We said goodbye to our sweet Fiona on Saturday.
About a month ago, she stopped eating for almost a week. We thought maybe she was just tired of her food. But when we took her to see a veterinary specialist, they did an ultrasound and told us that Fiona had severe liver failure and her liver was shrinking. And they told us that she had 2-4 weeks to live.
We were devastated. They gave us some meds to help her regain her appetite so they could then try to treat the liver to give her some more time.
After a few more weeks, she became weaker and weaker. Her body worked so hard to breathe and it was hard for her to get around. We rarely saw her wag her tail. She no longer barked at the UPS guy. And I often just found her looking at me as if she wanted to say, “help me.”
The vet had told us that even though her situation was severe, she wouldn’t die on her own, which also devastated us. How would we know when it was time? How could we tell?
And then last week, she stopped sleeping. We’d wake up in the night just to see her standing up. She was so restless and always seemed worried like she just didn’t know what to do to help herself. On Friday morning, Todd and I held her when we woke up. There were lots of tears. We knew that she was so tired and she just didn’t feel well. Our vet had given us her cell phone number and told us to call if we wanted to talk about it or make an appointment to bring her in. She also encouraged us to give Fiona whatever she wanted.
On Friday night, we drove through Cookout and got her some chicken nuggets. Then gave her some cookies with pink icing for dessert. We’ve never seen her eat so fast in her life!
On Saturday morning, we arranged for Todd’s parents to take the boys to the zoo and to lunch. And Todd and I spent the morning with Fiona. We got her some Munchkins from Dunkin Donuts for breakfast and just loved on her. We held her and cried some more.
At noon, we drove to the vet’s office, where they were waiting for us. They had set up a little room for us with a comfy bed for Fiona. But I just held her in my lap the whole time. We held her some more and thanked her for loving us so well. All she ever wanted was to be loved and to love us. She just wanted to be with us. And she did that so very well.
She was 8 years old and was my constant companion. There wasn’t a moment of the day when I was at home that she wasn’t on my heels just wanting to stay as close to me as possible.
She terrorized the mailman at our old house. Every day, the mail came shooting through the slot in our front door, and she shredded at least one piece of it every day.
When Hudson was born, she followed me around and sat as close to Hudson as she could- just making sure I was doing everything correctly. She followed me to his room in the middle of the night and made herself comfy as I fed him.
She found herself in Todd’s lap every night when he watched TV. And when we moved to Nana’s house, she found her way into our bed to snuggle with Todd every night.
Fiona came to live with us about two months after we got married. She was my cousin John’s dog, and we tragically lost him in a motorcycle accident. Having his sweet little dog come to live with us was an honor and was always a way of keeping him with us in way. She was with us for 6.5 years and she brought so much life to our house.
As I held her on Saturday, wrapped in a towel, we hugged her and told her we loved her. And then she went to sleep and was gone. And we miss her so much. It was a sad, sad weekend at our house even though we know it was what was best for our sweet, broken little body.
When trying to explain to Hudson where Fiona was and what happens when you die, he said that sweetest thing that I just wanted to write down and remember:
“God sent Jesus down, and he died on the cross, and he lives in our hearts. Now Fiona lives in our hearts, too.”
She was just a dog to some, but she was a part of our family in a huge way. And we’re so thankful for the years that we could love her.
I am just so, so, so sorry Erin for your loss. Pets are like family. I’m so sorry.
I am so sorry for your loss. Fiona left beautiful memories for your family to cherish. Reading about her just made me tear up. It’s amazing how pets are truly just part of the family. Wrapping your family in prayers.
That is so horrible. I’m so sorry for your loss. Pets are definitely family.
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss, you & your family are in my thoughts.
I’m so sorry to hear of your loss, you & your family are in my thoughts
you and todd were so kind to take fiona in after your cousin passed away. i’m sure she had a wonderful life with you and your family. losing a pet is so hard, but i’m sure she is happy in her new “home.” thinking of you guys!
i am so sorry sweet friend. my goodness they are indeed part of the family so i know your tender heart is heavy right now. i love what your little fella said…
xoxox
I’m so very sorry about your precious Fiona. It’s so hard to have to make the decision to help them pass. I’ve always prayed mine would go in their sleep… So heartbreaking, but time will ease your pain and the good memories will always be there.
So so sorry for y’all’s loss. Hugs.
I’m so sorry, Erin. You must be heartbroken. Thinking of y’all!
My heart is aching for you as I read this. We only have four-legged children right now, and I’m pretty sure some people think I’m crazy for how we treat/talk about them. Praise God for your heart and love for Fiona. Thankful she was able to spend her life with you and you could pour love on her. Hope the boys are doing okay!
So sorry for your loss of sweet little Fiona. Prayers for you guys in the coming weeks. I know you will miss her so much. And it is soo true what your little boys said, she will live in your hearts forever. Sometimes those pure little hearts in kids can be the most comforting in times like these 🙂
Oh Erin!! I’m so sorry for your loss! What a beautiful tribute to Fiona! Praying for y’all!
Losing a pet is devastating. Thinking of your family
Oh, girl, we did this with our 11 year-old Maggie Mae this past winter. So very similar and so very devastating. My heart hurts for you. You are a good mommy and she once again wagging her tail with you cousin. Hugs.
So sorry. We had to do this with our Mr. Bojangles 3 weeks ago today. His little body had just given out after 14 happy years. We have so many cherished memories with him. It hurts for sure, and will take time to heal. Just know that others are thinking of you during this time.
I am so so so sorry. Pets become family and it is so hard to say goodbye. Praying this week is full of extra reasons to smile.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. It brought tears to my eyes as I recalled the sad day back in December when we had to put our baby Roxy down after 15 great years. The only thing that made us smile after a month of heartache was getting 2 puppies in January! So much love and life. Just what we needed. A house is not a home without a dog. True, and there is no truer life than a dogs unconditional love. Keep her memories and love a dig again. You will wish you had done it sooner.
So very sorry for your loss! This post is a wonderful tribute to Fiona. Hugs to you and your sweet family!
Hudson is such a sweet and sensitive boy. He has a gift of.comforting others <3
I cried reading this. You made one of the hardest decisions you’ll have to make, and you let Fiona go out with dignity. I am so sad you guys had to deal with this. It’s so heartbreaking. Huge hugs to you and hope that peace finds you. Finley still asks about Chase over a year later. Hudson is so right… She will forever be in your hearts. Hugs, friend.
So sorry! Pets truly do become part of the family and it is so tough saying goodbye. Praying for y’all.
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. Pets always hold such a special place in our hearts. Many prayers to you and the boys as you deal with the loss.
When we lost my parents dog we found a book called “Dog Heaven” by Cynthia Rylant for our daughter. The sweet thought of our dog in heaven watching over her provided much comfort to her.
How very hard it is to lose someone we love so much, a pet. I cried reading your post. Prayers for everyone of you!
What a special moving tribute to Fiona. So sorry about your loss. Reading your post just brought me to tears. So glad you had some special moments with her and that she got some very special food treats!!
Erin, I’m so sorry you lost such a sweet little friend. I’m glad Fiona got to eat lots of extra special goodies and that you got to spend some one on one time with her. What a sweet heart that little Hudson has!
Oh Erin, I am so so sorry. This story just broke my heart. Fiona was so lucky to have you and your family, it sounds like you gave her the best life possible up until the very end. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family as you heal from this loss. ((big huge hugs))
So heartbroken for you. We lost our dog Muttley almost three years ago and we still grieve. What a sweet blessing Hudson is and what a great lesson to us all.
So heartbroken for you. We lost our dog Muttley almost three years ago and we still grieve. What a sweet blessing Hudson is and what a great lesson to us all.
So heartbroken for you. We lost our dog Muttley almost three years ago and we still grieve. What a sweet blessing Hudson is and what a great lesson to us all.
I am so sorry, Erin 🙁 Dogs are most definitely family members, and I know your heart must be so heavy right now. Thoughts and prayers are with y’all!
Oh, this is never easy! Praying for you and the boys!
I am so, so sorry for your loss. I know people who don’t have dogs don’t “get it,” but you aren’t “just” losing a pet-you’re losing a member of your family who lives in your house, loves you every minute of every day, and spends his or her entire life wanting to be with you. A dog’s love is so selfless-they give it without abandon, and need so little from us in return. I am crying for you as I think of how empty it feels to not have your fur baby there with you after years of constant companionship. You truly gave her a gift by taking away her pain, and her love will stay with you in the days, weeks, months and years to come.
Oh Erin, I’m sobbing uncontrollably as I read this. There may be mistakes as I type through the tears so please forgive any mistakes. I am an animal lover. I am especially a dog lover. And I really, really love people who love their animals and treat them as family. We’ve lost two in the past year or two and it’s truly devastating. Fiona was so very lucky to have you, Todd and the boys. It breaks my heart that she was suffering and I’m so grateful that you were able to do the right thing by her. You were selfless when it mattered the most. You and Todd showed Fiona the ultimate act of love in the end by being strong enough to do what was best for her even though it was so very hard on you. You are in my thoughts and prayers. xx
Oh Erin, I’m ugly crying as I read this. There may be mistakes as I type through the tears so please forgive. I am an animal lover. I am especially a dog lover. And I really, really love people who love their animals and treat them as family. We’ve lost two in the past year or two and it’s truly devastating. Fiona was so very lucky to have you, Todd and the boys. It breaks my heart that she was suffering and I’m so grateful that you were able to do the right thing by her. You were selfless when it mattered the most. You and Todd showed Fiona the ultimate act of love in the end by being strong enough to do what was best for her even though it was so very hard on you. She is forever grateful for your final act of love.
I am so, so sorry. We had this same experience in April when we had to put our boxer, Grace, down. She was exhibiting signs of a brain tumor and was 12 1/2 years old. She was the same way leading up to when we said goodbye. It is the hardest thing, but I also consider it a privilege to do what is best for our furbabies.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Pets are family.
So, so sorry for your loss, dear Erin. What a hard decision to make. Praying for you and the rest of your precious family right now.
Erin and family: my deepest sympathies to you all on the passing of Fiona. My heart aches for you. I recently went through putting my dog Buddy to sleep. Lean on Jesus for comfort and savor the memories of your time with Fiona. She is in Puppy Heaven free of pain and running free. One of my friends says the reason your heart hurts so much is because Fiona is madly thumping her tail inside it. Keeping you in thoughts and prayers. God bless.
Oh, Erin, I’m so sorry. She sure was a cute little thing and sounds like she was part of your heart. Sending you a big hug, friend.
Erin, I am so sorry for your loss. Our pets are part of our family and it is so hard to say goodbye. Fiona sounds like she was an awesome companion for you all.
So sorry for your loss of Fiona. Our furry families love us unconditionally. Always there when we need them. Yes – always in our hearts.
So sorry for your loss. Your little boy is right – forever in our hearts.
Erin, I am so sorry to hear about Fiona. Prayers are with you all.
Oh, Erin. I cannot stop crying right now over your sweet Fiona. I am so, so sorry. She certainly knew a life full of love and happiness,and her life and memory will always be cherished in your hearts. I’m thinking about your family, and Boudreaux, too.
I am so, so sorry. Sending love and prayers your way. I can’t imagine losing my baby girl, and I know one day it will break my heart. I’ll be thinking of all of you!
So sorry for your loss. I lost my beloved chihuahua around this time last year. Knowing she is no longer in pain will help heal your heart. God bless you & your family during this difficult time.
I am so so sorry for your loss. We lost our bulldog suddenly two years ago and I still miss him every day. Thinking of you all during this hard time..
This is so sweet and made me cry. It makes me think about our two dogs. I love them so much, but I know I don’t get them the same attention they need now that I have two kids. I need to be better. They just want to be loved too.
Oh, Erin, I am so sorry. Our dogs are most definitely family. Thank you for sharing the story of Fiona’s final days. What a sweet girl!
So sad for you! How sweet Hudson’s perspective is tho!
Oh Erin, how horrible! I feel so bad for you guys. I have no idea what I will do when it is Oliver or Idgie’s time.
This was a sad, sad reminder go losing my little guy. Sadly, with such small babies we can’t get another right now. I am sorry for your loss. 🙁
Crying. I’m so sorry she’s gone—makes me want to hug my Henry extra hard tonight. Hugs to you guys, too.
Crying. I’m so sorry she’s gone—makes me want to hug my Henry extra hard tonight. Hugs to you guys, too.
Just seeing this Erin, so sorry which I could give you all a big hug!! I know my sweet Max’s days are numbered and this just breaks my heart! 🙁
I’m so very, very sorry for your loss! It’s amazing how those sweet little animals become such a huge part of our lives!
Oh Erin, I’m so sorry. I know how this must have hurt. I’m so sorry friend.
Erin, I’m so sorry. It’s so hard to lose a dog, they are like a little furry child. We had a boxer go through the same thing, it’s so hard to watch.