Jazz, R.I.P.

[George H. Smith]

I had my dog, Jazz, euthanized less than an hour ago. He was suffering from acute kidney failure and in miserable shape. Nothing could be done except, perhaps, prolong his life for a few more days. But even then he would have been very sick. I didn't see the point in that. I was with him when he died, of course.

Jazz was only 4-1/2 years old. The vet said the problem was almost certainly genetic.

Jazz was a great pal. I shall miss him dearly.

Ghs

[Jonathan]

I'm so sorry for your loss, George. I know that you really loved that dog.

My wife and I lost our little Desi, a very sweet and smart Min Pin, to kidney failure a couple of years ago. She was only two years old, and losing her hit us very hard.

We have a lot of great memories of her. She had a very good life. I think that we probably gave her as much love and happiness as you gave to Jazz.

J

[George H. Smith]

I'm so sorry for your loss, George. I know that you really loved that dog.

My wife and I lost our little Desi, a very sweet and smart Min Pin, to kidney failure a couple of years ago. She was only two years old, and losing her hit us very hard.

We have a lot of great memories of her. She had a very good life. I think that we probably gave her as much love and happiness as you gave to Jazz.

J

Thanks, Jonathan.

This all happened quite suddenly. A week ago I noticed that Jazz was drinking more water than usual. But I thought this might be owing to the hot weather (I walked Jazz a lot), and he stopped within a few days. Then he got obviously sick on Friday afternoon. He wouldn't eat, he kept vomiting, etc., etc. On Saturday morning he appeared to pick up a little, but by Saturday night he was even sicker. Sunday was bad, and this morning he could barely walk.

I got Jazz to the vet at 11:30 today. He ran a battery of blood tests. After around 30 minutes, the vet came back into the room, and I could tell by the look on his face that the news was very, very bad. He ran through some options but qualified each one as temporary at best. It took less than a minute for me to understand what the only realistic option was. At that point I broke up so badly that I had to leave the room for ten minutes, to regain my composure. I asked the vet if anything could have been done if I had brought Jazz in on Friday, as soon as he became noticeably sick. The vet said no; his kidneys had shut down, and that was that.

The vet said he could fix Jazz up enough so I could take him home for another day, but that he would be very listless at best. I couldn't stand the idea of watching him for a day in that condition, knowing that I would have to have him put down soon. So I decided the best thing to do was have the deed done asap. I took Jazz outside and carried him around for 15 minutes, and said goodbye. Then I went back in the office for the euthanasia. I sat in a chair with Jazz on my lap during the procedure. He was dead in a matter of seconds.

Ghs

[Xray]

I'm so sad to hear about the loss of your dear dog Jazz, George. My heart goes out to you.

[syrakusos]

Sorry. Lost parents and pets, friends and relatives. It is part of life and never easy. Ask not for whom the bell tolls.

[Brant Gaede]

I'm sorry this happened to you, George. Jazz was so young. Dogs die too young as it is even when they die old for a dog.

--Brant

[Dennis Edwall]

Sorry for your loss, George. I have to say that it's unfortunate that we treat the natural deaths of our fellow humans with less compassion than the majority of our pets get.

[Jonathan]

Thanks, Jonathan.

This all happened quite suddenly. A week ago I noticed that Jazz was drinking more water than usual. But I thought this might be owing to the hot weather (I walked Jazz a lot), and he stopped within a few days. Then he got obviously sick on Friday afternoon. He wouldn't eat, he kept vomiting, etc., etc. On Saturday morning he appeared to pick up a little, but by Saturday night he was even sicker. Sunday was bad, and this morning he could barely walk.

I got Jazz to the vet at 11:30 today. He ran a battery of blood tests. After around 30 minutes, the vet came back into the room, and I could tell by the look on his face that the news was very, very bad. He ran through some options but qualified each one as temporary at best. It took less than a minute for me to understand what the only realistic option was. At that point I broke up so badly that I had to leave the room for ten minutes, to regain my composure. I asked the vet if anything could have been done if I had brought Jazz in on Friday, as soon as he became noticeably sick. The vet said no; his kidneys had shut down, and that was that.

The vet said he could fix Jazz up enough so I could take him home for another day, but that he would be very listless at best. I couldn't stand the idea of watching him for a day in that condition, knowing that I would have to have him put down soon. So I decided the best thing to do was have the deed done asap. I took Jazz outside and carried him around for 15 minutes, and said goodbye. Then I went back in the office for the euthanasia. I sat in a chair with Jazz on my lap during the procedure. He was dead in a matter of seconds.

Ghs

It was winter when out little Desi got sick. We took her to the vet late in the afternoon, the vet ran some tests and told us that it was serious and that she'd have to stay overnight. The next morning we called, and the vet said he had done everything he could, but that she was in very bad shape, and that it would probably be best to put her down. She was in misery. By that time, a blizzard had hit, and there was no way that we could drive to the vet's office. That was the hardest thing about losing her -- not getting to say goodbye and not being there to hold her and comfort her.

I'm glad that you got to be with Jazz until the end.

J

[BaalChatzaf]

My condolences on the loss of your pet.

That kind if experience is one reason I do not have pets. It is bad enough losing people (it can't be avoided). I will not add the pain of becoming attached to a pet with a much shorter life span than I have. It is a road to sadness.

Given a choice between handling pain and avoiding it, I prefer avoidance.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[George H. Smith]

As I watched Jazz die in a matter of seconds, without pain, I thought to myself, "I should be so lucky."

Ghs

[Brant Gaede]

My Fa

As I watched Jazz die in a matter of seconds, without pain, I thought to myself, "I should be so lucky."

Ghs

My Father died of lung cancer two months after the diagnosis. Pretty painless until he needed 10mg of Valium to get to sleep. He never woke up. I was called in right after--at night--and went up to the lady behind the desk to get into the hospital. I was so choked up I couldn't speak. Only time in my life. I tried again and again. No joy. Finally I could say, "My Father just died . . . ." 1993.

--Brant

My friend Petr Beckmann had just died too, and Kay Nolte Smith a month later, also of lung cancer, and my uncle's wife--we buried her at Arlington; when he dies he'll be buried stacked right on top of her

[9thdoctor]

Sad news, sorry to hear it.

[anthony]

Very, very sorry and sad for your loss, George.

I have four dogs I cherish, one of whom I truly love. He is me, in canine form,

I swear. Now I ache to see the greying in his muzzle.

Towards the end, it's the incomprehension in their eyes that gets to me.

Ah well, best to remember the good times we gave one another.

[George H. Smith]

Very, very sorry and sad for your loss, George.

I have four dogs I cherish, one of whom I truly love. He is me, in canine form,

I swear. Now I ache to see the greying in his muzzle.

Towards the end, it's the incomprehension in their eyes that gets to me.

Ah well, best to remember the good times we gave one another.

Thanks for the kind words.

I know what you mean about "incomprehension in their eyes." Jazz had been vomiting a lot since Saturday. (He threw up in the vet's office a couple times as well.) Jazz would typically walk over to me, as I sat in this chair working, and then throw up near my feet. He would then look up at me pathetically, as if to say, "Can you fix this, please?" Very sad.

Deep down I think I knew that Jazz would not pull out of his illness. He had been sick a few times before, but this time was different. He had pretty much lost bladder control, for one thing. I dreaded taking him to the vet because I feared that what did happen would happen.

Ghs

[merjet]

My condolences on your loss, George. Doggone it.

[Robert Campbell]

George,

My condolences as well.

It's hard enough seeing our 15-year-old dog in physical decline and wondering how much time she has left.

Robert Campbell

[Michael Stuart Kelly]

Oh Lord.

I didn't have a clue. From the title, I thought this thread was some kind of spoof on music.

George, my heart goes out to you.

I love dogs and what you just went through is horrible news.

I feel for you.

Michael

[George H. Smith]

Oh Lord.

I didn't have a clue. From the title, I thought this thread was some kind of spoof on music.

George, my heart goes out to you.

I love dogs and what you just went through is horrible news.

I feel for you.

Michael

Thanks, Michael.

I wasn't thinking too clearly when I titled this thread Jazz R.I.P. I wrote the first post shortly after I returned from the vet's office, and I was in a daze. Later it occurred to me that some OLers might misconstrue the subject heading as pertaining to jazz music.

I was pretty much in shock yesterday and earlier today. This functioned as an anesthetic and permitted me to function. The effect wore off around 3 p.m., however, and after that the pain really set in. I am attempting to keep myself occupied by focusing on work, but whenever I stop a feeling of dread flows through me.

For four years I spent nearly 24/7 with Jazz. There is virtually nothing I do around here that did not involve Jazz's presence in some way, so virtually everything I do reminds me of him. It's very difficult. I'm glad to have a weekly deadline for my Cato Essays; otherwise I would probably sink into a deep depression.

All this will pass, of course, but getting through the next couple weeks is going to be tough.

Ghs

[caroljane]

George, I am so sad that you have lost your wonderful little friend. There is nothing that can reploce that bond.

At least you could be with him at the end and know he died content and loved.

We only ever had cats. The matriarch (or patriarch, depending oin how you look at it) was Whiskers, definitely my husband Eddie's cat. He picked him from the Humane Society shelter, becaus he was the shyest and most aloof animal in the place, yet he always averred he felt a connection. He went for a cat to kill the mice with which our basement was overrun at the tiome. He prevailed against the aghast shelter workers who did not in fact shelter mice, but somehow felt that killing them was not right.

Whiskers proved to be deathly afraid of mice, even more than Eddie, so guess who got to deal with them. He also produced a litter of 6 within a remarkably short time in our home, although the shelter staff assured us he was a tom. His chief attributes were a large plumy tail which he let down over the TV screen whenever the climax of Masytlock or Magnum PI(, Eddie's favourite shows, were approaching; and a magnificent disregard for anyone but herself- except for Eddie. unlike the rest of the family shewaited up for Eddie to return from the Black Swan on soccer nights, and many times have I seen them in deep converse on the living room rug, staring eye to eye.

Whiskers got old and thin, and one day she just disappeared. We did all the usual things, put up notices, scoured the neighbourhood et, but we never saw her again. Despite all evidece I like to think she just crawled under the lilac tree in the back yard where she loved to lie, and went to sleep forever.

O George, I am sorry. I know a condolence post cannot be cheerful, but still... it is just, your loss brought back my feline sorrows..

Hope that misery likes compamy at least for a while.

Carol