She was MY dog, and I miss her so much already. I was going to put this in berevement, but i couldn't see any other animal related topics so thought I had better post here. I know its probably daft, but I feel like i need to let it out somewhere. My hormones are raging at 27 weeks pregnant anyway.
Lucy, our beloved labrador, went to sleep on tuesday. We got her, aged about 8-9 years, just 3 years ago from another MNer (hideehi IIRC) We got her into great shape, then she had a lump removed off her elbow that had been there for a while before even we had her. Then mammary tumours appeared, so a massive operation of a mammary strip and spay last may was done. Then in December, the lump on her elbow started growing back. On the 11th January, she went in to have the lump removed again, but an xray (precautionary really as she had been coughing for a few days) showed her chest was full of tumours. The vet said she probably couldn't survive the anaesthetic. Also that it was a case of they didn't know what would get to her first...the chest tumours, or the one on her leg going septic.
So since then, anti-inflammatories, antibiotics, diuretics and steroids proved not to be helping much, if anything making her worse, the diuretics were making her incontinent, and I watched my proud old lady gradually get worse and lose her dignity and lose a lot of weight. The tumour on her leg got quite big and started ulcerating in 3 places. She was still eating, but miserable. Coughing a lot and couldn't go for a walk. So tuesday we made the decision to let her go to sleep. After consulting the vet, we brought her home for a few hours for the kids to spend some time with her. We felt awful but we told them that we were taking her back for another operation and to say goodbye to her as we had got a friend to sit with them while me and DH took her. We wanted to be with her. They had trouble findind a vein and Lucy did start to get a bit on edge,and at one point i even wanted to yell to them to stop and take her back home. A matter of seconds was all it took, and in the end it was peaceful and while she still had some dignity. She was a very proud old lady and she deserved the dignity. We will get her ashes back next week.
For 3 years we were blessd to have her in our lives. She was such a good girl and never asked for anything, I just wished I could have made her better. The kids are upset, but are getting on with things, it's me who's been the big baby crying non stopm unable to eat or sleep. I wish she had lasted to see the baby arrive. I keep looking at her empty bed and I hate it, but at the same time, I can't bear to move it or get rid of it. It will be even worse after half term when the kids are all back at school and she's not there to talk to. I keep wondering if I could have given her another week. Another day even.
I love and miss you so much Lucy. We all do x x x x