When Tressel did die

I finally had to take Tressel in to put him down July 19th - 3 weeks after we tried the first time.  He was for sure ready to go this time as he had stopped eating dog food (but still eating hot dogs, hamburgers, eggs and  yummy food). He completely stopped eating off the table and floor, wouldn't go out except once a day to go to the bathroom and cried 24 hours/day. It was sad sad.  I made an appointment at 11:15 but we also had pictures at 10am so I couldn't tell the kids very far in advance. I had been gearing them up for it all week though trying to help them notice how tressel wasn't eating or getting up and was very sad.

Saturday morning I made him one final breakfast of ground beef and scrambled eggs which he ate (but it didn't give him any extra energy). We went out for pictures and then got home at 11am.  I loaded up Tressel and noticed he was really easy to get into the car.  I thought Clare and Lexey would come, they said they wanted to, but they both said they were too sad to go and stayed home to watch TV. Palmer was over that morning to hang out with Calvin and Jo so it was fine to leave the girls too. They sat downstairs, listening to music and crying while I took him in. 

I checked in at the vet and then had to step outside to cry while I waited with Tressel for them to call us. We waited about 10 minutes before they came to get us.  I walked with him to the very last room and the vet tech explained the process.

Then they took tressel to the back to weigh him (as I had asked) and put in the catheter so that he'd be ready.  That took another 10 minutes. I heard Tressel cry and yelp a few times. I'm sure it was hard to get that in him plus he is a pretty big baby.

Tressel was down to 101 lbs. A little over 25 lbs less than he had been six months ago. he had lost so much muscle.

They brought him back into the room and he came running to me. I pet him and then he laid down in the corner and started going to sleep. They had given him something to help calm him and he was very sleepy.   I sat by Tressel petting him and then the vet came over and gave him a medicine that put him to sleep (not dead).  It worked very quickly and within a minute he was totally asleep. I talked to him and he didn't stir at all. At that point I gave him a last hug and kiss and walked out since he wouldn't need me anymore. I didn't stay to watch them give him the lethal medicine. I walked out of the room with my sunglasses on crying all the way out.

I had to stop at Target on the way home to get Clare a b-day present for a party that afternoon.

 (doesn't lexey look like Jo in this one?)

puppy tressel with baby lexey - one of my all time favorite pictures

 

 

The first night Clare was at a dance recital with her friend Annika and came home to tired and late to talk much about Tressel, but when I put lexey to bed she was pretty sad. So, we looked at puppy pictures on my phone of possible dogs we want to get next!  Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Golden, golden doodle? All sooo soo cute! Lex totally wants her own dog.

 

Last night was my bday so once again it was kind of late and busy.

 

Tonight was a different story.  Now the girls are pretty sad. They love to carry his collar around so we keep hearing the sound of Tressel coming, but it is just the girls. They were fighting over who got to sleep with it tonight. Also, they were crying/sobbing in bed tonight, both of them saying, "I wish I were dead so I could be with Tressel".  I have to say I am not looking forward to adding a move, 2 our time change and new everything to their lives in the next few weeks. It is going to be a wild ride!

 

 

RIP our sweet Tressel Feb 14th, 2009 - July 19, 2014