Yes, My Dog Is My Brother

When I was ten years old, my cat was killed, my dog hit by a car, and my parents divorced. It was an unpleasant year, especially because growing up, my pets were my best (an often only) friends.

At the end of the year, when we'd all grieved for a while, my mom agreed to let me get another dog. I bought him with my own money (I was very proud), and chose him from his litter (he untied my shoe laces with his mouth), and took him to dog training classes, and potty trained him, and slept with him, and fed him, and loved him ever so much.

My daughter was born when I was 23 and that was the year we put my dog down. See, he wasn't doing well by then. His hips hurt, and it was hard for him to get up. After a few months, he could go to the bathroom very easily, and then he started to wee himself. He was in so much pain. And my boy was tired. He'd lived a real' long full life. Funny thing though, that tail of his kept on waggin', even when he couldn't move his body around. He'd wag slow, thump, thump, thump, when you'd say his name loud enough that he could hear.

It wasn't easy deciding when, but eventually we couldn't justify keeping him alive any longer. I can't keep a soul alive just to stave off my own grief. Death comes to all of us, and I wanted my boy to stop suffering. It was his time.

We had a vet come out to our house on a sunny spring day and she euthanized him there in the back yard. We held him, pet him, kissed him, and waved him off as he left the world. It was hard, and we all cried a lot, but I know our decision was the right one for us to make.

It's hard, letting go. Our dog now is starting to age, and she's my all the time companion. Heck, she's laying here with me right now. I am not looking forward to the day we must make that same decision, to let go. I have several more years with her, I hope. She's a really good friend and the kids don't remember a time without her. But one day, she, like me, will die.

Your pocket book is your pocket book, and I'm not going to judge you for trying to save your dog's life. Not a bit. I do hope that, when his quality of life ends, you will be able to allow him to go. I'm sure you'll know the right time.

Hugs to you.

My first dog was my best friend. That dog lived19 years. I so understand about your dog being your brother. My dog was a sibling too. She was around from when I was 3 until I was almost 23.

With that said, sometimes the kindest thing we can do for a pet is let them go. They aren't designed to be here for a very long time. Some breeds can live a long time, but for most a decade is about it. It's sad, but it's the way things are.

There's no doubt Chip means a lot to you.
I'm glad he's pulled through and should make a good recovery.
But - you've just come up against the realization that your dog is not going to live forever.
Make his remaining years as comfortable as you can.
It's not necessarily a kind thing to prolong his life indefinitely if he's in a lot of pain and it's good you know this.
You need to prepare yourself.
Whether it's a few years from now or next year, eventually he will die.

I don't know. I like dogs well enough, but I think it's excessively strange that my kid brother calls his dog his "son." It's effing creepy and he gets insulted if you don't take it as seriously as he does. When he first said it and I thought he was joking he was so hurt he wouldn't talk to me for days.

I have two cats that I call my furbabies. I adore them. I love them and they're most definitely part of my family. But they're not my daughters. Or siblings. I don't consider them my childrens' siblings.

Animal companions ARE important and they ARE family members. I just wouldn't elevate them to sibling or child status. They have a very special status of their own already.

I so understand this. When my dog was suddenly sick, I spent about that much diagnosing her with the best vets in the area and would have spent whatever it took for her to survive with a good quality of life.

In my case, the pathology report was returned on Valentine's day, and I spent the entire day and night bawling. While I did not get the news that I'd hoped, it did give me time to prepare and to spend with her. When her quality of life diminished, I had to let her go, but I am grateful for the time we had.

I hope that you receive good news about your Chip and have many more happy years together!

Pets are family to us as well. Our Dog and our Cats. They are family and are an important member of the family. I'm soo sorry you love had to go through this. I'm glad to here he made it through. I totally understand where your comming from. I spent 1200 dollars to get a dime out of my cat after she swallowed it. But she was worth it. Same with our dog. She was worth it also.

i would do whatever i could to save my dogs. they are very much a part of my family

I'm so sorry. I have lost a beloved pet too, and it is like losing a family member. I hope your precious dog is okay, and is given a few more good years. Thinking of you.

I have, over the years, spent thousands of dollars on my pets when they needed it. I grew up in a home where pets were a part of the family - so my home is that way also.

It can be devastating to lose a pet - to have to make the decision to euthanize them. But, we are their guardians. Our pets give us unconditional love their entire lives. They soothe us when we are sad, play with us, and wait patiently for us until we come home from work. In return, we must challenge ourselves to realize that when it is time for them to leave us, that we must let them go with love and dignity.

We were meant to out live out pets. It sucks, but it is they way we were created.

If you beloved dog can heal and have a good quality of life, then by all means, continue to have him treated. But, steel yourself for the time when you have to make the compassionate decision for him.

One thing I do - I cremate my pets and bring them home. Weird as it may be to others, we have several urns in our home. One of our cats became very ill right after Hurricane Katrina - in fact, when not all services were even up and running again. We treated her, and treated her, and the morning came when it was time. When we went to the vets they were unsure if the aftercare facility in Mobile was even re-opened yet - my son refused to euthanize her unless we confirmed that we could have her cremated and brought home. (we lived in an apartment, so back yard burial was not an option). They were open, and we able to bring her home the next week. I often tease my son that when I die to make sure he puts all the little pet urns in the family crypt with me for anthropologists to find in 100s of years and wonder about.

Hugs to you.

Just reading this makes me tear up because I put myself in your shoes and I guarantee you I would be curled up on my bathroom floor crying my eyes out if it were my Brooks!

I don't even want to think about it, it hurts so bad.

I would have made the same decision that you and your father made.

I hope your brother, Uncle Chip does good...and that the biopsy comes back with the best possible results and that he lives as long as you do too!

I call them fur people.
Last May my Pomerainian was suddenly very sick. She is usually very bubbly and happy and bounces around everyone and she just laid there. So to the emergency vet I run. She had a uterine infection, had to be spayed the next morning, then antibiotics and pain meds, I brought her home 3 days later. It took a few weeks and close to $5000 and she was just fine.

Although not quite as emotional as you..... yes, I do adore my dog. We call our dog our son and consider him a brother to our human children. He isn't just a dog. He is a beloved pet.

Grief for a pet is real, but just like people they do die and even have a shorter life span. Considering how hysterical you became and your dogs issues I would suggest some grief counseling now. Not to be harsh, but death is a natural part of life. So is grieving, and you want to do the best you can to grieve in a healthy way and move forward...... when the time comes.

Sending a little prayer for your pup, and you.

If you have the means to treat him, and he can have a decent quality of life after treatment, then no one can fault your decision to treat him.

Pets are not "just animals" at my house either. My daughter refers to my dog as her little brother.
We recently spent $800 on a sick cat - and that was with my daughter's employee discount because she works at the animal hospital where he spent a week in intensive care.

The dog we had before the one we have now Duke-wow his birthday is monday and he will be one. Well, back to my story, the other dog was a girl. We had her for over fourteen years. She carried me through my father's death, my son's overseas trip in the service and my other son's hospitalizations. When she died that was the end of an era.
She used to hug me. Really. Put her arms around me and just nuzzle her face next to mine while I wept missing my dad, missing my son and well grieving whenever I did she just held me.
Duke is an alright guy. But well, there ain't nothing like a best girlfriend.
I understand.

Praying for your sweet brother dog --I hope that he gets strong and healthy again. Hang in there!