[Dailydrool] Grieving pets

[Pat Wood]

Taking in and fostering for Suncoast Basset Rescue and foster/adopting many of these senior hounds, I've had alot of those trips to the vet to send a hound to The Bridge, and leaving 3 or 4 hounds at home to grieve.  I also take in SBR's senior bonded pairs. This was always the worst when one went to the Bridge. I think I read something on a DD post that suggested taking the bonded pair other one in to the vet and have them "there" during the process.  When it was time for Bubba, I did take Ethel with us (they had been together since puppyhood 12 years), we were all on the floor, Ethel sat quietly beside me, when Bubba was gone, Ethel just got right up and did a full body sniff of Bubba, came back and sat down beside me!!! all on her own and...she didn't have any problem after that with the loss of her Bubba.  It was amazing!
 
Oliver became very ill very quickly (angiosarcoma -sp?) and we went right from our vet's office to Gainesville to the UF vet school to see what they could "do".  They sent me home to await their examination later that day, and then called to discuss options - he might have 6 months, maybe, or option to pts now - and if I wanted that option had to race up to G'ville before they closed for the day at 5:00 (it was 4:30), so I got my racedriver son to get me up there, we didn't take Hannah, his bonded pair (11 years)....and what a difference!  Hannah withdrew, would keep looking around the house, finally stopped eating! that went on for about 2 months.  Even though I had two other dogs at home, there was no consolation over her loss... finally she came out slowly, he had been the alpha and she was suddenly feeling a"exposed" and became withdrawn and frightened (as they had both been when they came to me 2 years prior from a bad situation-she reverted back!)..
 
now, a year later, with only Hannah and Annabella here, it was necessary to put down Annabella (12) who bloated.....phone call to the vet at 11:30 pm Sat. night, raced her down there, and decided could not operate, so pts.  I took Hannah with us but left her in the grey-hound bus.  She was able to sense when I came back out to the van without Annabella, something was definately WRONG, sniffing me and the car and for about a month she again went "down" withdrawn, crying all the time, searching for Annabella ---
 
About 6 weeks ago, SBR got in a very neglected pair, about 10 years old, coaxed in from running wild for 4 months, starving (they reminded me of Auschwitz corpses) in the vetspital for recovery, and so I agreed to bring them in once they were stabilized....as much for Hannah as just having the "space" for them......it was a wild couple of weeks adjustment, they were too weak to try to determine alpha status but Hannah was afraid of them, but, after the pair no longer being malnourished and each trying to establish the hound order, Hannah is doing much better!
 
I think I had also read on the DD when there are alot of other dogs in the home, just taking one to the vet will accomplish the same result, they "bring the message home" or something like that?
 
Maybe not so much with younger hounds....I've not had that experience! but I am a firm believer now in having at least one hound "attend" the task...seems to make things easier in the grieving process.
now, about the momperson who has to bear all this sending her special houndies to the Bridge, they tell us many times when it is time to go, but actually doing this is one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do....
 
Pat Wood
Hannah - I'll go watch next time momperson---
Becky and Buddy - if SBR hadn't rescued us and saved us and gave us all the medical treatment to get us "whole" again, it might have been us you were watchin' Hannah! 		 	   		  
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