Lost my best mate.

[carlschmid2002]

My wife, daughter and two dogs have recently moved to Townsville from Melbourne. We experienced some fairly ordinary temperatures in Melbourne before I left and driving up with the two dogs in the Mazda 3 in never went under 40 Deg. I had the aircon pumping the whole way. I checked them into a kennel whilst I flew back to Melbourne and picked up the LR. They spent about 10 days in a kennel and then we finally moved into our new home. It was pouring rain whilst we moved in and the dogs were sitting on the verandah wondering what was going on. When the rain stopped I took them for a walk and the beagle was not doing well. He loves his walks, but he started panting really roughly and didn't want to continue. I carried him to the park and he just lay in the water near the tap. I decided that there would be no more walks until they acclimatised. On Thursday I took them to the vet for their yearly vaccinations and he checked out the beagles airway and said if it continues he would examine his nose as this could be the problem. On Sunday I left for Cairns at 7.00 AM and put the dogs outside. My wife left to meet a friend at 1030 and returned at 4.30PM to find the beagle dead on the verandah. They had shade and two buckets of water. i knew it was hot and thought my wife was only going out for a few hours. We are both so devastated and feel completely responsible. This was my reponsibility as we have a 4 month old baby my wife has to look after. When she rang me being rather hysterical I was still 2.5 hours away. Then the Telstra mobile network shut down. The german shepherd is fine but missing her little mate terribly. I grew up in North Queensland, but I have never known heat like this. On Sunday it hit 40 Deg here with awful humidity. I love my dogs and feel terrible, but by posting this I hope you all keep a close eye on your best mate over the summer. he definitely had some sort of breathing problem and couldn't cool down. He may have found a cane toad or been bitten by something, but I will never forgive myself.

[TD50WA]

Mate, my sincere condolences

I'm a "dog person" myself, used to be a police dog trainer in the RAAF, breed bull terriers, now I have two great chihuahuas.:D

Over the years I have said goodbye to a few good mates, and miss each one like the friend they were, so I feel for you mate.

Take care, remember the good times.

Regards
Kev

[SBD4]

Mate, it's always hard to take but even worse if you feel responsible. Don't be too hard on your self - as you say, you just don't know what took him in the end.

We lost our dog Rex back in Oct, I had noticed a smear of blood on his bed one morning and didn't think much of it. Noticed another the next morning and thought I should check him over which I got around to a couple of hours later. Checked him all over and couldn't find a thing until I gave him a rub around the head. He had clots all around his gums. He died 3 days later at the vet from internal bleeding. I couldn't help but think that if I had jumped onto it the day before that he may have had a chance.

You may feel you let him down in his moment of need - ultimately he knew you loved and cared for him and because of that he had a happy life.

[Tombie]

I feel your pain, shock and loss.

I went through this myself a few weeks ago.

My thoughts are with you.

[Alra]

Keep your chin up mate. The loss of a family member like your beagle is always a terrible hardship to bear. Don't be to hard on yourself, just take good care of your shepherd and the rest of the family.

[Marshall]

Don't blame yourself Carl...
All the best...
Pete

[wrinklearthur]

Sorry to hear about your loss. We love our little mates.
.

[Chucaro]

It is vert hard to loose an unconditional friend :(
Sorry for your lost.

[Davo]

That's awful, but certainly don't blame yourself. Dogs can't talk and so you never quite know what's wrong with them. We almost lost a Golden Retriever with a twisted stomache because we had no idea what was going on with him. Only a highly illegal late-night dash on a country highway got him to the vet in time.

[debruiser]

I know how you feel, we had to put one of ours down on Tuesday... he had escaped and got beaten up by a bigger dog... my MRS had loved that dog since we got him and she took him everywhere, trained him and is completely devastated that he is gone. (he was only 6).

Our other dog misses him very much too, he's been moping around and not eating much. Now I think about it that's pretty much how the wife is too....

[rijidij]

G'day Carl,
Sorry to hear that mate, it's a difficult thing to deal with when you lose 'one of the family'. You've met our two dogs, I'm not looking forward to the day we lose either of them, we've been through it before too.

All the best.

Cheers, Murray

[Cobber]

Sad news :(

[Sue]

I am so sorry to read this and can only imagine how you are feeling. Our pets are only in our lives for a short time but when they go they leave huge holes in our hearts that feel like they will never heal.

Please don't blame yourself though, you did everything within your power to ensure that your mate was well looked after.. and as you said it may not have been the heat - it could have been anything from a snake bite or tic to an allergic reaction.. I guess what I am trying to say is that it could have been anything and even if you had of assigned yourself to stand guard over him 24/7 it still may not have prevented what happened.

*hugs*

[Basil135]

Sad news, mate.

I can understand what you are going thru.

Our deepest sympathies.

[meldrew]

Sorry to hear of your loss, it has been terrible weather for animals, and that may have contributed, it sounds as though you did everything you could re water and shade. Early days however another dog as a mate for your German Shepherd may be in order? A new puppy could help everyone.

[1976_michelle]

your dog looked middle aged and round; he could have had an attack of pancreatitis. one of my old dogs exhibited in much the same way, during a walk which she usually loved but this day couldnt handle it. i got her straight in to the vet, she spent almost a week on the drip, and died the day i was due to pick her up.
dont blame yourself, the trauma of a move and boarding away and middle age all combine

[carlschmid2002]

I really appreciate all the kind words from you all. I think that as a group on this forum the people who are so passionate about their LRs are obviously very passionate about their pets. I know nothing will bring my mate back and I have lost dogs before, but I am afraid this time I feel completely responsible and that makes it so much worse. After what I have now read on the Interweb I really think it was the heat and humidity that got to him. I grew up north with dogs that were raised here and we had a yard with big trees that shaded everything. These new housing estates have no trees. Our dogs rely on us so much for smart decisions in this harsh climate. They ask for nothing and most would happily lay down their lives for us. I miss you mate.

[1976_michelle]

lost my best mate too, last Monday. 27yo, I've owned him since 1992, I think the heat got to him also and his new paddock mate wouldn't join him in the shade along the creek where he always would go over the last 6 years he's lived there, so he would'nt go either.
I also blame myself, as I had given the new guy some work on the Saturday, and Brambles got quite excited, and I had thought about keeping Brambles seperated in to the creek paddock afterward since there was water in the channel but I let them be. The new horse was quite restless still, and i guess he didn't let the old boy relax much and Monday I found him where he used to spend a lot of time sleeping
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/02/622.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/02/623.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2013/02/624.jpg

[bob10]

We grow attached to our animals, they are like family. I , too , have lost some very good furry friends. But, get over it, they are dogs, horses, whatever, concentrate on on what is important, Family, the Human kind, Bob

[1976_michelle]

to a point
but you don't choose your human family, just get born to them lol

[Basil135]

Sorry to hear Michelle.

It is hard enough loosing a fur friend after 10 or so years, let alone the 21 you had your mate for.

We love horses in our house too. They are a very special, intelligent, and independent type of animal.

Our sympathies.

[Chucaro]

Sorry about your lost Michelle. horses and dogs are very special and the loosing a friend that was with you for long time it is very hard to cope with it.

We lost our dog 3 years ago at the age of 11 years + and it is very hard to accept it after all these years.
I think that I made the mistake to not get another dog soon to make the lost of Clara much easy :(