I really wish I would've found this forum about a month ago. It would have helped so much with my "kid". I lost him two weeks ago and I still keep thinking when I go outside I will see him sitting underneath his favorite bush. It just looks so cold and empty underneath there. Let me back up a bit...
I got Chinook from a pet store (evil) when I was 12. he was 6 months old when I got him and was absolutely th elove of my life. He was a family dog and unfortunately an impulse buy. We had no yard for him to run in like he should and he was crated while we were at school. I taught him all the commands he had ever known and taught him how to pull me on rollerblades. This was his energy outlet and one of the things that made him the happiest. When he was about 6 I moved out of my moms house and another state away. I missed him so freaking much. My mom moved and couldn't keep Chinook anymore so I brought him down here to Kentucky to live with me. He finally had a yard to run in, creek to swim in, and a playmate to hump, which was all he ever did to poor Shadow.
We took a lake trip this year at the begining of August. He normally loves water, boatriding, and being out in the middle of nowhere to roam. Well, he had runny stools the entire time down there. He also wouldn't eat. I figured no big deal, Chinook never did well in new situations and sometimes wouldn't eat if he was outside of "normal" for him. I also didn't notice how skinny he had gotten over the last few months because it had been so gradual. When we got back from the lake trip the next week was hell. He started vomiting all over the place, stools were like water, and he wouldn't touch any type of food. I flipped out and ran him to the vet. I was very unhappy with that vet as all they did was run tests but tell me nothing abou this condition. I pulled him out of their care and took him to another vet where after looking at all the test results diagnosed him with intestinal cancer.
This was a horrible day for me. I was in tears on and off the whole day. That had been my childhood dog! I hugged the crap out of Nookers and just tried to keep him as comfortable as possible. He was on painpills, special diet, and so pampered it wasn't even funny. He just kept going downhill though. He lost control of his bowels, couldn't keep food down, and became very lethargic. The vet gave him 2 weeks to live and I had my baby for 1 and a half weeks out of the 2 projected. I can still recall the day as if it happened today.
Chinook had had an accident in the house and was freaked out by it completely. You could tell he was embarresed. I let him out then cleaned up the mess. I went outside to comfort him and found him laying in his own vomit. He didn't have the strength to move himself out of it. My fiance carried him to a clean spot and I decided to call the vet in the morning to have him put down. I went to bed then, thinking that he would feel better in the morning. He didn't. I woke up and the first thing I did was check on Nookers. He was under his favorite bush, still responsive but couldn't stand. He did lift his head for us and he looked at me just saying please. I called the vet that morning and went to school, with intentions to take him to the vet either that afternoon or the next morning. I figured he would be ok for another day because he was reguarly going through bad days and good days. I just couldn't take these bad days anymore. When I came home from school Chinook had already passed on. I still have that peaceful look on his face burned in my mind. His eyes were closed, his head was laid on one of his paws, and he looks like he was sleeping like he always did.
I love ya Nookie, hopefully you're knocking down gates, terrorizing local dogs, shedding all over the place, being stubborn, and tearing up trash in doggie heaven. RIP fluffly one.