The last week has been a blur! Our little life was flipped upside down on Tuesday when our chipper pug was definitely not himself. After a trip to the vet and several x-rays later, the diagnosis was confirmed that Buster had a herniated disc in the middle of his spine.
Our hearts broke at the news & our minds raced around thinking about how Buster had been himself only 24 hours prior and all of the sudden he was losing mobility in his hind legs at a rapid pace. Our vet informed us that medication might ease the situation for a while, but that spinal surgery (read: thousands of dollars & months of recovery) was the only complete cure, and even that wasn’t guaranteed with the the lack of response in his legs. What were we going to do?
We immediately called family & friends to pray. Pray for peace. Pray for comfort. And most of all, pray for a miracle. We did the same, but focused most of our time being by Buster's side 24/7 caring for his ailing body. Our life quickly became a roller coaster with being hopeful that Buster will get through this one minute and the next hearing cries of pain and wondering what we could do to help.
Over the next four days, we had several visits and phone calls with our vet, discussing the options available and finally decided, for the sake of Buster's quality of life, to put him to sleep. Can I just let you know that making that decision and saying it out loud was probably the hardest one either of us has ever had to make? Because it was. And we are still feeling the decision now even if it was for the best.
Personally, I can’t help but feel like I’ve failed my sweet puppy by not being able to get him through this. Seeing him in so much pain was horrible and when he would look up at me, I would immediately start to cry because there wasn’t anything I could do to help him, except continue to love on him & keep him as comfortable as I could.
There will definitely be a period of mourning for Sam & I with this loss in our family, but knowing that Buster isn't in pain anymore does bring a sense of peace to us. Even if we still miss him like crazy!
And to our Buster boy - we love you more than words can say & will not forget the joy you brought us every day for the last two and half years!
Oh, Meg. I am so sorry. We had to make the same difficult decision last summer with our oldest cat, then again a short time later for our dog.
ReplyDeleteYou know you did the right thing, but that doesn't make it any easier. Peace be with you.
Cindy
I'm so sorry love. : ( Thank you for sharing with us.
ReplyDeleteSharing in your sadness and loss.
Love you Roommate,
Kelly
Meaghan what an awesome tribute to our Buster. I have tears as I write this. Thank you for sharing Buster with us. These are great pictures and memories.....He was a fun, delightful gift for a short time in our lives wasn't he. He was a good little guy, always protecting his family from any sound or light that came his way. He was a good huger, he saved his best hugs for you his momma Meaghan, snuggled up close on your shoulder. He knew he was loved and so did anyone who met you and Sammy. I'm proud of you guys you loved him and gave him the best 2-3 years of his life. I'm so sorry that he is gone now. We all will miss him...He is running and jumping with his brother Jack now. I bet he can even catch the lights, something he was never quite able to do.
ReplyDeleteLove you, sad with you Meaghan and Sam. Momma Donna
We will all miss Buster but I do know that he was a very happy pup living with you guys and playing with Lilly. There huge walls for him to lick in doggy heaven.
ReplyDeletematt
Matt and Donna said it best. I envision a series of "all dogs go to heaven"-animated webisodes entitled "Jack and Buster: Shutting Cupboards and Chasing Shadows" (as euphemisms for "kicking a** and taking names").
ReplyDeleteThey could be a crime-solving duo that is tasked with chasing the local cat crackdealers out of town. They have concocted a new drug, Methanfelinamine, that is causing heck down in the leash-free zone. It's up to J & B to sniff out the cat kingpin (known on the streets as 'Nip) and give him and his rat henchmen a good licking. Tune in Thursdays at 9 on FX for their hair(ball)raising adventures.
Well, you get the point - they are having more fun now that there are no more physical limitations.
Laying him to rest was the right thing to do. You loved him enough to do the selfless thing and shield him from any future suffering, regardless of how it was going to make you feel. That's a testament of your future parenting (when are you two gonna have kids!!!?!) - realizing that love means doing the right thing, even when it is the hardest thing.
Charles
Oh, I'm so sorry. Losing a pet is never, ever easy.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, Meaghan (and Sam). I thought Buster was such a great little pup. He was so screwy, but it gave him character. I will always remember his abnormally keen interest in the taste of walls and the absence of light. I will also miss the various nicknames Sam and Matt gave him and how he would "bring out the guns" for all of us to laugh at. Thanks for being such an interesting dog Buster, and the cutest pug I've ever seen. I hope you're enjoying your new name in heaven, Ignatius.
ReplyDelete