got a SERIOUS question for you gang.

[bamabassman]

ok, everyone here knows of our family pet KING GALLAHAD II. now as most of you know, he is 13 plus yrs old. he has arthuritis in his rear end and back legs. he hurts mostly at night. small (very small) whimpering about 3-4 nights out of 7. he still has that sparkle in his eye now. but he doesn't run for obvious reasons, and doesn't eat everyday. maybe once one day and 3 times the next. we have to help him get up and lay down everytime he wants to do either. when i get him up, i massage his rear haunches before i let him start walking around. after he walks around a bit he seems to loosen up some and is ok. that is till he takes a mis step and falls on occasion. he goes to the doctor often for check ups and the vet says it isn't yet time. but i wonder........when do you know it is time? is it when it is so aggravating to YOU to constantly help him up and down. or what?

we got him when he was 5 weeks old (vet said it was ok). i raised and trained him myself. we have been on so many adventures together. ya'll have seen him in my boat with us fishing. he loves to "GO". we had 10 acres in south bama. and he and i would walk around the field every day when i got home from work. then we would lay on the bed for a little nap afterwards. he would chase rabbits, deer and round up the horses every day. all i would have to say was "round em up gallie", and he would go out and bark at them till they ran to the barn each evening. it was awesum to watch him chase them to the barn, then prance afterwards thinking he was top dog.

i a sorry gang.this is so hard for me ok? as a friend has stated before, this has been the hardest year i can remember EVER having in my life. things have gone from bad to worse to horrible. this is also killing lisa as well. she has to deal with gallie all day, every day . while i am gone to work for 10 hrs a day, she is home with gallie. and it kills her to see him decline.
we have just been through so much over the last 2 years, this is the final cut so to speak. we have no children and this is our child. we had a female collie (sable and white) named PRISSY LADY before gallie. she was "daddies" girl. but gallie has been both of ours, together. he will mope when we eren't home. and cry for joy when we returned home. it made a tough day seem worth it to see him and lisa smiling at me when i got hme from work.

some folks will say it is "just a dog man, get another one". but it isn't like that. nofear understands i know. i felt really heartbroken about his beloved pet. sorry i can't remember how to spell his name bryce. but trust me when i say that i cried and held my buddy when i read the news of your pet man.

we aren't going to put him down just yet, but i know it won't be long. it will have to be done before the cold weather starts i think. i just hope i have the courage to do it. it is hard to do this gang. it really is.

i just wanted to vent a little ok? sorry if this sounds too cry baby of me. but this "dog" has been the best friend besides my wife that i have EVER had in my entire life. no matter how one feels, your pet understands and only wants to try to help you out. so go out today and hug your pet, pet it, talk to it and spend time with it.

i gotta go and spend some more with gallie. he is sleeping now, and i am just gonna lay beside him and pet on him.

thanks gang, i know ya'll understand

[brushhog]

Bama, The best advice I received regarding a similar situation was that as long as I thought my pet was experiencing more joy on a daily basis it was ok to keep him going. when the pain and the suffering are outweighing the joy it's time...

It is a heart wrenching decision and difficult experience, being with my dogs when they were put down was awfully tough, but I'm glad i was there...

My heart aches for you and your wife, my memories of doing the same thing are still fresh even though its been 5 years for one and 3 for the other.

John, there is no easy answer. It is a decision you and Lisa will have to make together. It took me a couple years to get another dog and we sure love him, but you can never replace a dog, you just get another.

God Bless you and Lisa - Tough times don't last, tough people do.

[1/4 stick]

Buddy, I'm sorry. It can be about as hard to watch a pet get sick as it is an old friend or even a child. Especially one that's been a part of your life as long as he has. And it's not cry baby at all, a dog, or any pet can grow to me a lot more thane just a dog.

I got no advice for when the time comes to do what needs to be. It's a hard thing to do when the vet says it's time. I guess you'll know because you feel inside that you just don't want him suffuring anymore.

I'll be saying some prayers for you and Lisa and him.

[MississippiBoy]

Every person who owns a dog, cat, horse, hamster, turtle, fish, bird, or any other kind of animal will go through this at some point. My dad went through this a few months ago when our dog Storm started doing some of the same things as King Galahad is doing. Storm's problems had more to do with her inner ear and her equilibrium, but similar effects. It eventually got to the point to where she would wet herself while laying down, because she couldn't get up to go out into the yard, and couldn't squat when she did. That's no way to treat your best friend, so Dad had to have her put to sleep.

Also, John, I know you remember Chance...Lisa and Louann found him when we went to Calling Panther last year. His heartworms were so bad, his lungs were bleeding, so he coughed up blood several times a day, even after we treated him. It was one of the toughest things I've ever had to do, but I couldn't let him suffer. As much as I liked that dog, making him suffer anymore would be cruel. We tried all we could to give him a second chance, but the infection was just too far along.

I'm not sure I have any advice for you, other than to say it's a tough decision, and it's one you and Lisa will have to make for yourselves. Most of us have been there, so we know what you're facing. You've got to determine at some point that he's not enjoying his life anymore. If he's miserable and in pain all the time, then it's up to you to stop that pain. There's no cure for old age...
Sorry you're dealing with this, buddy. Call me if you need to...

[bcklash]

John and Lisa, he'll always be with you.

[Bassboss]

Man, John, that sucks! I know you really love that dog! We had to put down our 14 year old Akita for the same reason as you're gonna... his birthday was the day after mine. It was really hard for me at first, but it was almost better then seeing him in pain all the time.

I know you'll make the right choice, God be with you!

[Tavery5]

Bama, sorry for the pain your feeling, I had to put down my 15yr old shepard a year ago, your situation is much the same as mine. All I can tell you is that you will know when it is the right time. Other than that all you can do is make sure you are waiting because he still has quality of life. Like someone else said, you will always have him, regardless.

[Ebbetsguy]

Sorry to hear this Bama, we have a pitbull, when he gets achy the missus gives him Motrin, seems to work. I am not a vet however and these decisions are best made by a vet. Sorry you have had so much stuff in such a little time span, hang in there.

[WatterBoy]

So sorry to hear that, Bama. I feel your pain and heartache. Went through the same thing 5 1/2 years ago with our first dog. We cried like babies most of the day when it came time to say good-bye. One of the hardest things I've ever had to do in my entire life. There is no way you need to apologize or be sorry for anything. Pets are a part of the family. Don't forget to pray about it and ask God for help to know when "it is time". No need for you and Lisa to try to make this decision on your own.

P.S. - Probably a dumb question, but has your vet talked to you about Rimadyl/condroitin/glucosamine type medications for trying to help with the arthritis?

[coachpurdy]

Bama, I feel for you. We lost a dog to poisioning about 10 years ago and still will not get another one because it hurt my wife so much.

[bamabassman]

THANK YOU FOLKS!! i really mean it too. ya'll mean alot to us and we ove each and every one of you for it.

i spent a lot of time with the old man today, we even went for a fairly long walk by his standards now a days. usually he goes out aobut 50 yards or so and does his business, then heads back to the air vent and lays on his blanket we have laid out for him. he even wanted to play a little too. chased me....well i "acted" like i was running aorund the couch while he walked following me and barking at me. this is another thing we used to do often.

the reason i wrote this is in part because of what happened to nofears pet. now bryce, in NO way do i feel like it was any of your fault. and i know what i said to you the other day. it just hit me today that i had NO right to tell you what to do. you know what i am talking aobut i hope. and the reason is i know that WE are not going to get another pet for quite some time after gallie is gone. so i am SORRY for the advice i gave you my friend. i was WRONG. i have no right to tell you anything in those reguards.

also this morning as i was driving to work i hit a neighbors dog. don't know the folks as we are pretty far away form each other. they live about 2 miles form me. but the dog ran out in front of my truck and i hit the poor baby. i waited to see if the folks would come out but they didn't. the dog ran home and wouldn't come to me so i could see if it was ok or not. i only hope it is ok. it was limping and i think the right front leg was hurt, how bad i can't tell ya. but it was crying some.

as far as "quality" of life left in gallie. i don't know............he doesn't do what he used to do and is embarressed when he falls of spits up i the house. he IS on the meds you mentioned watterboy. has had the steriod shots too when he can. the shots help more than the other meds now though. like i said before, after he gets to moving around some he seems ok. but he does slip and fall at least once while walking and we have to pick him up cause he can't get up by hisself. he walks with 2 stiff "peg legs" in his rear. from the arthuritis. so i guess this is why i am thinking his "quality" of life is near and end.

but than you gang for all the well wishes. it means the world to us. jsut got to me today i guess. it'll get worse i know, but i am good right now knowing he had a good afternoon.

[WatterBoy]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

... and the reason is i know that WE are not going to get another pet for quite some time after gallie is gone...

I hope there are other reasons for that besides the pain and heartache you are going through now. When we said good-bye to our beloved Mollie 5+ years ago, it was too painful to even think of another dog at that time. We felt then like we'd never want another dog, but after about 5 months, it just hit us both at the same time -- we were ready. Two months after that we adopted our next rescue dog, Lucky. October 2nd will be five years since we adopted Lucky and we have loved every single minute of it.

Hang in there, keep us posted as you feel able, and know that we're all in this with you. I have huge knots in my gut for you even as I type this. Ugh.

[nofearengineer]

John, don't you worry about that. I know your heart was in the right place, and I know you understand, bud.

And this ain't nothing new either. I give you "Old Yeller" as proof. Travis knew he had to do it. He owed it to his friend, when there wasn't any coming back. And there wasn't a dry eye in the movie house, because anyone with a heart knows it's true.

So you take whatever time Gallahad has left, and you make it as comfortable as you can for the old man, because that's what he deserves for all of the time, love, and affection he let you give him for all his life. That's the way it works. Letting us love on them is a favor to us, not just them.

Just make sure when the time comes, you be there to say good bye, no matter how much it hurts. As bad as it hurt me, I am thankful that the last thing my Gandalf ever saw was me looking down at him. I'm sure that's gonna count for something when I run into him again someday.

John, you know you can always call me too if you want, because you know I understand.

[keithdog]

Sorry for taking this long to reply John. I havn't been in here for a couple days. I really feel bad for what you and Lisa are facing. We've had to put down two dogs in the past 4 years. We loved them dearly and it tore us up. Cody was getting eattin up by cancer so the desision was an easy one. But Maggie our golden retriever, that was a hard one. She had arthritis bad, and was having other issues. The time came when she barely walked outside, layed under the deck stairs and wasn't able to get back up. That morning we all went to the vets and I had to carry her inside. You could tell she had nothing left and she seemed to have a look in her face that said, "please make it stop". I'll admit it, we cried, and I'm getting upset just writting this. Knowing when to let go is hard. But I would say what our vet said. As long as the dog seems to be enjoying life and can still manage to get around then it's not time. But when life becomes miserable for the dog, and the spark is gone, it's time. My thoughts and prayers will be with you.

[bamabassman]

again i want tothank ya'll for real. ol GALLIE is doing the same, no worse..but not any better either. form what all of ya'll have said it isn't yet time. so rest assured that he is going to be with us for a bit longer. if i can ever gt the time to take some more pictures and download the ones we have, i will. promise. (i also have to learn HOW to do this remember? lol) thanks again gang. you folks are what makes this site the BEST ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB. i have said this form the beginning and it is true.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

John I am sorry about the troubles you have been going through this year. It seems like a snowball year for a lot of folks around here. But I know you and Mrs. Bama will make the right choice for Gallie. I can't think of a better family you could have given him.

[bamabassman]

thanks bubba. we talked about it today. lisa said we got 2 more months before the real cold weather comes, that is when we will make the dicision. if he is hurting too much then, we are going to do it. can't say the word ya know. but if he is suffering from the cold too much. we can't watch it happen. but he is good for now. jsut gonna enjoy him a bit longer.

[Abbeysdad]

Sorry bama. It's always hard when we have to deal with a situation like this. They're not just pets for some of us....they're dear family members. We got our Ginger about a year before Abbey - she's 13 now and having similar problems with hip displasia, arthritis, skin trouble, alergies.... she's having a tough time and I see the hand writing on the wall, but can't bring myself to think of what will eventually have to be thought of and acted on.
She's our 3rd dog since we've been together and has been the sweetest creature I've ever known...it's gonna be hard and making it even worse, Abbey and her are like sisters.
Hang in there man - we all find our way through this crazy maze - we have no other choice.