And now the other Dog is gone...

[Solauren]

As I posted here...
http://bbs.stardestroyer.net/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=170799

My wife and I put down our first dog, Dash, April 9.

We still had our second dog, Tia.

We got Tia October 20, 2010. We'd saw her picture on the local human society page, and we were moving, and planning to get a second dog.
Must have been fate. I wanted a German Shepard type Dog. Melissa, my wife, wanted a Shiba Inu.

Tia was a Shepard/Shiba Inu cross.

Like Dash, it was love at first sight. And, she was a perfect match for Dash in many ways. Where he was 'in your face', she was more docile. The only downside to her would be her lack of wanting physical attention. She wasn't a snuggler or cuddler beyond laying on the couch or near your feet, or her head on your lamp for stratch/pets. Unless you were sick, then she snuggled you until you were better.

We had trouble training Tia at first. Her previous owner was, supposedly, an older guy whos family put him in a home and then surrendered her.
Eventually, we went to Dog school, and found out what we were doing wrong. After that, besides her habit of going into the trash, well behaved.

And SMART. My god, that dog was smart. We hung up several baby gates to keep the dogs out of the kitchen and from going into the basement.
Magnetic lock to the wall.

She figured out how to open them using her paw. She'd reach in, hook the bottom, stand up, and then walk in. We tried blocking that with a sheet of wood. She figured out how to use her nose to bounce the gate a bit and cause the magnets to disengage.

She was always full of energy. There were a few times she was sleeping, dreaming, and moved a few inches from her leg movements. She loved going to the off leash Dog park, and even ran off on us a few times. One time, after 30 minutes of looking, we found her, and she'd obviously eaten something. In the morning, she'd bark until we came downstairs (we stopped letting the dogs sleep upstairs after Dash's surgery, as the stairs were hard on him, and they both feel down them from sleeping once, they were fine), run to go outside, run back in to eat and drink, and then come over to be pet before going to sleep for a while. When we got home, same routine, followed by wanting the attention she wanted.

Not much of a toy dog, but quite the runner, jumped, and agility. If she'd had been a purebreed with papers, we could have showed her.

And we used to joke she was indestructible. Over the course of her life, she's eaten at least 1 miniature (a D&D Chainmail Tiefling), chewed up another one (A Blue Slaadi miniature from the WOTC DDM sets), ate a belt (from the end up to where the metal started, and it was a 48 inch belt...), damaged several D&D Books (nothing vintage, fortunately, but one that was a limited edition from a Kickstarter), several novels (I got a side table to keep books on...), got into the pantry once, and ate a box of chocolate dip granola dips, a box of diet chocolate bars, and probably other things.

She was also very much a "nanna dog' ala Peter Pan. A few times, one of our friends brought over her baby. We swore Tia was trying to climb into the baby seat. Then she laid down beside the kid, and didn't let anyone she didn't know near the kid. Including the baby's father. (Turns out she was an excellent judge of character, as that guy was a sleeze).

Post Dash's passing, we noticed she continued to walk at a slower pace. Unfortunately, a 2 months ago, she came down with Kennel Cough, which cleared up. Then she had a hard fall. She tried to do a running jump up the front steps after going out somewhere, didn't make it, bounced off at her chest and landed on her ass. But she shook it off.

Then, August 15 (about 3 days after), she threw up water. We called the vet, blood work, and her pancrisis and liver are off.
Okay, medication, and bring her back in a month to see if she's recovering (meaning infection), or something worse (probably untreatable and fatal)

Over the past few days (maybe since Tuesday), despite her getting Chicken, and Rice, and other meats, her eating dropped down to 1/4 of what it used to be, maybe less. We were worried, and spoke to the Vet last night - she might still have nausea, we can pick up more tomorrow (today).

This morning, Tia vomited up blood. We'd also notice her waste was orange. The vet wasn't concerned because it wasn't shiny or showed signs of blood. Today, it did.

We made the hard choice, and Tia passed at 5:05pm today.

She's back with Dash now. She's with our son, and with our previous dogs. Probably voicing her disapproval at them wrestling...

Good Girl.

[Mr Bean]

I'm sorry for your loss, Kiki is still fresh in my mind less than two weeks ago now and hearing the same sort of decline hurts me. Take your time and keep trying until you can remember them without the sadness.

[Batman]

Sorry for your loss.

[Broomstick]

My condolences

[EnterpriseSovereign]

Sorry for your loss, it always sucks when you have a much-loved pet.

[fnord]

My condolences. It hurts a hell of a lot (and sucks) to lose a beloved pet.

[Juubi Karakuchi]

Alas. That's a pain I know. Sorry for your loss.