Beautiful day today. A little cooler. For a while I thought it was going to rain but I looked at the radar and it will pass us by. Sigh. It would be really nice to sit here and listen to the rain fall.
Scruffy is having a bad day today. She threw up at about 3:00 this morning then we went outside 3 times. She was very restless. It's like she just didn't know what to do with herself. Finally I just patted her bed and invited her to lay down and she did for the rest of the night. Right now she is really out of it. When I came home she just kind of looked at me like, "Oh, you're back, that's nice." I will be surprised if the makes it to the end of the summer, I will be even more surprised if she's still around at this time next year. You never know. My FIL said we need to euthanize her. No way, I'm not going to kill her just because she's old. We'll make that decision when her quality of life deteriorates to the point that she's just existing.
Photos of the day, the next 3 paintings, this is the order that they're in in Photo Bucket, not the order that I painted them.
This is Scruffy about 7 years ago.
This is our chihuahua, Pepi about 9 or 10 years ago. Wow it doesn't seem like it's been that long.
This is a lake in Northern Arizona. I don't remember the name of it. I took the photo in the early 1970's. I did the painting a couple of years ago.
5 comments:
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience. The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's Family surrounded him.. Shane seemed
so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on.
Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives.
Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why."
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me.
I'd never heard a more comforting explanation. He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good Life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The Six-year old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
Live simply...Love generously...Care deeply...Speak kindly.
Remember, if a dog was the teacher you would learn things like:
When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
Take naps.
Stretch before rising.
Run, romp, and play daily.
Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do.
On warm days, stop to lie on your back on the grass.
On hot days, drink lots of water and lie under a shady tree.
When you're happy, dance around and wag your entire body.
Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
Be loyal.
Never pretend to be something you're not.
When someone is having a bad day, be silent, sit close by and nuzzle them gently..
ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF EVERY DAY!
Thank you for your post it is very comforting and so true!
I agree with you about not putting Scruffy to sleep until/unless her quality of life declines.
And I liked the other comment a lot!
Kathryn, your paintings are gorgeous! And I don't agree with your fil at all. You don't euthanize a dog just because he/she is old. That would be so cruel, and Scruffy has been such a good dog and a wonderful companion, she deserves to stay with you as long as possible. If you have to make that decision for her some time soon, then it has to be because she is in constant pain or generally in a miserable state. But I'm sure you will know when it is time. And maybe Scruffy will do what my grandma's last dog did: She just sneaked away quietly in her sleep. I hope you'll have many more wonderful days, though. Summer is always tougher than the other seasons. When the dog of my childhood had grown very old, the vet always said, if he makes it over the summer, he might live to see Easter. He did - four times. He turned at least 15, maybe even 17, but we don't know for sure because he was a shelter dog.
Hugs to you and Scruffy! Kati
Thanks everyone for your kind comments.
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