Happy Birthday Gunnar

tikkalover

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Thanks guys for all your caring and thoughtfulness! :) For now Gunnar is doing ok, he is eating rice and hamburger with his normal dry food mixed in, twice a day, and we also have a bowl of just his dry food out that he picks at occasionally, drinks lots of water and is pooping and peeing normal and not showing any signs of pain. When I get home from work he greets me at the door, as usual, jumping up and down, barking his head off and then runs to the room where his Milk Bone treats are and waits for me to give him one. (I think it the treat he is excited about and not me being home) ;:;rofl Let me explain the scenarios that the vet explained to us that could happen to him. 1.With his heart the way it is, he could have a heart attack at any time and be gone, or the artery that is twice the size of normal could burst and he will bleed out in a matter of seconds. 2.The tumor and spleen could burst at any time and he will bleed out in seconds. 3.The tumor will keep growing in size and eventually, will start to interfere with his stomach and digestive system making him feel full, thus not eating like he should and start to lose weight. I am hoping for either scenarios 1 or 2. If number 3 happens, we will put him down. If we have to do that, I will be sitting on the floor at the vets with his head in my lap while the vet administers the shot in his leg. When he is gone I will take him myself to have him cremated. That is the least I can do for him, as he has given us a lots of laughs, love and special memories, especially while hunting and camping, in his life.
 


TFX 186

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Tikka
Can't tell you how bad I feel for you and your family. I sure hope the end is quick and painless. This is something that I am dreading also. My best friend is 12. Hang in there buddy!

Fish On!
 

ND 41 Hunter

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Tikka,
Sorry to hear. Had to put my Sparky down about a year ago. Toughest damn thing I've ever done, but it has to be done. God Bless and remember the good times and the pleasures you had of being his human.
 

Maddog

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One step closer to the end.
For what it is worth, on the last dog we had to put down, we kept putting it off. "She is getting better". And she continued to spiral down.

After it was all said and done I wish we had done it sooner . . .

We were keeping her alive for "us" and not was probably the best for her.

Just to think about.

And YES it is a very hard decision.
99% of dog owners say it rips your heart right out of you after they are gone . . .

Good luck Tikka. No matter what you decide, it will probably be one of the tougher moments you will ever experience in your life.
I get sad just thinking about it and I don't know you from Adam.
 

tikkalover

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Gunnar was doing great up until Sunday, on Sunday all he would do is lay around and was very fidgety, seems like he couldn't get comfortable. Called the vet Monday morning and she told us to see how he progressed in coming the days. He got better on Tuesday and yesterday, to the point he was jumping off the floor when I came home from work. Well at 3 this morning he threw up and at 7:30 he could not walk. By 9 we had sent him to that great hunting ground in the sky. After the vet gave him the shot he went very quick maybe 30 seconds. Vet said he wouldn't of made it through the day.


Hunting, camping and coming home from work will never be the same. RIP Gunnar you will never be forgotten. Keep chasing those birds until that time comes for me and we meet again at the Rainbow Bridge!!
 


BrokenBackJack

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Tikka,
So very sorry for you and your family's loss. Brings back very painful memories but also very happy ones too.
Our pets are truly one of the family and always will be.
Prayers to you and your family!

- - - Updated - - -

Tikka,
Dgully posted this for us when we lost our dear Zoey. It really hits home and we look at it often and so glad it was sent as it really does help!


Losing a dear friend.jpg
 

LBrandt

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With tears in my eyes I wish you and your family well. Been 4 years sence I lost Dutchess and I still cannot drive by where the accident happened without choking up.
 

2400

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Tikka

I am so sorry to hear about Gunnar. I know how much of a hole you have in your house, car, truck and heart right now. I'll keep Gunnar, you and your family in my thoughts and prayers.

No matter how much your best friend is hurting it's a tough, tough thing to have to send your best friend on to a better pain free place. I hope
Gunnar is running pain free and playing with Fred, Shake, Brown, Whammer, Lew, Hooch and a bunch of other dogs right now. There has to be a great place for dogs to get together and wait for us to catch up with them.

I have a tree out front with 2 great dogs buried under it and someday soon there will be another one.

If I can do anything, please let me know.
 

NDSportsman

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Sorry Tikka, my condolences to you and your family. Gunnar was a lucky pup to have you guys for his family!
 


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Hang in there....in my experience, the grief is short lived but the good memories go on forever.
 

tikkalover

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Tomorrow will be 1 year since we put Gunnar down :( Been doing a lot of thinking and reminiscing. The wife sent me these today. Thought I would share.

You raised her from a pup to be an amazing retriever. Season after season she brought the birds back, never complaining. She is now 14 years old and still has the drive, but her body just won’t cooperate. It shows as her back legs give out on occasion. So you pick her up and carry her to shore, to get her one last retrieve of a green head, that means more to her than any bird prior. @dleewhitehead carrying his girl Josie out of the pond.

B539426F-6B30-401A-A081-2E89BA6298FA.jpg


"One Last Look to the Sky"
Now that the hunt is over and she knows it's been her last, she just can't help but give one last look to the sky. The sky that has held so many sunrises and sunsets. The sky that has held so much anticipation. Just...one...last...look.
@dleewhitehead with Josie after the hunt

40C0A140-5ED0-47E8-8701-F68E2DA7EB7A.jpg
 
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snow

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bummer tik,50 years of bird dogs here,its never easy when your bestie's health goes south,your in the drivers seat and are doing the best you can under the circumstances
 


snow

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this tugs at my heart strings,brings back many memories from old days ,all of our pup's remain in our heart and souls we'll never forget

Tomorrow will be 1 year since we put Gunnar down :( Been doing a lot of thinking and reminiscing. The wife sent me these today. Thought I would share.

You raised her from a pup to be an amazing retriever. Season after season she brought the birds back, never complaining. She is now 14 years old and still has the drive, but her body just won’t cooperate. It shows as her back legs give out on occasion. So you pick her up and carry her to shore, to get her one last retrieve of a green head, that means more to her than any bird prior. @dleewhitehead carrying his girl Josie out of the pond.

186551844_4643707305657038_3164495603612305422_n.jpg


"One Last Look to the Sky"
Now that the hunt is over and she knows it's been her last, she just can't help but give one last look to the sky. The sky that has held so many sunrises and sunsets. The sky that has held so much anticipation. Just...one...last...look.
@dleewhitehead with Josie after the hunt

3N2WlbFt.jpeg
 

BrokenBackJack

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Our pets have to be one of the greatest things that God has given us!

They teach us unconditional love IF we are smart enough to learn that from them.
 

tikkalover

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Well it's been 4 years without Gunnar, and after Ruffnd put the puppy pictures in the classifieds it brought back a lot of memories. 😊
Would love to have another one but wouldn't be able to put myself thru the "when the time comes" moment again. 😭

On a side note, lost a granddog ☹️(Buck) a month ago, son asked me when things get better? I replied, 2 weeks to a month. I also told him whenever you drive past or hunt a place you hunted with Buck, no matter how long its been, you will always think about the time you had with him.

940DA0FE-D242-4E33-85A0-47CBBEA9BF21.jpeg

Buck, hope you are having a great time in the great beyond chasing ducks and geese.
 
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