Maximus: November 26, 2002 - March 9th, 2008

[AriaStar]

Instead of Friday, since so many people wanted to say good-bye to Max and his medication was helping control the pain pretty well, the euthanasia was set for Sunday. Saturday night he started to have pain that wasn't controllable by meds, so we were glad (not happy, but you know what I mean) that he wasn't going to go through it for another full day.

The vet arrived at about 5pm, and we had him on the lawn in the sun. Who cares that it was something like five times going to a clinic. He gave us too much love for us to want him in a sterile, cold, strange place rather that in breeze with birds chirping. Emma was there with us. Me and Cody, Nick and his mom and brother, who flew in from Canada to be there, another friend, and Nick's roommate. Emma's tail stopped wagging as she watched and she tried to clean his nose and whimpered.

He's not hurting anymore and we have locks of fur to hold on to. A week ago we though arthritis. Tuesday he had an x-ray to rule out the possibility of a slipped disk. Wednesday's MRI showed the cancer. Everything happened to fast.

We're all hurting terribly, but at least he's at peace now, and that is what's important.

[rabidbadger]

*prays for max*

[ericjosepi]

I'm really sorry, sweetie. Loss, no matter of what kind, is never easy. My condolences and love go out to you, Nick, Emma, and her puppies in this trying time.

[rabidbadger]

eric. you rock.

[tokenuser]

I just wish we could be allowed to die with the dignity that we afford beloved pets.

Max has 8 little puppies that his spirit will live on in. Find them homes with parents who will love them as much as Nick (and yourself) loved Max.

[nextgenxbox]

That sucks. Sorry for the loss :(

[AriaStar]

Thanks, Guys. Cody's very much the other excellent grandpa of these pups (he's adopted Emma and Yoda so easily that I'm thrilled), and this whole thing effects him too. He's bee wonderfully supportive for all of us, even though I know it's hard for him too, and I'm grateful to have him here.

We're prepared to take as long as necessary to make sure the babies go to good homes, not just the first to wave cash. We're keeping Luthien, one of the girls, and Nick or his brother in Canada is likely to take Aragorn, the one named after what Max was originally going to be named.

[MD2389]

Think of it this way Aria, Max is where he will never have to deal with anything like that ever again. You will still have the memory of his life with you.

[AriaStar]

And pictures and a lock of fur.

I've known Max longer than Cody. So he's pretty important to me.

[tokenuser]

I was away last week on a business trip. My wife was lonely at home by herself without Suzi here too. To make it worse, she got a call from the vet telling us her ashes are ready to be collected.

What to do with the ashes? We were going to plant a new Dogwood tree in the yard with her ashes under them, but we are likely to be moving within 12 months (checking out real estate in Ann Arbor later this week).

[esophagus]

I was away last week on a business trip. My wife was lonely at home by herself without Suzi here too. To make it worse, she got a call from the vet telling us her ashes are ready to be collected.

What to do with the ashes? We were going to plant a new Dogwood tree in the yard with her ashes under them, but we are likely to be moving within 12 months (checking out real estate in Ann Arbor later this week).With my dog, I went to the field I used to walk him in at midnight and spread them around. It was very nice.

[AriaStar]

I was away last week on a business trip. My wife was lonely at home by herself without Suzi here too. To make it worse, she got a call from the vet telling us her ashes are ready to be collected.

What to do with the ashes? We were going to plant a new Dogwood tree in the yard with her ashes under them, but we are likely to be moving within 12 months (checking out real estate in Ann Arbor later this week).

With my dog, I went to the field I used to walk him in at midnight and spread them around. It was very nice.


Token, what Eso said. That's the plan for Max right now, though we don't know where yet. Scattering them somewhere Max used to go. It's just deciding where. It gives some closure.

You could also save them in a pretty urn and bury them under a dogwood sapling when you move.

[esophagus]

For some reason doing it at midnight rather than during the day also helped. Probably something to do with the beautiful sky, and knowing no one else would show up. That part's optional, though. Definitely should spread them wherever she liked to go.

[tokenuser]

Token, what Eso said. That's the plan for Max right now, though we don't know where yet. Scattering them somewhere Max used to go. It's just deciding where. It gives some closure.Scattering in a favourite place is a great idea ... but when the choice is the couch or our bed, it gets kinda messy.

Wont be burying her in an urn. The whole "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" thing will have us returning her to the soil in a "circle of life" type thing. I actually think that a maple tree might be more fitting for her - she loved pouncing on crunchy leaves as a puppy.

[masherscf]

Scattering in a favourite place is a great idea ... but when the choice is the couch or our bed, it gets kinda messy.

Wont be burying her in an urn. The whole "ashes to ashes, dust to dust" thing will have us returning her to the soil in a "circle of life" type thing. I actually think that a maple tree might be more fitting for her - she loved pouncing on crunchy leaves as a puppy.

Don't forget to leave a memorial.

[rabidbadger]

I got a little display of pics and toys and Graces ashes in a lovely urn in the sunniest window sill that she loved to lay in when the sun was shining. right above my computer, so I always see it and smile. give the urn a hug when I drink too much. haha. Miss my Kitty. :(

[popltree2]

A euthanasia wasn't something I had witnessed until we had to put Max down. For everyone who doesn't know, it very much looks like they are just falling asleep. One of the saddest parts for me was seeing Max's ribs expand as he took a breath in and then contracting when he would breath out. Expanding, contracting. Expanding, contracting. Then, it stopped. It's at that point you know they are gone. Still though, it looked like he was asleep. It wasn't until Nick and Mike moved him that you could see that he wasn't coming back to us. It is still upsetting to think about. But I take solace in the knowledge that Max is no longer in pain and will never have to be in pain ever again. Also, we have 8 little pieces of Max running around and it is AMAZING at how some of them resemble him so closely both in looks and attitude.

[tokenuser]

A euthanasia wasn't something I had witnessed until we had to put Max down. For everyone who doesn't know, it very much looks like they are just falling asleep.Suzi was doped up after a recent shot of valium, but was still "lucid" and knew who we were. As the anesthetic kicked in, she breathed in, out, and then her tongue poked out just a little as her muscles relaxed. We knew she was gone at that point.

[AriaStar]

A euthanasia wasn't something I had witnessed until we had to put Max down. For everyone who doesn't know, it very much looks like they are just falling asleep. One of the saddest parts for me was seeing Max's ribs expand as he took a breath in and then contracting when he would breath out. Expanding, contracting. Expanding, contracting. Then, it stopped. It's at that point you know they are gone. Still though, it looked like he was asleep. It wasn't until Nick and Mike moved him that you could see that he wasn't coming back to us. It is still upsetting to think about. But I take solace in the knowledge that Max is no longer in pain and will never have to be in pain ever again. Also, we have 8 little pieces of Max running around and it is AMAZING at how some of them resemble him so closely both in looks and attitude.

Oh god, I've seen it before and it's always hard. Not all vets do the narcotics first. But it helps to relax them. It was exactly three breaths from the start of the actual euthanasia injection.

One of the hardest parts was Emma licking his face. I could feel her panicking with my arm around her, stepping back, going forward to lick.

Heh, Aragorn is a damned attention-whore, like his daddy.

I still had a moment at work today where I cried.

[AriaStar]

Suzi was doped up after a recent shot of valium, but was still "lucid" and knew who we were. As the anesthetic kicked in, she breathed in, out, and then her tongue poked out just a little as her muscles relaxed. We knew she was gone at that point.

It's not easy, but at least it doesn't hurt them. We are the ones who hurt, but taking that on is easier if it means relieving them of pain.

[AriaStar]

I still can't believe Max is gone.

[popltree2]

I still can't believe Max is gone.

Me either, honey.

[tokenuser]

I still had a moment at work today where I cried.Apart from the day we put her down, I haven't really cried, but a couple of days later, woke up teary eyed from a very strange dream involving her.

Her rope still sits in the corner of my office where she sat most of the day, and I keep glancing up expecting her to be there. I imagine that will continue for quite some time, and that you will encounter little things that remind you of Max for awhile as well.

[popltree2]

I imagine that will continue for quite some time, and that you will encounter little things that remind you of Max for awhile as well.

Without a doubt. It is hard to look at some of the puppies and NOT think of Max. There are a few that are spitting images.

[MD2389]

Apart from the day we put her down, I haven't really cried, but a couple of days later, woke up teary eyed from a very strange dream involving her.

Her rope still sits in the corner of my office where she sat most of the day, and I keep glancing up expecting her to be there. I imagine that will continue for quite some time, and that you will encounter little things that remind you of Max for awhile as well.

Hell, its been three years since Duke's sister passed, and I still think of her. What made it so bad was that she died while I was on the other side of the country with my parents helping deal with my grandfather's passing.