Run Free My Handsome Boy! (Long Post) -- Pets in photography-on-the.net forums

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Joined Jun 2005
Location: New Hampshire

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Nov 29, 2011 19:48 | #1

On 10/22/11 I lost my best friend. His name was Riley and he was a pure bred boxer who I had the privelage of being owned by since he was 8 weeks old. He was such a good boy. He was very happy and he loved life! He loved everyone and everything and didn't a bad bone in his boy. He was 9 years and 7 months old to the day when he passed.

In late December 2010 he collapsed out of the blue. We rushed him to our vets and they did a complete exam and found that his heartbeat was way out of whack. They recommended that we get him into a cardiologist as soon as possible. We had an appointment set for the the following day. On our way home from our vet, they faxed Riley's records to the specialist at Angell Memorial in Boston. As we were walking into the house the cardiologist was calling us to check on Riley and she recommended that we bring him in that night and have him admitted into the ER so they could start treatment. She was worried that because his heartbeat was so bad that he could've passed away over night. So, we packed our bags and off we went. The following day he was diagnosed as having cardiomyopathy, a heart condition known to run in the boxer breed. There's no cure for this condition, we could only try to manage it as best as we could to make him as comfortable as possible.

For the next 9 months my poor boy went through every heart test and seemingly every heart medication under the sun to try to manage it. Initially he responded well, but over time the meds gradually stopped working for him. During one of our checkups, about a month before he passed, he actually collapsed at the clinic and had to admitted overnight again. Thankfully, he pulled through and came home the following day. He was put on the strongest med that they felt comfortable trying on him and he responded well.

On his last day, he woke up with an upset tummy. He was shaking and his stomach was gurgling louder than I ever heard before (he used to get an upset tummy a lot in his younger days). A few hours after he woke, he collapsed on the bedroom floor. We rushed him to the ER again and on the way he collapsed in the back seat of the car. I was sitting with him so thankfully he didn't hurt himself. Once we got to the ER, they hooked him up to the EKG to see if they could get a reading on what his heartrate was when he had these episodes. He had a few more collapses at the ER over the course of about an hour and the EKG showed that his heart was actually stopping and the restarting. His last episode was a bad one and I thought for sure he was gone, but he did come back.

Watching him go through all of this was both very upsetting and terrifying for me, but I knew it was much worst for him. I ended up making the decision that all pet owners dread. I decided he had enough and that it was time to set him free. I stayed by his side petting him and telling him how much I loved him until it was over. He passed away quickly and he looked very peaceful, but I still hated to leave his side.

Riley was a very special boy to me. As an adult, he was MY first dog and he was a momma's boy. He was always by my side and he was always seeking me out. We were inseperable. Not a day has gone by that I don't miss him or look at his pictures longing for one more hug or kiss. I miss him more than I ever thought I would, but I know I made the right decision for him. I only wish his last day would've been a brighter one for him.

Run free my handsome Riley... I will love you always!

Riley wearing what would end up being his last 24 hour holter monitor after his collapse at the hospital.