I just found out tonight that my parents had to make the decision to put down one of the family dogs. Beau was 10 years old this year, but healthy until just recently. A couple of days ago he wasn't eating and was just not like himself at all. Even at his age he still acted like a puppy, ran around full of energy and always begged for food. They took him to the vet who said that they believed he had fungal pneumonia which is extremely difficult to treat. There was also discussion that he may have cancer too, but to know for sure would have required a biopsy or other surgery and at his age would have been risky. He hadn't eaten for a couple of days and was not taking the medication to help clear the pneumonia so my parents were going to admit him to the animal clinic near their house for a few days to make sure he got his medication, but they were told it would be best to take him to the Purdue Animal Hospital for treatment. Unfortunately, after my parents got him there they were told that his chances of surviving were less than 5% and they didn't want my parents to leave him there, knowing that he probably would not make it through the night. My parents had to make the decision to do what was best for Beau.
It seemed to all happen so suddenly. Even though I haven't lived with him since 2003, it's still very hard to know that the next time I go to my parent's house he won't be there to greet me. Owning a dog can be one of the best things in life, but unfortunately they don't outlive us. They can give us lots of happiness, but sadness too.
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