Maggie, our beautiful Maggie both in looks and nature, died of heart failure early this morning – on her boat and in relative peace. 
The ‘something’ in the ‘something must have happened’ was that a heart valve had ruptured. This and her very enlarged heart could clearly be seen in an X-Ray and scan. The valve was flapping about. The vet described it like a guy rope on a tent having come loose. All the extra pills in the world were not able to mend that. From that moment on we knew she was on borrowed time but we never imagined it would be so soon. Too soon. Much too soon. She was only eight years old.
I know that in time we will see it as a blessing. I also know and respect the fact that not everyone ‘gets it’ – this dog thing! But, if you do ‘get it’ you will know just how devastated and heart-broken we are feeling right now.
Sincere thanks to everyone who has sent us messages of support – the ‘get it’ gang is clearly a big one!!
So, Maisie has now been promoted to No 1 Dog! She has big paws to fill!
Perhaps 2013 will be free from emotional upset for us? The last five years certainly haven’t! Yes, I’m feeling very sorry for myself at the moment! Sorry!! Things have just got even worse!! John has just broken the bottle opener! xxo
Oh sweetheart, we are so so sorry. It seems to be endless for you. Right now you have to hang on to each other and look out for Maisie as she will struggle too. I'm sitting here in tears although I only met her beautiful self once. Cyber hugs from us both. Love Jill
ReplyDeleteThanks Jill. It feels endless! Maisie very subdued but being spoilt rotten! She was SO beautiful! xxoo (That means kiss, kiss, cuddle cuddle) Can we have Mutley?!!!!!!!!!!! Daisy is a star.
DeleteYou can definitely have Daisy - still trying to re-capture the live mouse she dropped in the boat about a week ago!!! If you had Muttley too I could stop walking - Baxter and I could go everywhere by Kayak! xx00
DeleteSo Sorry to hear your sad news.
ReplyDeleteKevin
Thank you, Kevin - yes, we are in bits really. AND ...... it's by no means the 1st time we've been through this! About time we learned how to handle it really! xxoo (That means kiss, kiss, cuddle,cuddle!)
DeleteWe definitely "get" the dog thing - losing them is the sharpest pain - unimaginable really.
ReplyDeleteOur hearts go out to you and I can offer the scant comfort that time does take the edge off it so that you can enjoy the memories....
Sue, nb Indigo Dreamers
Thank you so much, Sue. Sharp pain it certainly is. That tells me you too have experienced it. Dog Lovers Unite! xxoo (kiss, kiss, cuddle, cuddle!)
DeleteBroken the bottle opener? Disaster!
ReplyDeleteWill miss the Mag. Look after yourselves. We could post a couple of Jacks if you like. Rose would fit in a jiffy bag!! xxxx
Rose in a jiffy bag? Bring it on! Mind you, I wouldn't want to be the poor Post Mistress/Master who has to weigh it to assess the postage cost!! Maggie back on board today - not in a jiffy bag but in a little posh green box tied with a bow. Gulp! Sob! etc! xxoo
DeleteSo sorry to hear your news of Maggie, what a terrible shock after your last post, we can only imagine what you must be feeling at the moment, but just to say our thoughts and best wishes are with you. You will have lots of lovely memories of her to last you forever. Doug and James x
ReplyDeleteThanks guys. Yes, we do have lots of lovely memories and masses of photos!! You two are obviously dog lovers! She was the 4th dog we have lost but she was just too young to die ...... xxoo
DeleteSo sorry to hear your sad news. I know what it's like to lose a pet - a friend and part of the family. Our thoughts are with you at this sad time.
ReplyDeleteLinda and Richard
NB Mary H
Thanks, Linda. Yes, it's so awful. Hope all is well with you and that Millie is fine! Cats Rule .... OK? xxoo
DeleteWe 'get it' too - we know how you are feeling as we lost our gorgeous Golden Retriever Cassie in July. We really do feel your pain. But, I promise, it does get a bit easier. We decided that rather than sit and mope and generally feel awful, that we would 'jump straight back on the horse' and turn our attention to bringing up another pup - we now have 15 week old Cocker Spaniel Ozzy - he has certainly taken our minds off our pain - and given us another type - those 'cockerdile' teeth don't half hurt!! Someone on Facebook put up a photo(of a Golden Retriever!)recently , accompanied by the text " Dogs come into our lives to teach us about love... they depart to teach us about loss. A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart. If you have loved many dogs, your heart is very big." I truly believe this. Our thoughts are with you.
ReplyDeletePip & Roger nb Windsong
Thank you so much for your lovely, lovely words. Maggie's mum was called Cassie - she's probably still alive at only 10! We love all dogs but have always liked retrievers and spaniels of every description! Maggie is the 4th dog we've lost - about time we knew how to handle it!! I've been watching people walking with their dogs over the last couple of days and every dog is special to it's owner isnit it? Or should be!! If ever we meet, keep Ozzie in sight as he might just disappear!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteHaha - some days I might pay you to take Ozzy away!!!
DeletePip - nb Windsong
The dog owners a board NB. Yarwood also 'get it' and 99.9% of animal owners will completely empathise with what you a re going through right now. I agree with Pip on Nb. Windsong, the very best thing to do for you, and Maisie, is to get another dog if that is at all possible for you... I know that this was the very best advice I was given on the loss of a dearly, dearly loved companion.
ReplyDeleteBest wishes
Lesley
Thank you, Lesley. Maggie is now back on board! More tears!! xxoo
Deletedoggie people do get you x I lost my last dog 3 years ago and still miss her unfortunately my husband isnt a animal person so i wasnt allowed another dog but have 2 cats who drive me mad now xx chin up and big hugs xx
ReplyDeleteThank you for your thoughts, Nicky. We like cats too - just not brave enough to have one on the boat as fearful of losing it!! We had two when we lived in a house and loved them both to bits! Re our lovely Maggie, the hoover is heaving big sighs of relief!! xxoo
ReplyDeleteI am sooooo very sorry for your loss! I know Maggie was loved and treated like the queen she was. The boat will be a quieter place for sure (probably because of less hoovering!).
ReplyDeleteI hope and pray the healing will be quick, but I do understand - I lost my dog last November, and it's certainly an emptier house and heart. I'll lift a glass to Maggie, and have bacon, eggs and chips in her honor!
J.G.
Thanks JG. So good to know that you 'get it' too. (unlike Harpic!) The hoover is definitely heaving a sigh of relief! But yes, an empty home and heart at the moment. Tell us about your dog. xxoo
ReplyDeleteFirst I had Bear, a white Shepherd/Labrador mix. He was thrown out of a car in the snow with his brother and mother. A friend of my sister caught the pups (they were about 6 weeks old), and I took the little one. Turned out he was more like 80 pounds full grown! Bear was about the perfect dog, except he had separation anxiety problems, meaning he had to come with me everywhere, all the time. But he was gentle, and friendly, and great with adults and kids. He developed liver cancer at 12 years old.
DeleteA year later (1999) I found Bullwinkle at the local animal shelter. He was another abandoned puppy, in the pound with his mom and litter mates. I figured he was pure mutt, and it turned out he was Lab/Shepherd/Chow-chow. Another runt who turned out about 80 pounds! Bull was tawny, with a Chow-chow coat (and a tongue with black spots on it), so I used a ShopVac to clean up the dog hair since he shed constantly. I fixed all Bear's problems with Bull, and this dog was really perfect. Wouldn't touch a pizza sitting open on the coffee table, or take any food that wasn't in his bowl. He would, however, lie on the floor and stare at you until the food was gone. Loved to play with other dogs (if he escaped the yard, I'd find him nearby visiting doggy friends). All animals were safe in the yard...he learned early on that he couldn't catch squirrels or birds, so they just ignored him. Bull had a nerve disease that finally left his back legs almost paralyzed, and then it moved into his spine. That was it, he couldn't move and was miserable.
I loved them both so much, and it is so much quieter around here without a dog, even though neither of them were barkers - both were quiet as church mice. But there sure is less loose hair!
J.G.
Sorry to read about the loss of Maggie. We have not had a look at the blog for a while so we were a bit out of touch. To us the dogs have been a replacement for our grown up children - and just as important - we know how you are feeling.
ReplyDeleteregards
Mick n Maggie plus Poppy and Abbey the fox terriers!