Rebuilding Rob

I briefly talked in yesterday’s entry about how X2 had to put her dog – whom I’ll call G – to sleep. G is actually a dog she adopted while her and I were in the process of moving in together . He was 13, an advanced age for any domesticated dog, but very much on the extreme high end for “giant breeds“ such as himself.

I knew that G had been in rough shape for the last few days. X2 had told me as which when I had been talking to Kid 2. But he apparently took a turn for the worse this past weekend.

Kid 2 a little bit of a health scare himself over the weekend. So the original plan was to get kid two to the doctor on Monday and then get G into the vet on Tuesday. On Monday afternoon, X2 wasn’t able to get G back at the house after letting him out. She decided she had to do something and ultimately flip-flopped kid 2 and G‘s appointments.

So I made my way up to pick up kid two on Monday, as we have been doing all summer, I want to find out about the change of plans. The three of us took G to an emergency vet where they ran some test and we got the bad news. At that point, he wasn’t holding down any food or water. It turns out he actually had a blockage somewhere in his stomach. In fact, the x-ray actually revealed on digested food in his belly.

They were worried about the blockage, saying that it could potentially be a tumor, especially given his age. Surgery, which would be quite expensive normally would’ve been an option. However, they didn’t know if it would even be effective. Also, because of G’s condition, they would have to wait for him to stabilize before they could even operate. So we had made the decision to euthanize him.

This may sound kind of weird – me going on and on about my ex’s dog. But as I mentioned earlier, X2 had adopted G just as her and I were getting ready to move in together. The plan was that he would be the “family dog”. As it turns out, G would be a part of the family to the end. On the other hand, I only last in that particular family until 2020.

We’re next to you and I had split up, if I’d had my own place at the time, I would’ve taken G with me. That’s how attached I was to him. It’s important to note that next two has also adapted another dog, whom I will call Coltrane about seven or eight years ago.

Coltrane as a good dog, but he’s always been one of that would probably be better suited to be “the only family dog“. I have no doubt that he loved a G, they played together a lot. But also I always got the impression that he was constantly vying for attention with G. As it was, Coltrane kind of attached himself to X2. Because of that, G tended to connect more with me. For those reasons, next to and I had always talked about the possibility of me taking G with me someday.

So this is still a loss. I don’t care what people say. In my home, pets are part of the family. They have their own feelings in their own unique personalities. Even though I didn’t have G in my home for five years, I’ll miss him as much as and dog I’ve ever owned.

Still, I was a little bit taken back how much much pudding she down affecting me emotionally. I was driving out towards xT’s house, Monday, knowing full well that there is a good chance that we were going to have to make that decision. But when the time came, I got very emotional.

Kitty was an absolute soldier about it. He cried, as we all did. But he looked very well. I hate the fact that he has to even really learn about the concept of death at his age. One of the cats at his house passed away earlier this year. It’s a lot to absorb for him. Hell, that much death in one year is hard for any of us. 

It will never cease to amaze me how we , as a society, are so much more accepting of euthanasia for our pets. However, when it comes to human lives, we become very sanctimonious, like the preservation of life is paramount, no matter the amount of pain and suffering, the human is enduring. But that’s another conversation for another day.

Thanks for stopping by Rebuilding Rob. Be sure to like, 👍 comment and subscribe to my blog below. It’s greatly appreciated! Also, feel free to follow me on social media as well! Check out my most recent posts as well as some earlier, related posts:

• Rob’s Retro Movie Review: This is Spinal Tap (1984) – The Movie That Scaled to Eleven
• A Death in the Family (And My Disposable Income): My Life in Comics
• The Supporting Cast: Navigating the Eras of Male Friendship
• Life is What Happens: A Look Back at My Non-Existent 2025 Vision
• The Moment I Walked Inside a Hallmark Movie

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The article “Requiem for a G“ first appeared on Rebuilding Rob.