[Mr Tonka]

:::Cliffs::: Had to put my dog down, it sucks.


So, on this past Friday, after nearly 13 years, my wife and i had to put down our dog Bo. His breed, American Bulldog, has a typical life span of 8 to 12 years. So knowing that he was on borrowed time we talked about his passing often in an effort to prepare our selves. Didn't work.

He had been bulletproof for his whole life except for the last 48 hours. From ages 2 - 9 he weighed right around 100 pounds. At age 11 he was 85 and at age 12 he was 75 pounds. On friday he was 93 pounds. Vet suspected some type of tumor. Pulling some fluid from his bloated abdomen revealed some bloody fluid which substantiated the Vet's suspicions. In 48 hours he really went down hill with mobility, breathing was very shallow and he just looked miserable. With these changes and the vet's info we felt it was time.

Fastest 12 years 10 months in my life. Truly a difficult decision to make. Did my share of crying. And i don't mean i shed a couple of man tears. I'm talking about slobbering, snot bubbling, full on sobbing that can leave you dehydrated. The house is so different without him here. He will be sorely missed.

Sorry for the buzz kill. This helps with some closure though. I know it was the right thing to do but still very sad about it.

Some pics of the boy.

[tmppgh]

Beautiful dog. Sorry to about your loss. I went through the same situation with my dog 4 years ago, it is never an easy thing to do.

[Baremeg55]

How quickly a pet becomes a member of the family!!! Sorry for your loss!!!

[Cdnrockies]

My condolences on your loss.

I can't imagine the sadness you are experiencing right now. We just spent today having an entire day for our dog (I currently work out of town and only see my wife and dog a couple days a week), hiking and swimming in the mountains.

It may ring hollow today....but you made the right decision and your boy is in a better place.

[991brothers]

So sorry for your loss. It really is not easy because they are family members. like a child or brother. Reading this made my eyes tear. Hope you feel better. In time, and remember that God does love his animals. Thats what always makes me feel better

[Nutballa]

Sorry for your loss. Sounds similar to what happened to my dog. He passed away on my birthday.

[DSB335d]

Sorry for your loss. One reason I hate visiting the vet. Almost every time we make an appt for one of our pets we end up seeing a couple in tears leaving without their baby

[BMWinNorthdakota]

fuck man. Sorry to hear. I have a buddy that is close... its scary to think that bigger dogs can literally be less than a week from death but be acting 100%

Was he genuinely 100% 48hrs before his death?

[fatgrandma]

Sorry to hear man. It's time for Bo II. A new puppy will make it easier to bear.

[Small Yellow]

I understand how you feel... I lost my dog then my cat this year... had the dog for 12 years and the cat for 3... I guess my cat... IDK how my cat passed so fast... Took it to the vet after it started vomiting every where and when we got there it passed. My dog had liver failure but kept on clinging to life for a few months... My home feels empty without them... I really hope you feel better

[import36]

what a great looking dog.....sorry to hear about Bo...and i definitely know how you're feeling. i had a dog i grew up with as a kid and having to drive him to the vet to have him put down was one of the hardest things i've ever had to do in my life. they truly become family members....always by your side no matter what.

[bga23]

Sorry for your loss. Tough decision to let him go but sounds like you made the right choice.

I lost my pit bull almost two years ago and a day doesn't go by that I don't think about her.

[Its_lobelt]

Sorry for your loss. I have an english bulldog and I can't imagine doing that. Must be the hardest decision ever.

[DieselDiner]

Sorry for your loss.

[Mr Tonka]

Thanks guys. As i'm sure everyone thinks of their own dog.... he was the perfect dog. You wouldn't have wanted to break into my house with him in there but he probably would have only licked you to death. Excelent temperament, great health throughout his life, didn't require any special stuff. You could drop roast beef on the floor and he wouldn't touch it unless you said it was ok. Didn't chew on anything, had a bladder made of steel. Only scared of thunder and large cardboard boxes....haha.

On wednesday night i came home from work and he was at the door as usual. Ran to get a toy, brought it to me to play a bit. Got mouthy at me when i didn't play long enough. Thursday he only got out of bed once and barely met me at the door. Was obvious that he didn't want to walk. Friday morning was worse. So yeah, he was 100% as much as an old dog would be. He was about 90 years old in dog years. The vet said that the tumor would have likely ruptured in the near future causing a quick painless death. But since he couldn't get around anymore and was so obviously uncomfortable we felt that keeping him alive was just selfish.

I really appreciate the sentiment from all of you.

[Nick the Greek]

I feel for you MPower.

Look on it this way. The little guy will be in the big dog playground in the sky.
It's always sunny there, limitless treats and doggy toys on demand.

[elm3]

Im so sorry for your loss. I too had to put my Old English Bulldog to sleep about 3 months ago. It was hard. She had bone cancer. Amputated her leg, gave her chemo and she was doing great. After her last treatment, I waited a month and went for her monthly check up, the cancer came back in her lungs. Two weeks later I was making the hardest decision in my life, had to put her down. There is not a moment that goes by that I do not think of her. I miss her greately. I took a lot of pictures and videos of her before she passed away. I really know what you are going through. One thing you can think off, he is not suffering anymore. RIP and my thoughts are with you.

Eric

[ouchie]

Sorry...

[asdflkijd]

RIP Bo.. You're at the rainbow bridge now.

[Halitosis]

Rest in Paradise Bo. You were a good boy!

[JasonCSU]

Sorry to hear about your loss. Pets really do become best buddies and members of the family.

[Chewy734]

oh man... so sorry for your loss Joe. I'm sure it'll take some time to get over him, but it seems like it was for the better. Putting down any pet is really tough, and I feel for you.