# Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..



## flyinghayden (Oct 7, 2005)

*Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

It is still hard to write, or talk about this as Jazzabell's final hours were not good, but I feel it would benefit some of you who might be dealing with illness and your dog, and are wondering what might be the right time to let them go. This is a bit graphic, and I warn you, it could be a bit disturbing. Jazzabell started going downhill around the 1st of September, and looking back, I really wish I had taken that as a sign it was time. She had started wheezing a bit at night, but her last visit to the vet had revealed the tumor in her belly seemed to have stopped progressing, which I took to mean that the cancer might had stopped growing. On Tuesday, September 9th, I had just fed the girls around 7pm, and was getting ready to get dinner on the stove. Around 8pm, Jazzy became violently ill. She acted like she was choking on something, and when I opened her mouth, her tongue and gums were dark blue. She was breathing, no obstructions but it was like she was not getting oxygen. I called the vet, and she told me to bring her in. I knew this was a mercy mission, no life saving on this one, and it was the worst hour of my life. In the car on the way, Jazzy went into a full blown panic as she struggled to make her unwilling body work right. Once at the vet, the 3 of us vainly tried to hold Jazzy still to inject the sedative into her, but she was struggling and thrashing about so badly that the vet and her assistant broke off 2 needles trying to get the vein in Jazzy's foreleg. They finally put a tranq in her back, and after about 15 agonizing minutes, she slipped into unconciousness, and the vet was able to euthanize her. A postmortem X-ray revealed a huge tumor right in her heart. While she had been able to breathe, her heart was being strangled by the tumor, with no way to pump the oxygen enriched blood. That night will haunt me for the rest of my life. I had hoped she would pass in her sleep, and that was my biggest mistake. So, keep me in your thoughts, and I hope none of you ever had to experience something like this.


----------



## Amaruq (Aug 29, 2001)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Richard, I am so sorry that you had to go through this. Please be assured that Jazzabelle knew your undying love for her. I hope that you can find peace in her love for you as well.


----------



## Qyn (Jan 28, 2005)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Thank you for sharing Jazzabelle's passing with us. It really sounds as if this additional tumour was fast growing and the location was the problem rather than anything else you could have foreseen or acted differently about.

I'm so sorry that it was such a traumatic experience for you both but I have to say that we all know how much you loved and cared for this girl and there is no way she would want you to think otherwise. Hugs to you and to your other girls, Richard, and please have no regrets - you were always there for her when it mattered most.


----------



## Brightelf (Sep 5, 2001)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

(((((((Richard)))))))) I am so sorry this happened this way. My thoughts and prayers are with you now.







I wish I could help you understand how GOOD you always were to Jazzy. Sje was so lucky to have YOU for her wonderful Dad. All those hours exploring the wilderness by your side, sharing the adventures of your pack, the yurt, the SouthWind.. she always must have felt like the star, given such royal treatment. She knew always that she was loved. I know Jazzabell will be watching over you, a special, sweet, funny angel







who always felt so cared for and loved by you. Rest in peace, run free sweet dear Jazzabell.














I will be keeping you in my prayers, Richard.


----------



## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

I am very sorry-there is no way you could have known or expected that something like that might happen. Please take care and thank you for sharing this information.


----------



## WiscTiger (Sep 25, 2002)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Richard, please please try to remember Jazzy life with you. The loving time you shared together rather than the hectic way she left this earth. AS your torture yourself you are blocking out the wonderful times that you and Jazzy had, those are the times she wants you to remember.

If only are words that will block the loving times from healing your sole.

I am sorry for your loss of Jazzy. RIP Jazzy. 

Val


----------



## Vinnie (Sep 4, 2001)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*








I'm so sorry.


----------



## Kayos and Havoc (Oct 17, 2002)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Oh Richard I am so sorry Jazzy's passing was so difficult. There would be no way for you to know ahead of time as none of us are God. He determines the time and means of our's and our dog's passing from life. You did everything right for her and she knows this. 

She is in a good place now, remember her lovingly and let this difficulty pass by. 

((((((((HUGS))))))))


----------



## shilohsmom (Jul 14, 2003)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

I'm so very sorry to hear of the loss of Jazzy Richard. You did the best you could for her, please don't question your actions now-she was LOVED and a cherished member of your family. I know the end was hard but you never could have anticipated that. I hope you can find comfort in the wonderful memories of times you shared with her while you gave her the best life she ever could have imagined. 
Hugs,


----------



## rockhead (Jul 8, 2007)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Richard:

As hard as it seems, you must understand you had no way of knowing what was around the corner. How awful those last moments must have been! How old was Jazzy and how long did you know about the tumor? My thoughts are with you and Jazzy. I simply cannot imagine it, but I must. 

It sounds (to me) that Jazzy had Hemangiosarcoma of the spleen that metastisized to the heart. Google Canine Hemangiosarcoma to learn more about this disease. The tumor usually forms on the left ventricle (since it contains oxygen-enriched blood) and Jazzy's sudden decline is very typical and indicative of a hemmorhage of that tumor which then fills the pericardium with blood. The pericardium is the sac that contains the heart. Once that occurs, the heart cannot pump efficiently and, well, that's that. Surgery to relieve the pressure can be performed, but like removal of the spleen, it only buys time; very little time.

My boy is currently in stage 2 right now. Eich had his spleen and a grapefruit-sized tumor removed exactly three weeks ago today. Despite his complete recovery from the surgery and relief from the symptoms of the initial bleed, his prognosis is poor. Take a look at my thread in this 'Goodbye' forum - "The Eich Chronicles". There's a link to the original thread I started three weeks ago when this whole thing hit. It might help you better understand that there was really nothing you could have done for Jazzy other than make her comfortable, which I am sure you did.

Again, my thoughts are with you both.


----------



## rockhead (Jul 8, 2007)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Richard:

I've been thinking about you and Jazzy for the last couple of hours and something just occurred to me: Jazzy's body was certainly going into oxygen debt. As a result, her brain shut down within minutes of the onset of the crisis. The physical reaction you saw that seemed like a panic response was nothing more than a fight/flight reflex. Jazzy, as you knew her, was already at peace; she never felt a thing.


----------



## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

take care richard. rest in peace jazzy-girl.

many blessings to you and the rest of your pack from katherine.


----------



## Katerlena (May 30, 2008)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Dear Richard--I am sorry that yours and Jazzabelle's journey to the bridge was so upsetting and traumatic. Please take comfort in knowing you did everything you could for her and that she would not want you to be haunted by your final moments together and would want you to remember all your happy times together when you think of her.


----------



## Karin (Jan 4, 2008)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

I'm so sorry about your and Jazzabell's traumatic ordeal, Richard. You did everything you could for her and just wanted to have her with you as long as you could. Just try to focus on the good times and fond memories of the time you spent with Jazzabell as that is the true measure of your relationship.

Rest in peace, Jazzabell. It sounds like you were very much loved and had a wonderful life.


----------



## RebelGSD (Mar 20, 2008)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Run free Jazzy girl...

Richard, I am so sorry for what you went through. It is very hard to know when it is time, we don't want to cut their time on this world too short. It is usually not possible to predict whether they will deteriorate suddenly, as it happened to Jazzy. Please try to remember the good times you had together.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

What a lucky girl she was to have YOU in her final days. Remember the good times and may she now painfully run free at the bridge, hugs to you, Richard.


----------



## BJDimock (Sep 14, 2008)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

There is nothing worse than loosing your friend, except if you doubt yourself over their passing. Richard, Jazzy wanted nothing more than to be with you in her last physical moments. The struggle you witnessed was her final passage; as painful as her birth. A change in body, nothing more. She is now free to love, care, guard, and protect you forever. In a form that works as well as her puppy body. Feel piece knowing that all things make that change, and know that if you needed her a bit longer on this plane, then she gave you the most time she could. I'm sure that she is with you always. Feel no regrets, only love, when you think of her. She gave it wiilingly.


----------



## SuzyE (Apr 22, 2005)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

Richard, you are an unbelievably special man.


----------



## fourdogsrule (May 10, 2007)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

I am so sorry for your loss Richard. Please remember all the good times you had together and know that Jazzebell is watching over you all the time now.







sweet Jazzebell


----------



## GSDOwner2008 (Jan 19, 2008)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

I'm so sorry you had to go through that. 

RIP Jazzebell


----------



## LisaT (Feb 7, 2005)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*

I know that sharing that was difficult, but thank you. For those of us that haven't had to deal with this yet, it will help us, in a future that we don't yet want to think about.








Jazzabell.


----------



## moei (Sep 28, 2007)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*



> Originally Posted By: LisaTI know that sharing that was difficult, but thank you. For those of us that haven't had to deal with this yet, it will help us, in a future that we don't yet want to think about.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I could not put it better.







Jazzabell


----------



## rockhead (Jul 8, 2007)

*Re: Our last hours together( Jazzabell)..*



> Originally Posted By: LisaTI know that sharing that was difficult, but thank you. For those of us that haven't had to deal with this yet, it will help us, in a future that we don't yet want to think about.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Exactly how I felt but didn't know how to say.


----------

