> be done
 > as I recall his growing infirmity.
 > Don't think I'll ever get over losing such an
 > outstanding
 > friend.

 BM> The memories remain.

Always. And you know the hardest thing to do when it comes to putting
your ailing pet to sleep, is to convince yourself you are doing it for
them because you don't want them to suffer anymore.

What baffles me is why is nature so cruel? It takes it's bloody long
time in some cases and yet is swift in others... It must be the
stamina of the animal. Patches (with congestive heart failure due to a
leaky mitral valve) wanted to play right up to that last day....

But his heart would not let him. We could have kept him 'going' a bit
longer. We could have had his chest drained, adjusted his meds... but
would have to have kept him immobile so as not to get the congestion
going again. I know he would not have liked that.

And yes there is now heart surgery on dogs....

But no guarantee. People say' it's only a dog'... that's not my view.
It's not about 'only a dog'.. it's about the dog and his well being.

I don't know how I would have gotten through that last day, the big E,
without the guidance and comforting words of the SPCA director here in
Fort Worth.. she was there for us..."You did it for him"...

Cindy

 BM> ---


--- PPoint 3.01