Pray for Jenny

[Trumpetmaster]

To all my friends here on the BBB.
As you know Jenny is our dog. We adopted her when she was 2 (probably older) from a no kill shelter 11 years ago.
I was to be in Georgia until tomorrow but came back to NY Saturday.
My wife sent me a msg that Jenny was not right and took her to the vet.
She had a sonogram on Saturday and the results were not good. She has a tumor on her heart
that is seeping blood around the sac of the heart and into her abdomen...
Vet provided options...
1) Open Heart Surgery - (no way will we put her through that)
2) Aspirate the fluid around the heart. They said this could only be done 4-5 times. (we will not put her through that)
3) Put her to sleep. (she is OK now so that was not the option)
She is lethargic and walks slower. Eating less but still eating and drinking, wagging her tail.

My wife and I believe in miracles and are praying each hour that she will be healed.
The good news is she would have been put down many years ago and we rescued her from that.
She has been a GREAT companion and taught unconditional love!
Please pray with us for a miracle.
Thanks,
TM

[jamiebk]

TM. I am so sorry to hear about your canine companion. My how they do become part of our families. Our pup is now 11 and we see her slowing a lot.

Please consider the option of the aspiration of the pericardium. Our friends had a dog that suffered from pericarditus and accumulated fluid between the heart and the pericardium as you describe. Occassional visits to the vet for aspiration proved to buy a lot of time, comfort, and quality of life for their beloved dog.

Whatever your decision, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

[Shapley]

Wishing you the best. I will say a prayer for her.

[Trumpetmaster]

Shapley and Jamie.
Thanks! She is at least 13 so I knew this would eventually come. Just a tough one to take right now.
I will be back at work on Wednesday so I will be with her the rest of today and all day tomorrow.
We are going to provide Love, Care, and Comfort for however many days we are blessed to have her with us.
We are looking for a miracle. She is perkier today. Saturday night was tough as she walked very slow and had
no energy. She is walking better but slowly now and seems a bit perkier.
I am a BIG animal lover and wish we could hold onto her forever. Ah... forever in our hearts as the
existence on this planet is only temporary for all.
I have a poem called "The Rainbow Bridge" chokes me up to read it but does provide some comfort.
Again, thanks to all for your support and prayers.
TM

[jamiebk]

TM, I thought that I would post it here if you don't mind.
###############################################
By the edge of a woods, at the foot of a hill,
Is a lush, green meadow where time stands still.
Where the friends of man and woman do run,
When their time on earth is over and done.

For here, between this world and the next,
Is a place where each beloved creature finds rest.
On this golden land, they wait and they play,
Till the Rainbow Bridge they cross over one day.

No more do they suffer, in pain or in sadness,
For here they are whole, their lives filled with gladness.
Their limbs are restored, their health renewed,
Their bodies have healed, with strength imbued.

They romp through the grass, without even a care,
Until one day they start, and sniff at the air.
All ears prick forward, eyes dart front and back,
Then all of a sudden, one breaks from the pack.

For just at that instant, their eyes have met;
Together again, both person and pet.
So they run to each other, these friends from long past,
The time of their parting is over at last.

The sadness they felt while they were apart,
Has turned into joy once more in each heart.
They embrace with a love that will last forever,
And then, side-by-side, they cross over… together.

[Trumpetmaster]

Jamie,
No problem. I have sent the Rainbow Bridge to many friends.... chokes me up... but I do believe in it!

I want to let you and everyone know she is not in any pain at this time.
Just going slower, eating less. However, when you approach her the look in her face and wag of her tail is strong!!

My wife cooked chicken thighs last night (some for Jenny) She gobbled one down this morning then took her morning nap.
She is currently wrapped up in a blanket in her bed upstairs sleeping while I am on the computer.

I will be home from work tomorrow as well.
Dread going to work on Wednesday but seeing how she is OK so far throughout the day puts my mind at ease.

Sorry for being so long winded... I have pictures of her to treasure for the rest of my life!
TM

[piqaboo]

Sending Jenny best wishes for a comfortable and easy life, all the way to the end, whenever it may come.

[Trumpetmaster]

Sending Jenny best wishes for a comfortable and easy life, all the way to the end, whenever it may come.

Piq,
Thanks
when I get back to work on Wednesday, I will try and upload her picture.
TM

[analog]

it's indeed fact they're part of the family.

Ol' Whiskers, a mix of lab, scottie and obviously something else lived about same number of years as your Jenny.
He raised three kids and traveled the country with us.

about three years ago he got into obvious pain, vet said it was pretty widespread cancer and offered to either open him up or put him down..

We took him back home, gave him oxycodin and prime rib and lots of affection all weekend, did the deed monday...
it was quick and painless to him.

i still reach into the back seat looking to pat his head..

good luck. I hope Jenny is comfortable 'till the end. When it comes, grieve. It's okay.

a.

[dai bread]

I hope it all goes well for Jenny and her family.

The big problem with pets, and particularly dogs, is knowing when to let them go. We should have put our dog down two days before we did. He had 2 days of suffering as we desperately tried to ease his passage to death while keeping him alive as long as possible. I still feel bad about it.

[Trumpetmaster]

Thank you all.
Jenny had a good day yesterday but is a bit slower today.
She is resting comfortably right now on the sofa wrapped up in blankets.
We are giving her comfort, love, pets, and letting her know how special she is!
I must go back to work tomorrow but am comforted that when our neighbors received an oil delivery earlier today,
she jumped up, barked, growled at the delivery man.
Again... UPS left a package earlier today and when the delivery man left the package.... she jumped up alerting me that there was a stranger at the door.
On guard for her territory! I believe she will sleep most of the day while we are at work.... and will smother her with our love when we get home each day!

Thanks again to all for your support...

[piqaboo]

If Jenny is at all nervous at the vet, consider contacting someone who will come to your home when the time comes.
Do your best to greet that person as a friend, and it can make things easier all 'round.

[Trumpetmaster]

If Jenny is at all nervous at the vet, consider contacting someone who will come to your home when the time comes.
Do your best to greet that person as a friend, and it can make things easier all 'round.

Piq,
my wife has consulted the vet about home visits. She could not talk to me about it yet....I believe our vet would do that.
she has been taking care of Jenny for 11 years and knows her very well. In fact I believe Jenny is OK with the vet... just not the trip to the office..
It is a great idea.
thanks!
TM

[jamiebk]

Our friends opted for the at-home method and it was very peaceful. First a mild sedative. Their beloved pet just went to sleep and so there was never any pain or anxiety about the rest of the procedure. The vet was just incredible.

As mentioned, our pup is 11 now and she is slowing down. I hope that Bonnie and I never have to make the decision about putting her to sleep. It would be wonderful if she just passed naturally when that time comes. However, I would do that if the dog was in pain and suffering. They have such great spirits...such loyalty.

[Trumpetmaster]

Our friends opted for the at-home method and it was very peaceful. First a mild sedative. Their beloved pet just went to sleep and so there was never any pain or anxiety about the rest of the procedure. The vet was just incredible.

As mentioned, our pup is 11 now and she is slowing down. I hope that Bonnie and I never have to make the decision about putting her to sleep. It would be wonderful if she just passed naturally when that time comes. However, I would do that if the dog was in pain and suffering. They have such great spirits...such loyalty.

I pray for your Bonnie that the slow down is just her "Maturity" that she does not have to work as hard as she did when she was younger!
They do have incredible spirits, loyalty and teach us Unconditional LOVE!

[analog]

one has to wonder... seems ten years or so is it for dogs anymore.

Most of Grandma's mutts lived longer . But they seldom ate dog food, she saved the table scraps and baked them into cornbread.

Still i wonder if the insecticides we use for flea&tick treatment aren't carcinogens.
Grandma used pine tar soap on ol' Rover who went about 25 years....

[Trumpetmaster]

I went home lunchtime to checkup on Jenny.
She was asleep upstairs. Heard me come in... jumped out of her bed... and stood at the top of the landing!
She wagged her tail ... came down the stairs to greet me... took her for a quick afternoon walk... gave her a treat..
and she went in her bed where I wrapped her up and she proceeded to go back to sleep. One Happy Pup! (old pup)

Analog... I wonder if you are onto something there ....

Regards,
TM

[Shapley]

I used to cook boils some rosemary in water, and then rinse the dogs with it when it cooled. It seemed to work okay for our first couple of dogs. The current two dogs won't agree to a bath. They play in the creek, though, and manage to keep clean, most of the time.

[Trumpetmaster]

I used to cook boils some rosemary in water, and then rinse the dogs with it when it cooled. It seemed to work okay for our first couple of dogs. The current two dogs won't agree to a bath. They play in the creek, though, and manage to keep clean, most of the time.

Oh my... Jenny does not like baths.... she has to be coaxed on a hot summers day to lay down in the yard and drizzle her with soap and water....

[Trumpetmaster]

I hope this works... Here is a picture of Jenny this past summer working hard in our backyard!