# I lost a good friend this weekend.



## Spoon13 (Feb 20, 2007)

His name was Hershey. A Chocolate Lab I've had since he was old enough to come home. He would have been 8 years old in November. 

Everything was fine at midnight Friday night. He was barking at a deer walking through the woods next to the house just like he does 4-5 times a week. When I went out to check on him at 10 am Saturday morning, he was almost non-responsive. He didn't want to move at all. I made him get up and drink some water as it was hot and getting worse. He walked around a minute on some VERY shakey legs and laid back down. I called my brother-in-law that has been raising dogs for decades and explained what was going on to him. He said it could be the heat, but didn't seem very confident in it. Told me to hose him down and keep water in him and if it was heat related, he should show signs of improvement. If he didn't perk up, it was probably something else and too late to help.

At around 4pm, I was hosing him down again trying to get him moving. He began to convulse a bit and seized up. I reached down a felt he wasn't breathing and felt his heartbeat fade away. 


I just don't know what could have caused an otherwise healthy dog to go from normal to dieing in such a short time. I know the heat didn't help things but I am supremely confident that what started this event was not the heat. I gotta admit, my 5 year old son has taken it a lot better than I have. He told his momma that he wanted to go to the puppy store and get an orange dog with black spots. Hopefully his quest for such a dog will keep him busy for a while.

Thanks for listening. 

RIP Hershey. You will be missed my friend.


----------



## pragmatic_lee (Jan 19, 2008)

Sorry to hear that my friend. I'm sure Hershey will be missed. But don't beat yourself up trying to figure out "why" - Prag Jr. had a border collie that passed somewhat the same way several years ago.


----------



## outback jack (Aug 12, 2006)

I hate to hear that. I have a chocolate that's 10 years old. We just moved and he is acting alot different too, he has only lived at the house we moved from so I believe the way he's acting is from the move.


----------



## JayMc (Jan 4, 2005)

Sorry for your loss Spoon. Dogs are special and he sounds like he was a good one.


----------



## psargeant (Aug 1, 2004)

That's a difficult thing for sure...sorry for your loss my friend...


----------



## mathews xt 600 (Jan 5, 2007)

I hate to hear that. Sorry for your loss!!


----------



## TANC (Mar 14, 2005)

Man, I hate to hear that bigtime. 

I have yellow and black English Lab brothers, and I just walked in the door from cleaning up their lot, changing their water, and refilling and cleaning their playpool. I also spent about a half hour just playing with and holding them. They weigh about 115 lbs each, and they are just over 3 years old. I worry about them all the time....especially when it's this hot. They hate heat, yet love the cold. For the last week or so, I've been going out and giving them fresh cold water and hosing them down about every 2 hours. 

Call me weird, but being single, they're about the best I have to talk to, and I talk to them all the time. I swear to you I have them so trained with words and phrases that they know 90% of what I say. I love my boy'z. And the thought of something like just happened to you just about takes me down. 

Again, I'm so sorry to hear about it, Matt. 

I never knew we could grow so attached to dogs until I got these. They are a lot of work, but worth every second to me. I even built them a shaded shed to lie in, and that's exactly where they stay during the day. At night, early morning, and evening, they are like yours was. Barking at deer or whatever. They woke me up this morning barking at about 1:00, and I went to check, because the yellow one (Cody) was barking, and he hardly ever does unless it's important. My black one (Roscoe) will bark in a minute. A rabbit was camped out about 3 feet from their lot door, and they were digging their way out to get that rabbit. I ran the rabbit off, and all was good. 

My cousin got one of their brothers when they were pups, and it died of a very rare heart defect when it was young. Kind of suddenly like yours. Almost killed her. She will never again own a dog.

I'm so sorry !!


----------



## Spoon13 (Feb 20, 2007)

Thanks for the thoughts everybody.

After talking with some folks about what happened with a little more detail than I put here, it seems that perhaps it was Congestive Heart Failure. If that be the case, there was nothing I could have done to change the outcome which helps me feel better about things. I couldn't have changed the results and even if we had know and perhaps been able to prolong things for a while, the end result would have been the same.

ALL dogs go to Heaven.


----------



## Viva'sBow (Feb 7, 2010)

Sorry for the loss man.....It sounds crazy that he just died so quickly.

Could he have been bit by a snake or something venomous?


----------



## golfingguy27 (Oct 15, 2008)

Sorry to hear it man.. I, like Tanc am a single guy and view my almost 2 year old mixed breed (lab, rottie, shephard, whatever else) like a son and best buddy. I can't imagine life without him, and he has helped get me through a lot of stress since I have gotten him. It really is amazing how attached we get to them, and I think they have more feelings than we give them credit for too. It sounds like you are right, with him going so fast, I highly doubt you could have done much of anything to change the eventual outcome, and all you can do is take rest in the fact that as you said, all dogs go to heaven..


----------



## LoneEagle0607 (Jan 15, 2008)

*Sorry to hear about Hershey*

My sister's lab is also named Hershey It sure hurts bad when our pets pass away. They are part of the family.

May your son find the orange dog with the black spots


----------



## cptbrain (Dec 16, 2007)

Sorry for your loss.


----------



## Moparmatty (Jun 23, 2003)

Sorry to hear this Spoon. I had to put one of my dogs down last year. A very difficult thing to do. I know what you're going through Buddy.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## nanayak (Dec 6, 2008)

:hug: I'm so sorry Spoon. I know its tough to bear the loss of someone so special.... Just remember the good times with your friend. Big hugs to you....
_Posted via Mobile Device_


----------



## deadlyjest (Mar 30, 2009)

Sorry buddy, Just remember the good times man.


----------



## IGluIt4U (Sep 22, 2004)

Spoon13 said:


> Thanks for the thoughts everybody.
> 
> After talking with some folks about what happened with a little more detail than I put here, it seems that perhaps it was Congestive Heart Failure. If that be the case, there was nothing I could have done to change the outcome which helps me feel better about things. I couldn't have changed the results and even if we had know and perhaps been able to prolong things for a while, the end result would have been the same.
> 
> ALL dogs go to Heaven.


Spoon, so sorry to hear Bro, I can relate, mine expired as I picked him up to take him to the vet first thing one morning after a sleepless night.. he'd been fine the day before and just like that..... The vet can tell you for sure, but.. sometimes it's best to just accept it and move on.. though easy it ain't.. I'm hopin the youngun finds that spotted pup real soon, for all of you.. :wink: :nod:

RIP Hershey... :rip: :amen:


----------



## GOT LUCKY (Apr 30, 2005)

*Just think of him romping in "Doggie Heaven"....cause there is such a special place for our dogs who give us so much love endlessly.......*

.


----------

