Saying goodbye to Bailey

Finnie

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Bad me I did a home treatment on a hunch but she improved
No, GOOD you. When they are this old, all you can do is make them comfortable.

When we had a 13 1/2 year old retriever that was near the end, I wanted our vet to give her something for incontinence, so she could be less anxious. She was spending all day hovering near the door in fear of having an accident. But no, the vet was not willing to do that without first doing a complete blood work up and diagnostic testing. Really? Those test results would be a moot point. An old dog in a decline does not need heroic high tech medicine. They just need comfort and kindness. And he wasn’t willing to provide it. (We don’t go there anymore.)

You are doing a great job with your sweet baby.
 

Baymule

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My Paris has always been wacko, I called her Psycho B!tch. She was a free throw away GP after somebody else messed her up. It took 2 years to turn her into a good dog. My first LGD, she has taught me much more than I have taught her. Neurotic, weird, crazy, location bound to HER back yard, killer dog. Then we moved, got sheep and they were Enemies To Be Destroyed. Had to start training all over again, what a fantastic dog. We ran a fence from the back yard to the sheep barn just for her. She stayed with lambing ewes, weaned lambs, and guarded chickens. A few weeks ago, she dug out of the back yard into the horse lot, under the gate, to the front yard. A new wrinkle in the fabric of her life, Paris retired herself and spends her days under the porch. She comes out to do chores with me, mornings and evenings. She has earned it. Paris can do what she darn well pleases.

Isn’t that what we owe our old friends? They have given us the best years of their life, we can make their last years as comfortable and happy as we can.
 

Blue Sky

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My Paris has always been wacko, I called her Psycho B!tch. She was a free throw away GP after somebody else messed her up. It took 2 years to turn her into a good dog. My first LGD, she has taught me much more than I have taught her. Neurotic, weird, crazy, location bound to HER back yard, killer dog. Then we moved, got sheep and they were Enemies To Be Destroyed. Had to start training all over again, what a fantastic dog. We ran a fence from the back yard to the sheep barn just for her. She stayed with lambing ewes, weaned lambs, and guarded chickens. A few weeks ago, she dug out of the back yard into the horse lot, under the gate, to the front yard. A new wrinkle in the fabric of her life, Paris retired herself and spends her days under the porch. She comes out to do chores with me, mornings and evenings. She has earned it. Paris can do what she darn well pleases.

Isn’t that what we owe our old friends? They have given us the best years of their life, we can make their last years as comfortable and happy as we can.
I had forgotten about Paris. I watched your posts about her with interest. She and Bailey have much in common.
 

Blue Sky

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Bailey is holding her own today. Urine looks clear. The heifer has gone into estrus and if I thought she was a diva before... she has to stay in a pasture next to my neighbor’s house so she doesn’t share a fence with bulls. Gonna owe them some burger if she doesn’t knock off the serenades.
 

Blue Sky

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Bailey is about the same. Like the teenager I was she stays up late then sleeps til noon. She got a much needed bath which may have tired her out.
 
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