Losing our babies.

[Mweasel]

---WARNING---- (Another Long Post)

Hello everyone, It's been a while since I've been here. I was sitting here holding my yorkie - my best friend and got to thinking about how much I'd miss him if he was gone and then it occurred to me that he's almost maybe 9 years old. I can't believe it's been that long. I know we moved to this house around 2000 and we had him a bit before that. He still is very active but lately I've noticed that he sleeps a lot more than he used to. He also has a lot of "normal" yorkie problems - he's allergic to everything. I can't take him outside, the grass makes him break out and puke alot, and he still insists on eating grass....yuck....
His little back legs have kinda gotten bad lately. One day we noticed him limping and he wouldn't put weight on his back leg. We took him to the vet but he couldn't find anything wrong with him so we took him home. He's just finally starting to get a little strength back in his legs. He could no longer jump up.
After a few nights of waking up and finding him shivering on the floor I went and bought two doggie stairs. He couldn't quite get up using one, it wasn't wide enough but two did the trick. I hate to see my energetic fun loving yet grumpy at times, possessive dog who likes everyone to go to bed at the exact same time he does each night get older. I can't imagine my life without him.

I've had alot of dogs before, in fact I just lost my last "old" dog who was part of our original trio out here. We've always had outside dogs too and our main trio we've had forever was Red, Sarge and PeeWee. Red was the first to go, he had some type of cancer - his meat was literally hanging off of his bones, the only thing holding it in was his flesh. His back warped and he looked very alienish. The vet didn't know what it was and thought it might be some form of cancer so we put him down. He was sick for a long time and wouldn't let go, he would have suffered anything to stay with me so I had to help him along. The cool thing is that he walked one last time for me. He hadn't been able to get up and walk in over - he had no meat on his bones and I called him, it was sad and painful and the vet was very amazed - he said that dog shouldn't have been able to physically walk like that. He was an amazing dog.

Next to go was PeeWee - Seems like all my outside dogs get heart worms and CHF. I didn't know that I was supposed to treat them for Heart Worms every month and by the time I found that out it was too late. Growing up, our outside dogs NEVER had heartworms. Anyway she was old and in pain so we had to have her put down.

And Finally Sarge - our young one. I still thought of him as the young energetic - very lovable and gentle - yet a blind follower of a dog. The first day my mom found him, he walked up to her and gently took her hand in his mouth and led her around. He would do that till the day he died. He was so gentle but I had to put him on a chain because he was also a blind follower. He got to following this pack that would attack cows out here so the Farmer called us and warned us that our dog was part of that pack and he'd have to start shooting them soon if they didn't stop harming his cows so I had to chain him. He was a good boy and I miss him and the others so much.

But as much as I miss them I will miss my yorkie even more. You see he's my "first" main inside dog. Oh I've had inside pets but they were never MINE. He's slept with me since I brought him home. He is in my lap every second of every day. I have so many cut little names for him. I kiss him, hug him and play with him. He's like a son to me, a friend and a pet all in one. He's an extension of myself and I wish he could stay with me forever.

I tell my mom that dogs live such a short life because it would be unfair to them if they lived as long as we did. Just think about how many animals would lose their masters. I've seen dogs literally die after losing their owners. It's heartbreaking to watch them just lay there watching the door for someone who's never coming back. That's why they live such short lives. They bring so much joy and happiness and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I know all of the years of joy he brought me and will still bring me will far outweigh the sadness of when he's gone. But I'll still miss him.

Take care everyone. I just got to thinking and figured I'd write down my thoughts.

P.S. What's the average lifespan of an inside - only yorkie? Anyone know?

[Lexi Rae]

oh my, you just hit such a soft spot in my heart.. im crying right now just
thinking of the day i have to lose my lexi. my lexi is my life.., sick to say, but
she is... shes my one and only..having no children, shes the closest to one.
god forbid anything happens to her, i will be destroyed.. i see it now.. so hold on to your yorkies as tight as you can, love them , cherish themand be there for them. they are really something else..

[jeanietoo]

Gosh 9 years isn't that old for a yorkie. With good medical care they can live many years. The average life spam is 14 yrs. My first one lived a little over 16 yrs. I now havw a 12 1/2 yr, 11 yr, 3 yr and 1 1/2 yr old

[kezza]

Originally Posted by Lexi Rae

oh my, you just hit such a soft spot in my heart.. im crying right now just
thinking of the day i have to lose my lexi. my lexi is my life.., sick to say, but
she is... shes my one and only..having no children, shes the closest to one.
god forbid anything happens to her, i will be destroyed.. i see it now.. so hold on to your yorkies as tight as you can, love them , cherish themand be there for them. they are really something else..

My thoughts exactly...I lost my girl last year after 14 years together...I thought my heart would break..I felt physical pain right through my body..the thought of losing my Pixie..well..I just can't think about it.. I'm going to go and cuddle my baby right now..

[Wabbit]

Wow what a sweet, touching, and heart wrenching post!!!

I know it's hard not to think about the time when we will ALL inevitably lose the very ones that tug so hard at our hearts....whats most important to me......is to live EACH and every day to the fullest extent possible with my furbabies....... so that when it is time for them to leave us, they will have the most fulfulled, happy and loved life they could have ever wished for!!!! And we will have memories that we can fall back on and cherish for the rest of our lives!!! That's what I have tried to do...... only I have been forgetting that myself lately...Thanks for reminding me...I needed it!!

[nneessaa]

I do not think 9 years old is old for a Yorkie, although depending on the breeding/health of the pup of course it will vary. I remember when my dog was 10, we used to laugh at him because he was "so old!". Looking back, I wish I cherished those young days with him, as it only gets worse. He is now over 15, and I can see the pain he is in. One thing that totally changed his life around, totally (he would not be alive if he didn't get this medication today), was Dynamite Free & Easy. He also gets pain medication and senior dog food.

I have never lost a dog before, I've lost mice, hamsters, fish, etc. I lost my cat (who was the best cat in the world) and my rabbit. My rabbit was like a dog, and would hop to the door to be let out and come in. He was the best rabbit. I have been blessed to have such good pets. I miss him now that I am thinking of him. I have had my dog since I was 3 years old. We grew up together. I used to dress him in ballerina outfits when we played dress up. He used to jump up 4 ft onto my bed. Now he can hardly make it up a step. I love him so much, and I know when the day comes I will completely fall apart.

Vanessa

[PiePiper]

I lost my little boy last March to cancer. He was 13 years old and I never thought I could love a dog as much as I did. When I had to make the decision to put him asleep it was the hardest decision I ever made. The vet said that I would know when it was time to let him go and he was right. He was fine one day and the next he was very sick and was just laying there looking and watching me with his beautiful brown eyes. I brought him to the vets and he told me what I already knew but I just couldn't let him go yet. I asked him to just give him a shot for pain and I brought him home. I held him and talked to him but he just kept watching me and didn't nap at all. By late afternoon I brought him back to the vets and I knew I had to let him go. I held him and he passed on even before the injection was finished. I cried for months for that little boy and finally decided I needed another little yorkie to love. In July my little Piper came into life. Even though a little piece of my heart will always be with my baby boy my new little girl has wiggled her way right in. I found I can love her as much as I did him and she brings me just as much joy.

[Sookie]

I don't know how I could ever handle losing Matty or Kalina. I think my heart would break; I just love them so much!!

[mypreciouspups]

How touching and how close to home your thread hit me...

I first got yorkies 20 years ago... took in a couple rescues...and then got a female and had one litter of babies..my first of my dreams.. well two were born with cleft pallet and died day 6 and day 7.. so I kept the little boy... omg.. I loved him, he became my life, my breath, my world, and 5 years ago now I took him to my vet at the time.. and said he needs his shots we are going to florida for the winter.. that day he told me what a wonderful yorkie he was and how he has such perfect teeth for a 5 year old.. well the year before the vet gave him his shots.. and he had a reaction to it.. yup this year after he did not look at his tiny chart.. and he gave him the same shot.. it killed my baby... and part of me died that day.. I screamed and I cried and I yelled for him not to leave me.. to no avail... I will never forget that day...
I had just gotten kacee months prior to this.. never knowing really why I got him... but when pepsie died... and kacee and I were in florida, with old sassie.. pepsie's mom.. I looked at him one day and said omg.. I think you came from heaven.. for pepsie trained you just the way he wanted to.. and today I look at my kacee and think... some one was looking after me.. two years ago we had to have sassie put down.. as long as I had her I had part of my pepsie...
I just got a new male.. yes finally I named him pepsie... he is 4 months old and weighs 2.11 pounds...

anne