Please Pray for Bubblegum

I am sorry I missed this but wanted to send you my condolences.  I am so sorry to hear about your beautiful bouncing Bubby.  Run free sweet girl!

Thank you all so very much!  All of the kind words are so comforting. Thank you!

To the many that sent me personal messages...so sweet and so nice...Thank you!

Callie,,,you tried to help us... I wonder if I was able to do what you asked,,,if it would have turned out differently. I will forever be haunted by this thought.

 And now I am also left with thoughts.....what happened to my girl?  She was the healthiest, happiest Dane in the world. Just a few week before I remarked about the way she could pop up from a laying position on my slippery kitchen floor....that for a 6 1/2 old Dane...she was super.     And I was sure the fact that since she was small for a Dane...and because I took such good care of her....because I went out of my way ( not really out of my way because I loved every second of it ) to make sure she got good food,,,supplements,,, gave her things like Milk Thistle every time she got medication......just little things...I was sure she would outlive the normal Great Dane life span. So what the heck happened,,,what went wrong? 

I guess some things are meant to be...... but then I also wonder.....I HATE vaccines. I think they are necessary to get our puppies and young kitties off to a good start.  But I do believe they compromise the immune system when they are over vaccinated.   From what I understand...what the vets thought Bubby had was  Myasthenia Gravis, which is an Auto Immune Disease......And I know her breeder vaccinated her dogs to death.....she told me that everytime one dog was in a show ( Bubby was a show girl along with a couple of her others ) she vaccinated all of her dogs..sometimes twice a year.  

Now I have to wonder...................

dyan

...and because I took such good care of her....because I went out of my way ( not really out of my way because I loved every second of it ) to make sure she got good food,,,supplements,,, gave her things like Milk Thistle every time she got medication......just little things...I was sure she would outlive the normal Great Dane life span. So what the heck happened,,,what went wrong?  

Dyan, those words are exactly what I said when we lost Tonka.  The "normal" life expectancy for his breed was 8-10 years, but I thought surely we'd beat that for the same reasons you listed:  two or three walks a day (rain or shine), never let him get too heavy, high-quality, often organic food, loads of supplements, regular vet care, titer tests instead of annual vaccines after age 5, comfortable surroundings at all times, not to mention showering him with more love and affection than many humans get in a lifetime.  It doesn't seem fair to lose them, when there are people who provide no care at all other than to throw a bowl of grocery-store brand food out once a day for a dog who lives in an outdoor pen 24/7, and those dogs can live for much longer. 

I try to make myself feel better by saying maybe he would've died even earlier had we NOT done all those things.  But, it's still an unbearable feeling to keep asking why, what coud we have done differently or sooner, etc.  Who knows why things have to happen this way.  All we can do is nurse our heartbreak and try to hang on to the memories of the feel of their fur, the shape of their paws, their silly antics.  It's easy for people to say not to question yourself, but believe me, I understand that reflex, and my heart goes out to you.  I think of Bubby each day and continue to keep you in my thoughts, too. 

It is normal to feel how you do. It is part of the steps of grieving over a loved one. Bubblegum had a very good life with you. She did not have to suffer for a long time, as you said she was doing very well and it came on rather abruptly.  Lots of times a disease process is going on and there are no signs. 

You did more than a lot of people would have to get her well, but it just wasn't to be.  You tried to keep her comfortable. 

It is heart wrenching, I know. 

  Dyan, you did everything you could for Bubblegum. I agree with dogslife that the second guessing you're going through is part of the grieving process. It seems to be something that's unavoidable when we've lost a loved one, though I don't know why we feel the need to suffer more by adding the pain of guilt to our aching heart. You gave Bubby so much love and a very happy life. I hope that each day some of the heartache is replaced with a happy memory. {{{HUGS}}}

jessies_mom

 

Actually Janice....just today I was thinking about her spots and where they were, the ones on the roof of her mouth........and how she loved to lay on her back and wait for me to come and pat her belly. Of course I couldn't resist getting on the floor with her and hugging and kissing her while I was rubbing her belly.  Geez...its hard to resist a big old Great Dane laying on their back with their back legs "spread eagle" waiting for belly rubs. 

I do miss her so very much.  I can't leave my house or come home and not look at my front window...where she was often standing watching out for me.   How do you get over that?

But one thing that is helping...Ollie has been here while my son is still out of town.  I was surprised how even though he hadn't been here in 3 years...he must remember what he used to do here.   He goes up and lays where he used to love to lay at the top of the steps so he could look down and outside. He also wondered in the laundry room yesterday and stood by the faucet waiting for someone to come and turn on the water for a drink.   He used to do that all the time when he was here...and no longer has axcess to a faucet,,,so he must be remembering.   I am pretty surprised.    We were taking him home tomorrow..but Mike called a while ago and said they were given a free night with food and drinks because of a screw up someplace along the line, so they got a flight for the next night. So Ollie will stay until Sat evening and we will take him home. Then I have a whole lot of black hair laying on my white floors and carpet. But he really has helped in our loss of Bubby........

Oh no. :(

I just saw this thread. I am so, so sorry. I will keep you in my thoughts. 

I do miss her so very much.  I can't leave my house or come home and not look at my front window...where is was often standing watching out for me.   How do you get over that?

It takes about a year, and some to feel a lot better about this.  And like you just said, having that other dog over is a real good help for the cure. We went out and bought two siblings, same breed as my old boy.  It was real hard around here, and the children were devastated. It was so sudden for us and like you went through a major vet/home health iv's and meds etc.  It was so hard to believe and to take. So final.  But we do have love for more. And although I still miss him, these two sure do help. Digging in with puppies and all of the work!...It helped.  We love them so much.

It takes about a year, and some to feel a lot better about this.  And like you just said, having that other dog over is a real good help for the cure.

Ollie went home now...and I cried for him. But I know he has to go home... and he didn't replace Bubblegum at all,,,he just replaced the dog part of our lives...and kept us kind of busy and smiling.  I even took him down the street to play with his old girlfriend Sadie...dont know if anyone remembers the pictures I posted of Ollie and Sadie playing together years ago. Two mantel Danes.   We did a lot of comparing too.   I miss Bubby with all my heart,,,I know DH does also. The house is empty without her.  I will never replace her.  But I will replace a dog. Our house is emty without one.   

Someone on my GD board emailed me yesterday.  This is a board of showers and breeders..I didn't belong there but since Bubby was a show dog..some of them knew her before I got her.   The girl has a breeder friend that has an almost 3 yrs old Dane that needs a home...she doesn't get along with the other dogs in the house. She heard I gave my Bubby a good home.  I checked it out a bit.......she has a harliquin head and white body.   I don't know. I pretty much lost my confidence in having a dog right now...I thought I did everying right with Bubby...and I lost her. Plus I have several thousand dollars out there right now from trying to save her...that needs to be paid off.   Lastly...I need to make sure that we are not on the rebound.....

Dyan, I don't doubt for a second that you did everything right with Bubby.  Some things are just totally out of our control, no matter what we do or how we do it. You were a great mom to Bubby, and you'll be a great mom to whatever dog comes into your life next.

Joyce

Yep, I agree with Joyce. Whenever the time is right and you bring another dog into your lives, you will do the very best, just like you did with Bubby. Nothing you could've done would've prevented what happened. It's heartbreaking and scary to think of going thru it again, but the alternative is so sad too. We had Buffy when we lost Jake, and it was still a very sad time, but having Buffy did help. You'll know when the time is right and if it's not now, then give yourself more time.

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Dyan, I don't doubt for a second that you did everything right with Bubby.  Some things are just totally out of our control, no matter what we do or how we do it. You were a great mom to Bubby, and you'll be a great mom to whatever dog comes into your life next.

Joyce

Absolutely true Dyan...

Joyce said it perfectly...

Dyan, I actually love that you took time, despite the sadness, to update us on Ollie.  I was kind of afraid to ask you, but I do remember him and didn't know if he was still with your son.  I'm glad he was able to visit with you, especially now, and that he is still healthy and well.   Next time you see him, give him an ear scritch for me:-)

Thanks for the vote of confidence guys!

Anne...I took a bunch of pictures when Ollie was here, I finally got them out of my camera. I just need to put them in Photobucket to put one or two on the forum. Darn,,remember when you could just download a picture onto the thread instead of having to go thru the trouble of putting them someplace else first.........

Ollie is really grey now, kind of sad. I told him I was going to get a black majic marker and paint him...he still acts like a pup. I'm hoping Mike will bring him here on Easter..but I bet he won't.