In memory of my dog

[Dremora]

I'm not overly fond of dogs - I'm more of a cat person. But when a dog has been a part of your family for 11 years, you'd have to be heartless to not get attached.

We had to put down our dachshund, Sugar, yesterday afternoon due to kidney and liver failure. What's weird is that it all started with a swollen eye. I'll get into the sad details first...

A little over a week ago I noticed that Sugar's right eye was a little red and swollen, but it wasn't too bad. I showed my parents and they said that if it didn't go away or if it got worse by the next day they'd take her to the vet. Fast forward to a day or two and the whole right side of her face got swollen, she was shaking all over and she looked really tired and just plain horrible in general. And that eye... let's just say that if she happened to be a pug, it probably would have popped out.

She lost tons of weight (since she had Cushing's Disease, her stomach bloated up but you could easily feel her ribs and spine by this point). Since it was Sunday, no regular vet was open so we called an e-vet. They suggested giving her a Benadryl to calm down the swelling, so we did, and it helped a bit. We took her to the vet the next day of course, and they thought that it could have been an infected tooth that made her face poof up. Either that or it could be cancer, they said, but they wanted to rule out the infected tooth first, since they didn't think that cancer was too likely. So they gave her some antibiotics and told us to take her back to get another injection the next day. She was scheduled to be put under the following weekend to see about said possible infected tooth since she was in too much pain as it was to risk doing so while she was awake.

Fast forward to Friday and she's bleeding from her mouth, but the swelling was down quite a bit. My dad guessed that it was the infection draining out, but her breathing was shallow and it looked like she could die at any minute, so my parents took her back to the vet (I couldn't be there at the time). They ended up having to put her to sleep because it was discovered, as I mentioned earlier, that her liver and kidneys were failing.

So now I'm wondering how a swollen face could connect to liver and kidney failure. Ever since it swelled up, she stopped eating her food (she was all for cat food and beef though, as always), and she drank water but she didn't pee. Could it have been something she got into? Poisoning? Or maybe it really was cancer... I know it's pointless to speculate if all of this could have been prevented since it's obviously too late, but I can't help but wonder. If anyone has any educated guesses, please let me know.

And now for the good memories.

What was funny about Sugar was that she would steal my socks to keep me from having to go to school. In those days I went to a school where uniforms and socks were required, and I hated the socks more than the uniforms. Sugar apparently picked up on this because she would steal them and hide underneath the bed or table.

She would also steal my friend's clothes whenever we went swimming. She just took them and carried them off into the woods. You always knew Sugar was up to something when you saw a white sock or shirt floating among the bushes.

Even though she was just a small weiner dog, Sugar would herd our neighbor's goat that often escaped from its enclosure. She'd bark, run around the goat's heals, and continue doing so until she got it back in the pasture with the horses where it belonged. It was hilarious to watch.

Unfortunately, as she aged she started to become quite annoying (just like any grandma). She was diagnosed with Cushing's Disease when she was around nine years old, and because of this she'd eat anything she could get her mouth on, including shed hair from our larger dog, Kingston. She'd sneak in and steal his food, the cats' food, and pretty much everyone else's besides her own. She'd lick everything, as well, which made me increasingly frustrated because she'd leave wet spots all over the carpet.

She was very loved, despite all of that. She had her ups and downs, her funny moments and her annoying points. She had a good life. We're even thinking about getting a little headstone for her.

Rest in peace, sweetie. You will be missed. <3

[LaughingOtter]

I'm very sorry to hear that, Dremora. She sounds like she was quite a character.

[aine]

Oh, Dre, I am so very sorry. I know you will miss her terribly. Cling to the good memories, and you will keep her alive in your heart. *Nuzzles gently*.

[Charys Stormchild]

I'm so sorry you've lost Sugar, she sounds amazing, a real character.

When we had to have our old cat, Lucy, put to sleep following 3 years of steroid treatment for kidney failure (she was diagnosed at 22yrs old), we had her cremated and buried her ashes in the garden with a cat statue as guardian.

Everytime we look at the statue we remember the good times with our little girl...so I would say get a headstone or statue to commemorate Sugar, it can really trigger the happy memories.

[velveeta]

as someone who knows about this kind of situation, i deeply sympathize with you.
the cliches are true, time does heal wounds. rejoice in the happy times and do not hestitate to feel the sadness. its only been about a month and a half since i had to put down my cat due to congestive heart failure (misdiagnosed as asthema...) and i still think of him often and cry a little.

[awdz]

i'm really sorry at the loss of your dog, pets are part of the family.

So now I'm wondering how a swollen face could connect to liver and kidney failure. Ever since it swelled up, she stopped eating her food (she was all for cat food and beef though, as always), and she drank water but she didn't pee.

the swollen belly in particular, and swelling all over is actually a classic sign of liver/kidney failure. my dad died of liver cancer last february and it was diagnosed late, after he lost a lot of weight, mainly because mom wanted to know why his belly swelled up suddenly and his legs started oozing fluid. he had less than 3 weeks after being diagnosed before he died, so i think it is one of the later signs in the progression of the disease. i think it has to do with the failure of the organs to excrete excess water from the body, and can be caused by a number of things, cancer among them.

not that any of that lessens the empty ache left after the death, but you were wondering and that's about what i know. i hope you find some peace in the happy memories.

[LOVWYRM]

I really feel with you, Dremora.

I had four legged friends all life long, and I never will be able to easily let them go.

My beloved cat, Tiziano, will be put to sleep next week. He suffers from diabetis and cancer they say. All started with a swollen eye..:-(

[Dremora]

Thank you all for the support and kind words. Cried myself to sleep lastnight...

the swollen belly in particular, and swelling all over is actually a classic sign of liver/kidney failure. my dad died of liver cancer last february and it was diagnosed late, after he lost a lot of weight, mainly because mom wanted to know why his belly swelled up suddenly and his legs started oozing fluid. he had less than 3 weeks after being diagnosed before he died, so i think it is one of the later signs in the progression of the disease. i think it has to do with the failure of the organs to excrete excess water from the body, and can be caused by a number of things, cancer among them.

Hm.. I dunno. I think what caused her bloated belly was actually Cushing's Disease, which as I've said she was diagnosed with when she was around 9 years old (sorry about the bad wording in the OP, made it sound like she got bloated suddenly). If she was going through liver/kidney failure at the time the vets would have mentioned it..

And I found this at dogs.about.com:

Both plaque and tartar damage the teeth and gums. Disease starts with the gums (gingiva). They become inflamed - red, swollen, and sore. The gums finally separate from the teeth, creating pockets where more bacteria, plaque, and tartar build up. This in turn causes more damage, and finally tooth and bone loss.
This affects the whole body, too. Bacteria from these inflamed oral areas can enter the bloodstream and affect major body organs. The liver, kidneys, heart, and lungs are most commonly affected. Antibiotics are used prior to and after a dental cleaning to prevent bacterial spread through the blood stream.

So I'm guessing it really was an infected tooth. The vet did say that they see this quite a bit in older dogs.

Sorry about your dad, by the way.

I'm so sorry you've lost Sugar, she sounds amazing, a real character.

When we had to have our old cat, Lucy, put to sleep following 3 years of steroid treatment for kidney failure (she was diagnosed at 22yrs old), we had her cremated and buried her ashes in the garden with a cat statue as guardian.

Everytime we look at the statue we remember the good times with our little girl...so I would say get a headstone or statue to commemorate Sugar, it can really trigger the happy memories.

Thanks for the suggestion We actually have a garden statue of a dachshund that we receive as a gift quite some time ago and has been sitting near the fireplace. Placing it near her burial would be perfect.


I've found a few more pictures of her, also:












Sugar as a puppy

[velveeta]

i have all the pets i have had to put down cremated. the ashes come in ziplock bags inside a lovely velvet pouch.
i put the remains in a clear glass jar and arrange each new one in its proper place in my shrine to bast, the ancient egyptian goddess of cats and fun (they go together so well, don't they?) - as is fitting for a living avatar of the great god who knows and understands all gods.....

[Sigi]

I planted a tree on the grave of my beloved cat. It is nice to have something living, growing and blooming to remember the one who died.

[Shur]

(she was all for cat food and beef though, as always), and she drank water but she didn't pee. Could it have been something she got into? Poisoning? Or maybe it really was cancer... I know it's pointless to speculate if all of this could have been prevented since it's obviously too late, but I can't help but wonder. If anyone has any educated guesses, please let me know.

cat food. It's formulated specifically for the metabolism of a cat. Most dogs love the stuff, but it does all sorts of bad things to their internals if they are allowed to actually eat it.

[Dremora]

cat food. It's formulated specifically for the metabolism of a cat. Most dogs love the stuff, but it does all sorts of bad things to their internals if they are allowed to actually eat it.

Yes, that's why we always had to be careful to keep it out of her reach. If we forgot, she'd get into it.

As for the beef (that and chicken), those are pretty much the only things she would eat as her life was coming to an end. She eventually didn't even try to get into the cat food then, either.

[Sika]

I'll toss in my $0.02 since I'm a veterinary pathology resident (ie animal coroner in training). Also, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt because it's difficult to come up with something definitive based on a description over a message board, and obviously I'm not looking at any records or test results.

The swollen face and the kidney/liver failure may or may not be related. For the facial swelling, in an older dog the first thing I'd be thinking of is cancer. Nasal tumors are pretty common and are aggressive, and they'll cause massive swelling like you describe. A tooth abscess is possible, but I'd put it lower on the list than cancer.

Causes for renal and liver failure can be hard to pin down. Causes can also vary based on how long it's been going on for. Metastatic cancer is possible. Previous infectious disease or some sort of toxin ingestion is possible, but toxic disease is fairly rare. Also I can't think of any toxins off the top of my head that would cause both kidney and liver failure. In really long-standing cases it can be hard for us to figure out the cause, and sometimes we never figure it out.

I'm not sure if it's too late, or if you would even be interested, but you can discuss with your vet having a necropsy performed. A necropsy is what we call an autopsy on an animal. Many owners like it for peace of mind when they aren't sure what happened to their pet.

[Dremora]

I'll toss in my $0.02 since I'm a veterinary pathology resident (ie animal coroner in training). Also, take what I'm saying with a grain of salt because it's difficult to come up with something definitive based on a description over a message board, and obviously I'm not looking at any records or test results.

The swollen face and the kidney/liver failure may or may not be related. For the facial swelling, in an older dog the first thing I'd be thinking of is cancer. Nasal tumors are pretty common and are aggressive, and they'll cause massive swelling like you describe. A tooth abscess is possible, but I'd put it lower on the list than cancer.

Causes for renal and liver failure can be hard to pin down. Causes can also vary based on how long it's been going on for. Metastatic cancer is possible. Previous infectious disease or some sort of toxin ingestion is possible, but toxic disease is fairly rare. Also I can't think of any toxins off the top of my head that would cause both kidney and liver failure. In really long-standing cases it can be hard for us to figure out the cause, and sometimes we never figure it out.

I'm not sure if it's too late, or if you would even be interested, but you can discuss with your vet having a necropsy performed. A necropsy is what we call an autopsy on an animal. Many owners like it for peace of mind when they aren't sure what happened to their pet.

Thank you; your views are appreciated, even though as you've said it would be hard to tell from just a description. I was actually thinking about the possibility of getting a necropsy on her but it's too late, unfortunately.

[Arietna]

*hugs* for your loss. Sugar sounds like a real character. We lost a cat a few years ago and we had to assume it was something she'd eaten, although we couldn't afford a necropsy we'll never know. (one morning she was fine, that afternoon, she was crying under a table, we took her to the vet, who said she was severely dehydrated (she'd been drinking fine), put her on a drip, and she died overnight. We had to assume poison.)

Pets are part of the family, it's not foolish to mourn them when they go. They may not be human (despite what they think) but they become a part of our lives.

[Nisse]

From your pictures, it looks like she got to be a nice old lady It shows she had a great life with you.

Echoing also what everyone has said. Let yourself grieve, however long it takes.

I lost a dog years ago to kidney failure, we chose to let her die with us, and she went peacefully.

[RuneDragoon]

*hugs* I had a dog a while ago, a cocker spaniel. (I suspect this will get filtered out.)

He was a very sweet dog but as he aged, my mother's refusal to take him to be treated by the vet for a growing cyst in his ear led to a full blown cancer outbreak everywhere in his little body. The last pictures & movie of him are on my cell phone, which is why I refuse to give up the phone. I admit, I cried a while after he had to be put down, but took comfort that he was not hurting anymore.

This however is not like losing one of my little cockatiels a few months ago. She fell mortally ill, dropping from her perch suddenly. Despite recovering well, she choked on a pellet at the vet office and died. I am still recovering...

All I can say, it is hard to lose a loved pet. The bird incident has made my homestay mom look to her kitty, and realize exactly how hard it will be for her (Or she opened her eyes and remembered to not take things for granted).

[Lissabet]

I am sorry to hear of your loss. Pets get to be part of the family, and it is hard to lose them, no matter how it happens.

[Dremora]

I keep moving to put the cat food up out of reach, only to remember that there's no sneaky little wiener dog to get into it. In a way, not have to worry about things like that is kind of a relief.

We've been going through old pictures of Sugar to help keep the happy memories alive. Doing this, along with reading everyone's kind comments and support has helped greatly. So again, thank you. *hugs*

[Arietna]

sorry, had to share this.. with the talk of moving the cat food out of the way..

my parents have a golden labrador called Bracken. She's not very bright, getting on a bit, has a gammy leg (deformed) which means she can't walk very far. She also has a HUGE appetite, which is not indulged because as she can't exercise, she would be enormous.

Yesterday, my parents were talking to visitors in the afternoon, and noticed Bracken was chewing something. It looked like bread, but as Mum was busy, she finished chatting, then went into the kitchen to see what it may have been (it was all gone by then). There was nothing she could see missing, no bread on the counter or anything. It was only when my stepdad came back that they realised there'd been a cheese plate on the dining room table with a quarter-pound of fresh BRIE on it! This was, suffice it to say, nowhere to be seen. Bracken's guilt was further determined when she came back to help herself to the cheddar that was left on the table, wandering in quite happily and just putting her paws up on a chair and leaning over to eat the cheese. Luckily she doesn't seem to have had any problems as a result (no upset tummy or anything).

This is in a household where the cat, as a kitten, managed to vanish with a whole raw salmon (complete with plastic bag, which it was defrosting in) and come back hours later with a HUGE tummy and no sign of any fish..