Another long-time pet died

[Charles L. Cotton]

It sure seems like we've had a rash of folks losing dogs lately, but with almost 15,000 Members, I guess the numbers are actually pretty low. Martha and I lost one of our Miniature Schnauzers ("Millie") on Jan. 8th while I was out of town attending NRA meetings. She would have been 15 years old on Feb. 13th. Martha and I were 49 years old when we got her and now we're 64, so she was with us through all of our 50s and half way through out 60's. Oh how we miss that little dog.

The details aren't really important because I'm writing more to tell about our Veterinarian, Randy Roof who owns Forest Lake Animal Hospital on NASA Road 1. He told us at 15 years old she was not a good surgical candidate, but the choices were either to put her down or perform surgery. We knew she likely would die in surgery, but we had to give her a fighting chance. The surgery went well and tumor was cancer, but it was well-contained and easily removed without damage to the bowel. Everyone was upbeat, Martha and I as well as the Vet staff. Our Vet finished his surgeries around 4:00pm and would normally have gone home. Millie wasn't doing well, so he stayed with her and caught up on some of his charts. Around 11:00pm, it became obvious she was not recovering and she wasn't going to make it. After saying at his office for an additional 7 hours to keep an eye on Millie, he picked her up, held her and rocked her for 30 minutes until she died at 11:30pm. He didn't want her to die alone in a cage. That's a man who is a Veterinarian because he loves animals, not just for the money. It hurts losing a family member, but knowing how she died makes it easier.

Well, there goes my tough guy image.

Chas.

[carlson1]

Sorry about the loss and I know it must really hurt.

A Plus for the Vet. They are hard to come by like this man.

[mikeloc]

Sorry for your loss you and your doctor did all you could for her.

[texanjoker]

Sorry to hear that

[puma guy]

I'm sorry you lost your dear pet, Millie. They really are like family. Reading the story of your vet moved me to tears, remembering my father who was a veterinarian with a heart for animals like no other I know of. It sounds like yours would have made my Dad proud. Except for military service until from April 1942 to December 1945 he practiced continually from 1940 until 2011 when we lost him at age 93. He was still practicing one day a week and was the oldest practicing veterinarian in Texas when he passed away. He never became wealthy doing what he loved, but was richer than any man I've ever known. He never turned down a call in the middle of the night from even non-clients with a sick or injured animal and never ever asked if they could pay before treating their animal. I can't tell you how many times he brought animals home to be cared for during the night. Having been born on the patron saint of animals, St. Francis of Assisi's birthday he always said he wanted to die while helping a dog or cat. He almost made it. It's reassuring to know there are still vets out there with a true heart for God's creatures Big and Small.

[FL450]

So sorry to here about the loss of a family member.
They bring so much enrichment and love into our lives.

[Jumping Frog]

I'll pray for you and yours during this time of loss.

It has been 3 weeks now since we lost our dog and the grief is still fresh.

[mojo84]

Sorry for the loss of Millie. We have a thirteen year old lab that is within five feet of me at all times while I'm at home. I really dread the day we lose her. You are very Blessed to have your vet.

[jmra]

Sorry for your loss. A number of years ago we had a similar thing happen with our Vet. He stayed with our little Yorkie all night doing everything he could to help him fight off an infection. He called us the next morning to let us know that he didn't make it. You could tell from his voice he had been crying.
I tried a number of times over the next few months to pay the bill that never came. I finally got past the front desk and spoke to the Vet about the bill. He said he would only accept payment for services provided for our next dog. We had another puppy within a few weeks after that discussion and he was one of our Vets favorites until we moved several years later.

[C-dub]

There are a lot of good vets, but sometimes they can be hard to find. I'm grateful for you and Millie that you have a good one. It makes a tremendous difference to us and our four legged family members.

You also have my sincere condolences for the loss of your family member.

[Crossfire]

Charles, so sorry for the loss of Millie, but what a great story about the vet!

Our little weiner dog is also 15, so I know that I will be facing this situation before long. I hope that we have someone who cares about her as well as Randy cared about Millie.

[jimlongley]

Shedding a tear for your loss. I know she will be waiting at the Rainbow Bridge.

I have been blessed to have two vets who were that kind of kind and dedicated.

[Cedar Park Dad]

Sorry about the loss and I know it must really hurt.

A Plus for the Vet. They are hard to come by like this man.

My sympathies to you and your wife. We've been nursing our oldest wiener dog who turned 15 in November. He also has the C but is not in pain, as well as a host of other ailments, so every day now is precious.

I've lost friends, both parents, and several dogs. The loss of my doggies hurt no less then the loss of my parents.

[The Annoyed Man]

Charles, my condolences. We lost our Jenny when she was 16. We got her when our son was maybe 4 or 5, so you can imagine what a part she played in his life and how deeply he felt the loss. We swore we'd put off getting another dog for a long time, and 2 weeks later we got Trapper.

I find living without a dog to be less of everything. One does not replace the other in our hearts. Each carves out its own spot. Making room for each one simply makes for a bigger, fuller heart; which breaks all the same at the loss of each one.

[philip964]

Very sorry for your loss. The loss of a pet is a very difficult event. My condolences.