Author Topic: Shadow Died Unexpectedly  (Read 5269 times)

Offline Rajas Mom

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Shadow Died Unexpectedly
« on: February 06, 2009, 11:29:17 pm »
Shadow, our old 15-18 year old rescued mutt (coming up on our 7 year adoption anniversary) passed away. She likely died on Tuesday, 2/03/09, but we failed to notice. I worked late until ten, came home and wrote a paper,slept four hours, went to work at 6am. Shan called me the next morning to say he had found her, while realizing he couldn't remember seeing her around the night before.

She was old, suffering, and a pain in the @ss. We have been seriously talking about putting her down for some time. But we loved her. I feel a lot of guilt now because of how much we complained about her. In addition to that, the way she died shames me...

Several months ago Shan installed a cat door in our laundry room door in the basement. This provided our cat an opportunity to have an unmolested litter-box and cat food dish and a chance to get away from the bigger dogs. Shadow didn't fit when we installed it, but she's been eating less and less over the past few months (and our talks of putting her down have increased). Eventually she started squeezing through.

About a month ago, she became stuck in our sump-pump, totally wrapped around and it was some effort to get her out. We made plans to buy a lid (it's VERY small sub-pump hole and occupied mostly by the sump-pump, how she even got in there...) and even brought it up again this week as we had plans to go to the home improvement store.

Shan came home the night of, and again, looking back, doesn't recall seeing her. I was in no mind for dogs, petted the ones jumping at me, and went to work.  We always said Shadow was more cat than dog, not shocking when she lies low. She has become so incontinent and unable to do stairs or cold weather that we've just being leaving pads for her to pee on, she spends most of her time in the basement (as does my husband, our other living room is down there).

He woke up, realized something was off, and found her inside the sump-pump. He thinks she may have broken her neck from the fall. We're very sad, although mine keeps coming in waves. I'm a late bloomer when it comes to grief. It usually hits me after everyone else is over theirs, so they can look at me and say WTH is wrong with HER?

I still feel like such a bad pet owner! My mom really helped (who knows how weird/quirky Shadow is, or rather was (still hard to say that) - you should see the photos I have of her walking lap around the rim of my mom's pool in her better days. At any moment she could have fallen, and likely would have drowned(sad irony), but nothing, other than locking her inside the house would deter her. Every time we went there she would just go around and around and around and around, her own tightrope act!

My mom, who knows where/how my sump-pump is located (not especially dangerous and/or sticking out) said, "I don't have a lid on mine, and yours is so small...!" Less guilt, but so sad. I just hate to think about her suffering. Everyone keeps telling me maybe it was meant to be as most know how hard we've been struggling with the decision to put her down... but no one deserves to go out like that! I really hope she broke her neck (rather than drowning). I'm thinking that was the case and telling myself it was instant, as Shan would have heard her yelps/barks if she was just stuck again (for a 14 pound dog - likely more around 12 pounds when she went - she had the bark of a BIG dog and can wake a neighborhood). I never was a big fan of small dogs, but she was certainly no yippy little thing and could give it to the best of them in her prime.

The sadness continues to come in waves.  Especially as we cleaned up her pee pads in the basement today (many also known as our expensive rugs, boy did she ever love peeing on rugs).  I felt especially bad last night when we finally made that trip to the home improvement store and bought several rugs while we were there realizing we could finally have them again.  It almost felt like we were celebrating (we weren't, but less mopping will be nice).
Raja (Our Princess), 3 yr St. Benard
Charlie (Our Calico Cat), 3 yr
Bocephus (Wild & Crazy Lab), RIP
Shadow (Secretly a Cat Schipperke Mix), RIP

Offline Rajas Mom

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Re: Shadow Died Unexpectedly
« Reply #1 on: February 08, 2009, 10:09:58 am »
Thanks for that.  I know that we have certainly learned our lesson, although sadly too late. :'(
Raja (Our Princess), 3 yr St. Benard
Charlie (Our Calico Cat), 3 yr
Bocephus (Wild & Crazy Lab), RIP
Shadow (Secretly a Cat Schipperke Mix), RIP

Offline MagicM3

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Re: Shadow Died Unexpectedly
« Reply #2 on: February 08, 2009, 03:08:16 pm »
Sorry for your loss..don't feel too guilty..the fact that shadow lived as long as she did..says a lot about you..and I am sure she holds nothing against you..you should share the pics you have of her..she sounds like a character..

TATFK

Offline Butts Mom

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Re: Shadow Died Unexpectedly
« Reply #3 on: February 08, 2009, 04:05:43 pm »
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Michelle, Butt, Tub and Everybirdie