RIP Zuko

How terribly sad - our thoughts are with you - as you said, as long as he was not in pain and in his favourite place, that is a comfort. Do you know what caused the heart failure?

Oh no, that's heart-breaking - what an awful thing to have happened. My thoughts are with you and your family, I know what it's like to lose one in exactly the same way. 

Somehow it's always worse when they're young but I am certain that Zuko had a wonderful (if short) life with you. 

Thats such a shame it seems terrible that something like this can happen to an animal so young. My thoughts are with you and if you are struggling then please ask for help.

A couple of us have lost loved dogs recently. Believe me, we know the hurt & the loss. But nobody can tell you "it'll be better soon".

But eventually you'll be able to look at pics of Zuko, or talk about things he did, with a smile instead of tears.

I still cry over the loss of Dempsey last May, and I'm sure Chris and Brian still feel the tears about Aide & Charley. But time does heal.

And in the meantime we're here. Rants, tears, we can help, if only by way of support.

You're not alone.

Oh, heavens - my heart goes out to you, hugs from T'n'me to you'n'yours ...

I lost Ellie in the park, one minute she was playing ...

I’m doing ok thank you. I still have lots of times during the day where I get really upset and it fully sinks in that he’s gone, but each day is getting a small bit easier. I’m finding it really tough to think of how short of a life he got, and how unfair it is that we only had 8 months together. I can’t believe the effect he had on my life in the short time he was here.

It’s still heart breaking to think of him and look at photos, or when I look out to the garden or onto his sofa and he’s not there.

I haven’t been able to go for a walk yet because everywhere I walk is where I would have brought him, and I know it will be too sad for me at the moment.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to opening the kitchen door first thing in the morning and there’s no little wagging tail waiting to be let our and have our morning play.

In saying all of the above, and reflecting on his short life...

I think that if it wasn’t his heart that gave in in the end, it would have been something else soon...

He was never fully healthy for his whole time here, between his two major surgeries, his 10 day stay in hospital, his constant toilet issues and I had begin to notice his hips going wonky. There was always a worry with him, and in a strange way I always knew it was going to be a relatively short spell with him, I guess I just didn’t think it would be that short....

I was extremely uneducated about the importance of a good breeder and the dangers of puppy farms/ irresponsible breeders when I got him. Looking back on it, I think he was bred badly and was never destined for a long and healthy life. I have no regrets in buying him from a bad breeder, they gave me the best pal I could have ever asked for. But I’m saying that, it has opened my eyes to how easily it is to be fooled by bad breeders into thinking they are responsible.

I can’t think of ever getting another dog again because I couldn’t picture loving another dog the way I did Zuko, but if I ever was i am now a lot more educated on breeding and the dangers of it.

I am so so thankful I got the 8 months I got with him, and in all the ways to go.. I am glad he went in no pain, not scared in a vets or suffering, and at his favourite place in the world.