Two Fridays ago we took Conan to the vet because he was struggling to breathe, hoping against hope that we'd be bringing him back home with us that night. But our vet wanted to hospitalize him and run some tests, and on Saturday we got the dreaded news that Conan's lymphoma -- which he had bravely battled for 20 months -- had spread to his lungs.
On Sunday, March 2, we drove back down to the vet hospital in Cincinnati to visit Conan and were devastated to see how much his condition had deteriorated in less than 48 hours. He was in an oxygen chamber to help him breathe, and it was obvious that just opening the doors to stick our heads in caused his breathing to be so much more labored. He was weak and tired and sick -- though still as happy as ever to see his mommy and daddy.
We cried -- and cried some more -- as we kissed and stroked and hugged Conan, and then did possibly the hardest, saddest thing I've ever done. We decided it was time to say goodbye to our baby. We were there through the end, and then we took Conan to be cremated two days later and were there for all of that too. Jarrod felt we owed it to Conan to see him through, and it seemed like the right thing to do for the dog who was so, so much more than a dog to us.
On Sunday, March 2, we drove back down to the vet hospital in Cincinnati to visit Conan and were devastated to see how much his condition had deteriorated in less than 48 hours. He was in an oxygen chamber to help him breathe, and it was obvious that just opening the doors to stick our heads in caused his breathing to be so much more labored. He was weak and tired and sick -- though still as happy as ever to see his mommy and daddy.
We cried -- and cried some more -- as we kissed and stroked and hugged Conan, and then did possibly the hardest, saddest thing I've ever done. We decided it was time to say goodbye to our baby. We were there through the end, and then we took Conan to be cremated two days later and were there for all of that too. Jarrod felt we owed it to Conan to see him through, and it seemed like the right thing to do for the dog who was so, so much more than a dog to us.
Conan came to live with us when he was 11 months old, right after Jarrod and I graduated college and moved to Florida for his first assignment with the Air Force. We didn't even have living room furniture yet when Conan joined the family! He was the ring bearer at our wedding, he licked our tears when Jarrod's parents died, he accompanied us on adventures big and small -- from cross-country moves to a quick trip to grab ice cream on a hot summer night -- and he won the heart of everyone he met. He was such a sweet, happy-go-lucky boy, and I can't even begin to count the number of smiles Conan brought to people's faces -- especially ours.
Conan had a wonderful, happy, fun life with Jarrod and me and I'm positive he knew how cherished he was, but that doesn't really make losing him any easier. We'll undoubtedly invite another boxer to share in our lives, but Conan will always be our first and best boy. Miss you, Conan.
I am so sorry to hear of the loss of your sweet Conan. I always enjoyed seeing your pictures of him. He was clearly a huge part of your lives and a very well-loved member of the family. My deepest sympathies to you and your husband.
ReplyDeleteLindsey, this just breaks my heart for you. Our fur babies are such important pieces of our families. I'm so sorry for your loss.
ReplyDeleteWe will always remember dear Conan. He was much more than a family pet, he was one of the family for sure. We will miss him and the smiles he put on our faces. Rest in peace sweet Conan.
ReplyDeleteI am so, so sorry to hear about Conan! I've been following you for awhile now and have enjoyed Furry Fridays as much as the posts about Hawaii. I know how difficult it is to make the decision to let them go, but Conan had an amazing life from what I've seen. Take care!!
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