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Just got the post announcing the passing of Sue's sweet Bridget. Such a sad time. She and Reggie will spend a few more days then move on in their journey.
Velda

Awww! I think she lost a dog a couple years ago too.

Yes, Barbara, first Spike crossed the Rainbow Bridge, and now Bridget. Im so glad she has Reggie to keep her mind going.
Velda

No sh*t from me, Anne. I feel as you do regarding vet care for my animals. In fact, I've already paid the entire month's mortgage on my vet's clinic. It has been a very expensive couple of months around my house.

Anne, no chi-ite from me. For various reasons I quit reading her blog long ago.

Totally agree she should have taken her dog to the vet. If you can't afford vet bills then maybe you should rethink having an animal. I know that sometimes you just can't afford thousands for treatment and you have to rethink things but letting your dog get obese is cruel. ALL seven of mine have all their shots and are on Proheart every six months. The money I used to spend on traveling is now going to the dogs, literally. Tootles, the little black Chihuahau that I rescued from a kill shelter and has mild seizures, a heart murmur and arrhythmia. My vet and I talked about taking her to a specialist in Dallas to see exactly what was going on with her. It would have cost me about $2,000 and I couldn't afford that. Fortunately, she has no symptoms of heart problems (panting, no energy, etc) so we decided to just wait and see how she does. She plays with the other dogs without getting short of breath and her seizures don't seem to be frequent (two in four months). At some point in her life she will probably need heart meds; we'll just wait and see. I was originally going to rehome her but now that won't happen. Most people won't take on a dog with medical problems so she'll be mine for her lifetime. I would max out my credit cards to take one of my babies to the vet if they were sick. I just don't understand the "let nature happen" way. Would they not take a family member to the doctor if they were sick or would they just let nature do her thing. If nothing else, ease their pain and suffering.

I don't know all the details, but she has mentioned in the past that the dog had a large fatty tumor on her chest and several others developing other places, which is why she looked fat. She has posted in the past about taking her to the vet, although that was several months ago. And she had arthritis and was 15 years old.

I know that with the pets I have had in the past that got sick, I have regretted not taking them to the vet sooner and having them put down. Of course, this was all after the fact, and I did not know at the time how sick they were. Animals are very good at hiding symptoms because they fear being seen as weak to predators. However, I am certain Sue loved her pets and did what she thought was right, as I did at the time.

It's so hard to judge their pain. I know when I'm 100 and tell the doctors to keep their dratted hands off me, I expect my wishes to prevail. A few years ago, William suddenly decided the vet's office was dangerous, even though he'd been perfectly happy there for over a decade. It took three people and a blanket to hold him down long enough to draw blood for a heartworm test. He really thought he was fighting for his life, poor guy. I got around that by switching to the mobile vet for his last few years, and I am very fortunate that we have that service in this area, and that he could tolerate a vet in his own familiar surroundings. Would I have forced him to endure the terror if we didn't have that alternative? I doubt it. I wouldn't tolerate a life filled with pain punctuated by terror, and I wouldn't force it on him, either. Of course, at that point he was clearly failing, even though the vets didn't find a treatable illness.

I thought long and hard before replying to this post, but wanted to share my thoughts. Please do not take this a she-it, it is an opinion and another point of view only.

I was sad to read about Bridget and know that Sue is probably very upset about losing her. I do agree that Bridget may have looked overweight, but as JudyJB mentioned, she did have a lot of fatty tumors, but there may have been other health issues involved also, besides her age. We don't know. My Zorro has fatty tumors also, as do a majority of dogs when they get older, but since they are only fatty deposits and do not affect his overall health, the vet says to leave them alone (i.e. no surgery). Because Zorro has these tumors, it does not mean I love him any less and that I do not do everything I can for him (or any other pets).

I can also understand that some may think that Bridget never went to a vet, but as Sue has stated on her blog, she has hidden the down fall of Bridget's health from her readers for a long time (over the last year), so it may be unfair to say she did not take her to a vet without knowing the entire story.

A lot of people who post on the internet under any forum, blog, etc may choose to only post happy/exciting things (my blog included), but that does not mean that our lives are perfect and that there is no heartache and worry in our lives. My lifestyle and decisions may not be favorable to others, and visa versa, but that does not mean the decision is bad for that specific person, scenario, time period, etc.

A choice to stop reading any blog is personal and can be for any number of reasons (boring, not up-to-date, not agreeing with the blogger, etc). I personally read blogs and take them with a grain of salt.

Two quotes come to mind:
'Judge not lest ye be judged' - and - 'May my life be exciting as my Facebook posts appear to be'

I'm sorry if I am offending anyone, but the loss of any pet is sad and I am grieving with Sue for her loss of Bridget, the same as I would for any of us who have lost a dear friend.

I am pretty surprised at the judgemental attitude without actual knowledge of the situation. Yes a vet was mentioned and yes Bridget was at least 15. I stand with my original sorrow as I know Sue does the very best for her animals. Unless you stood there in her shoes or beside her as she made her decisions, you really have no idea due to Sues penchant for privacy.
Velda

MandysMom wrote: Unless you stood there in her shoes or beside her as she made her decisions, you really have no idea due to Sues penchant for privacy.
Velda

Velda, that's what gets me. This person, for whom privacy is paramount, lays her life open for everyone to examine and pass judgement on. I don't get it. A big part of me says that you can't have it both ways.

If indeed there's a back-story to Bridget's health issues, would not it have been in Sue's best interest to mention it when she announced that Bridget had died?

I'm sorry for her loss, and hope that things go well for her and Spike.

Laura

I agree with Velda. I rarely read Sue's blog but I'm sure she made the best decisions for Bridget and what was right for her. I believe the pet owner can choose the right way to let her beloved companion go. Maybe Sue didn't want Bridget to spend her last days on medications which many times doesn't help with the quality of life either for the pet or the owner. No need to be judgmental that's for sure.

Linda

I wasn't going to comment on this because I haven't read Sue's blog. But as I read the responses posted here, I began to think about what might have been going on as Sue was dealing with her dog's health problems. It made me think about all the animals I've had in my lifetime. Except for 2 years after I was first married, I've had animals all my life and have lost so many. With each animal I had, I promised to do my best for them and to be their best friend and advocate. I loved them with all my heart and at the loss of each I was heartbroken. After losing each, I would torture myself by thinking of things I could have done or done better. I would swear to do it right the next time and not repeat past mistakes. It never helped. I'd get another animal and again be determined to make sure I did everything right, but invariably when I ultimately lost that next dog/cat/horse/chicken, etc., I'd always think of something I could have done better. I knew I'd done my best, but we are only human. We can have the best intentions and still later determine that maybe we should have done something more or less.

I have a feeling Sue did the best she could and loved her dog to the fullest. I refuse to believe she would purposely put her pet in harm's way. She may later regret having done things the way she did as I seem to always do, but I hope she doesn't torment herself but rather can remember the good times she had with her beloved dog and know she did her best for her best friend.
Sandi

Sandi, I always wonder if I did the right thing too. Did I keep them alive because I didn't want them to go. Did I not let them go soon enough. When an old animal quits eating the vet can keep them alive a while longer by giving them fluids but Is that in their best interest. Sue had been hinting about things going on with Bridget.

I didn't read her blog all the time, not because of her animals but other reasons. It kind of sends mixed signals if you put your whole live on line and then dare any one to talk to you.

Martha