough mix (Alaskan+Siberian)

has the body of a male Siberian, but all the bad traits of the Alaskan breed (stubborn, rebellious)

she's 13years old and I know the time is close, she lived an awesome life at the family farm, has had to go through to big moves as of late but she seems fine, she had a bad time with the fireworks on Xmas

[hehfest]

my dog is a very very tough mix (Alaskan+Siberian)

has the body of a male Siberian, but all the bad traits of the Alaskan breed (stubborn, rebellious)

she's 13years old and I know the time is close, she lived an awesome life at the family farm, has had to go through to big moves as of late but she seems fine, she had a bad time with the fireworks on Xmas

Watch her closer. Try some healthy things like pet vitamins and all that as a preventative maintenance. Look into something called Carnivora. I think they have it for pets now too.