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As I stepped into the sunroom, I knew. Katie did not have much longer to live. At 14 years old, which is 98 in dog years, our beloved chocolate Lab was at the end of her life. Once able to run and play with the children, chase renegade squirrels and any other "outsider" away, she was a shell of her former self. As I walked out the door, our ever-faithful companion somehow found the strength to stand and shuffle over to me. Katie was suffering from hip dysplasia, congestive heart failure (CHF) and arthritis. Even on good days, she really had it bad.

In the preceding months, we had been to the vet numerous times. We had spent thousands of dollars on medications to help her feel better, at least for a little while. One pill was actually $300.00 per month. The price was a little steep, but in our minds it was worth it for our girl. After the last prescription for the $300.00 pills was filled and used, we went to the vet once again. During this visit, euthanizing Katie was mentioned. I immediately broke down. It's a very troubling and heart rending decision to make. After all, she was part of our family.

We did decide that euthanizing was the most compassionate choice to make. During the night, she would cough and expel a frothy yellow substance. This is part of CHF and the technical term is pulmonary edema. According to dictionary.com, the complete definition of pulmonary edema is the "abnormal accumulation of fluid in the lungs often caused by congestive heart failure". With Katie, the pulmonary edema was getting worse hour by hour.

I believe that as pet owners, we have the responsibility to not only love and train our animals but to also love them enough to let them go. When a family pet is in extreme pain and there is no other avenue to take to make them better, euthanasia is the most humane and compassionate action to take.

It is very important to prepare your children and any other family members that are involved with your pet's life. Our children were aware of what would happen and when. I took Katie to the vet that day by myself. I talked to her the entire time. True, there were many tears and as I type this there are even more. I held Katie, as best as you can hold a 95 lb. dog, till the very end. I told her how much we loved her and let her know that in dog heaven she would be able to run and play like no ones business.

No matter how sick or old your pet is, you will always love them and want the best for them. We felt and still feel that this was the best decision for Katie.

Katie will always be part of our lives; just as any other family member who has passed on is still part of our lives. We miss her. We talk about her. We even have a memorial in the flower bed that she used to lay in, even though she knew to stay away from my flower's it was her favorite resting spot.

I can't say that I am happy that we had to have Katie "put to sleep". I would have rather she passed away in her sleep with no pain or suffering. I am relieved that she is no longer suffering. So, each night we go to her memorial and whisper "Sweet dreams, Katie-bug! We love you!"

Learn more about this author, Sara R. Bradley.
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