Dogs Death

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
This is not about Molly but it is a possibility out here on the road that our beloved pets might pass away.

Had a phone call this morning from a good friend who has a dog that was just diagnosed with severe heart trouble and the dog Jodi is 15 years old.

She is very concerned as we are starting to get about the age of our pets and the fact they might die while on the road.

My thoughts have been if we were in the country we would wrap her in her favorite blanket and bury her and if in city we would find a local vet.

Has anyone had this happen and how did they handle the remains?

I know emotions will be terrible at this point and having a plan before hand will help.
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
When Susie told me her intention to bury her beloved Jodi, if necessary, I asked if she has a shovel. I didn't mean to be insensitive, cause I know how much pets mean, I was just agreeing with Linder: it's better to have a plan, and the means to carry it out.
I surely don't envy anyone the task, and hope no one will be driving while crying their eyes out.
 

arkjarhead

Veteran Expediter
I know it is important to have a plan. I have a feeling that if you were in the country some farmer or nice country folk would let you bury the animal on the edge of the woods or somewhere like that if you asked first. When my wife and I moved and I had to give away my pit bull, Baby Girl, I was heart broken. It was the first time I cried in quite a while. She was my companion. She looked out for my wife when I was gone, and rode in the truck when my wife come along. Sometimes she could beg enough that I would tell her mom(my wife) to pack Baby Girl's bag so she could go on the truck. When it was the three of us she would sit by the passenger seat and poke my wife in the thigh with her nose until my wife would get up and let her ride in the seat for a little bit and my wife would lay down. Now Baby Girl lives on a rice farm. I still call the guy I gave her to just to check up on her from time to time.
 

ATeam

Senior Member
Retired Expediter
Your plan is a good one. I tried to bury a dog in a city once. What a pain. A vet in a city can solve the problem.

As with people, no matter how much you prepare for the sad day you know is coming, it still hurts when it does. Another option is to get a large cooler, put the dog on ice and take her home for burial.

I read once that car accidents happen at a higher rate among people who have had a recent emotional event. You probably won't feel much like driving anyway, so take Molly home and give yourself time to grieve.

There are people who will say it's just a dog. But people who have had one for a long time, love it, and consider it part of the family know better.

Our dog's health deteriorated to the point where he had to be put down shortly before we went on the road. Had that not happened, we would have waited for the dog to pass before we changed careers. Pets matter. When the day comes, whether you go home or not, give yourself time to grieve.
 

moose

Veteran Expediter
10 years ago ,my dog died at the vet ... bad news .
i Did 2 things.
payed her to take care of the body .
it took me less then a day to get a puppy exactly the same .
a dog is a part of the family ,Till death !

we need to enjoy them .


good luck.

Moose.
 

cheri1122

Veteran Expediter
Driver
Another option is to get a large cooler, put the dog on ice and take her home for burial.

Even though I've done postmortem care on quite a few deceased people without batting an eyelash, the very idea of hauling a beloved pet around in a cooler just gives me the shudders.
:eek: Maybe that's just me, though.
 

arkjarhead

Veteran Expediter
I have to agree with you there Cheri. I don't think I could have hauled Baby Girl around in an ice chest. When Baby Girl had her pups she had 10. She accidently laid on one. I think the pup might have pushed it's way under her for warmth. Well I think you know what happened. I hated burying that dog. It wasn't easy on me. I could never be a vet.
 

gotta go

Veteran Expediter
I know this isn't exactly on point but it does involve the same Jodi. A couple of years ago, Susie had to go by ambulance to the hospital. Her four footed children were taken to the local humane society for safe keeping. They were traumatized by that environment. Susie and I talked about better alternatives for the future and came up with the solution of asking the ASPCA rep to take our kids to a vet that does boarding. Less than a month later the need was there and it worked out well for her and them. Again, it's just a matter of planning.
I think that if I'm not able to bury Dingle, I'll have him cremated and take him back to one of his favorite catnip patches. He'd enjoy that.
 
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pelicn

Veteran Expediter
Our Bugsy just turned a year old so hopefully it will be many years before I have to think about this. I believe the cremation idea is the best the vet can then ship the ashes to your home.
 

Suds43

Seasoned Expediter
We have a 1 1/2 yr. old minpin that goes along with us. He absolutely loves to ride and being by our side 24/7.
I think I agree with the cremation aspect. I could never, ever just pick a spot somewhere and bury the little guy then leave. That would not be an option. We'd have him cremated and pay for a nice urn, take him home where he belongs.
But, if anything happened to my "buddy" either on the road or home it would be totally catostrophic.
Stick me with a fork, I'd be done!!! :(
 

pelicn

Veteran Expediter
Suds, I have to agree with you. I couldn't just bury him someplace.

On a different note....do any of the "four legged friends" out there have any quirks?

Bugsy, our terrier mix, loves COWS! Whenever he sees them, he's whining/slobbering in the windows. (green slime has nothing on him) It's hilarious!! We now have to spell the word if we see them and he doesn't. If we say cows, he goes crazy. When we're tired of him stomping on us to get a "better view" we tell him to go look out "HIS window" and he runs to the sleeper to look.
 

Suds43

Seasoned Expediter
"Moses" likes to lay on his blanket between our seats. He can be sleeping up a storm and for some reason he'll wake up when we get near a city or town. Doesn't matter if it's day or night, he'll instantly wake up. I'll feel these little paws on my leg pulling at me to let me know he's awake and wants up so he can see the sights. :) He'll eventually go over to "mom" and she'll put him in her lap so he can see. After we leave the city limits he'll get back down on his blankets, get comfy and back to sleep. :))
He absolutely hates it when we leave him alone in the truck, he'll throw his little fit and find something to chew up......doesn't matter what it is. We finally learned his game and purposely put a paper towel on the floor. When we get back that's all that's chewed up, is the paper towel........In about 100 pieces......LOL
When we were in a straight truck, he'd go back into the sleeper, get up on the bed, lay his head on one of our pillows and watch out 'his' window. Now that we're switching to a van I don't know what he's going to do. Probably pester the h*ll out of mom wanting to ride in her lap. :)
He means so much to us that if we couldn't take him with us, we wouldn't be driving....plain and simple.
 

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
The ****er Spaniel "Dawn" we had before Molly also went crazy over cows and one day I did the meanest thing to her. We were driving on back roads and she did her barking and going on and so we pulled over and let her out. Well she took of barking and the cows did not move and all the sudden she realized we were not with her but still sitting in our pickup. You know that poor dog slunk back to the pickup, got in and never barked at cows again and she lived to be 12. We really felt terrible to have ruined all of her fun.

Molly really has no quirks she is too easy going, nothing really ruffles her and she goes along with anything as long as people are participating in the activity.
 

arrbsthw

Expert Expediter
We have a 1 1/2 yr. old minpin that goes along with us. He absolutely loves to ride and being by our side 24/7.
I think I agree with the cremation aspect. I could never, ever just pick a spot somewhere and bury the little guy then leave. That would not be an option. We'd have him cremated and pay for a nice urn, take him home where he belongs.
But, if anything happened to my "buddy" either on the road or home it would be totally catostrophic.
Stick me with a fork, I'd be done!!! :(

I know exactly what you mean. I had a Yorkie named Butch and he died on Oct 19, 2006. He weighed 5 lbs and I got him when he was 8 weeks old. The 1st night I had him he almost died. I called the vet and took him in. He had hypoglycemia and got a shot of insulin. He was so small he couldn't maintain enough to keep going. I wound up giving him a shot of White Karo syrup every 2 hours for 30 days. Even in the night I had to get up and do this. I had him sleeping beside me so I could feel of him at all times.

He survived and was my faithful partner for 13 yrs. He went
everywhere I went. My husband and I had separate trucks that went to the same jobs every day for 4 yrs and Butch rode with me. He didn't want anyone in HIS seat.. If you got in the bed, he wanted in it.

to make a long story short.. about 1yr before he died he kept getting sick and having infections in his gums. I took him to the vet many time and we had anitbiotics for him. He had a
seizure one night in PA while we were waiting there. He kept
walking around my head and I finally made him lay down. I felt something wet in the bed, turned on the light and I freaked out.. he was stiff and I thought he was dead. We found a vet and he didn't know what was wrong but he had
revived a bit. I called my vet in the morning and told him I was on the way home . Before I got home
he called me back and told me to take him to the Animal hospital in ATL. Ga. He had called and they would take him in.
(you should see this hopsital.. it is a REAL hospital for animals)
anyway we got him there and they did some tests on his liver,
finally did surgery to him and found out that his liver was not
functioning properly. He had a shunt that bypasses the blood and it's not filtering thru the liver. (He had surgery to see exactly what was causing the problems. ) He stayed at the hospital for a week and we had to go visit.

I took him back to work with me but he kept staying sick and I felt
like he needed to be at home so I asked my DIL & son to keep him. They said he has been acting funny like he was confused before he died. I guess it was affecting his brain
because he went out to use the potty and didn't come back.
In 13 yrs he never went anywhere but my front yard and the
neighbors yard (our cousin). They called me and told me
they couldn't find him. I am in Pa and they are in GA. I called my cousin to see if he could help find him. When they went up the street, he was lying in the road. We think a car hit him. He was Dead. I thought I would literally die right there.
I was crying, my son was crying, my dil was crying, and my
husband. He drove me straight home from PA to Ga and I
cried almost every mile . We went home and buried him in the front yard under our tree by my old flower bed. My husband
made a stone for his grave.

It is the most heart wrenching thing to have your pet die. He was like a baby to me. So I hope and pray that none of
your dogs / cats die on the road.
 
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Broompilot

Veteran Expediter
I remember once having a conversation with a Friend who's Mother almost killed him when he took his dog to be put to sleep. Not over that but that he was not going to have it creamated and bring the remains to be burried in the back yard.

Agreed with him 100% why?

Forward about 5 years.

I purchased my Chick Magnet on my 28th Birthday, yeah I was Mr. Cool super Pug Owner walking thru the Mall with this Pug Puppy in the Palm of my Hand. Never thought I would get out there without an accident or a new girlffriend and just as soon as I exited the mall door just in time.....

Anyway for 15 years this dog loved me unconditionally, my daughter when she was born and anyone who ever entered our House. Boy I just thought just take her to the Vet when its time. Wrong, WAH, Tears, Crying, boy this was hard and my Bride well she was the Brave one I could not do it she had to. Boy I miss that Pug (Allie). For my 44th Birthday (Roxie) and the name fits her personality just the opposite of Allie, for the same Breed what opposites. But I still love Pugs and all Pugs.

So guess whats in my living room? My wife bought a item with a tiny box with a little boy with wings on it holding a dog on top of this box. Love my pets, and when it comes to them and Loving them I am well a Big softie.

But Linda, they do not sleep with me, ever. Plus Pugs snore.
 

TeamCaffee

Administrator
Staff member
Owner/Operator
Molly does snore pretty loud and it is getting worse with age. I could probably count on both hands how many times Molly has slept by herself. Ya I know it was not a good idea to start this but we did and now we fit around her as she stretches her legs out. She has ingrained herself in our lives for so many years it is impossible to imagine her not with us. Truck dogs are a special breed of critters as our lives often revolve around keeping her cool in the summer and warm in the winter if we leave the truck, we park near grass for her convenience, and when moving around the truck we look to see where she has camped out. When we move around the cab we are constantly scanning her food and water to make sure both bowls are full. When we get out of the truck and get back in she wants her treat for watching for us, if she gets out and goes potty she gets a treat for being a good girl, before going to bed she gets a piece of chicken jerky as her good night snack. Yes she has us and many other people wrapped around her little paw and we love it! Molly is always happy and always ready to meet new people and best of all she is super easy going.

I know when Molly does pass away we are going home and we will need time to grieve as she has been a very good friend to us for many many years and I hope for years to come.
 

pelicn

Veteran Expediter
Our Bugsy sleeps with us too. Didn't start out that way, except during the all night team runs. Then he got to be such a great sleeping buddy he just moved in. LOL
Winter is the best time, he's such a great electric blanket and he's easy to move around. Summer on the other hand is a little warm because he loves to snuggle right up against you.
 

nightcreacher

Veteran Expediter
When i was maried,non truck driver,we had a german shepard,31 inches tall and over 100 lbs,he use to sleep between my ex wife and me,and he liked it that way,guess that why shes an ex
 
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