He was not a rocket dog, just a good friend for over 14 years

Pictures and Stories of your four legged recovery crews
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bernomatic
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#1 He was not a rocket dog, just a good friend for over 14 years

Post by bernomatic »

I never could get Orpheus to become a rocket dog. If you watch the video on the website home page, he is the dog seen running through the gate after the launch. He also didn't like thunderstorms, fireworks and going into the water (although on a few occasions I made him swim :twisted:) He was the alpha male of the pack. In every other aspect of life, he had a joie de vivre that was infectious.
It was he and his sister (Trixie) who taught my wife (strictly a cat person when I met her) to love dogs and appreciate the extra warmth of a dog laying next to you on a chilly winter night. He had a special ability to survive things that made her think he would live forever. One of his first brushes with death came when he and his sister contracted the deadly dog disease Parvo while young. He had bounced off cars and jumped out of the car window while moving in moderate traffic. There were other close scrapes, including being attacked by pit bulls. Each one he pulled through and returned to his usual self within a day or so.
Yesterday, he didn't.
Feefus, as he was lovingly called, got into the groceries and skarfed down half of a large five pound pack of hotdogs Wednesday night. This caused a "twisted stomach" (Gastric dilatation volvulus). I noticed his belly being bloated and took him to a local animal hospital. Upon arrival, I was told they had a 2-4 hour wait. They supplied the phone numbers to 2 other animal hospitals. One also had a 2-4 hour wait, and one told me they would triage the pet and then see him. I knew where I was going as soon as I heard the word triage. My eldest son and I started on our way, a 16 minute trip. Unfortunately for Orpheus, it was 4 minutes too long. He became unresponsive as we got off the highway. While the techs and vet did their best, his time had finally come. :cry:

This is not the first pet we lost this year, Kitten Kaboodle was put down in January due to cancer. I waited around three weeks to take him to an appointment at our then usual vet's office. He had a large lump on his neck. I guess the ordeal of the trip to the vet's office was too much for him. Upon being diagnosed, the best thing for him, I was told, was to put him down. The vet's office, you see, was a clinic, and did not have the facilities to perform an operation and remove the tumor or to hold him overnight and they felt that he wouldn't survive the trip to the nearest full service animal hospital.
So, a word to the wise. If you cherish your pet, find out your vet's emergency procedures beforehand. Know what their capabilities are. Find the nearest 24 hour animal hospital and have the phone numbers on speed dial. If an emergency raises with your pet, take the time to call ahead and let them know your coming in. Most of all, have a plan.
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#2 Re: He was not a rocket dog, just a good friend for over 14 years

Post by bernomatic »

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This picture of Orph has been the screensaver on my phone for about 5 years.
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#3 Re: He was not a rocket dog, just a good friend for over 14 years

Post by bernomatic »

Orpheus and Kitten Kaboodle in happier times
Orpheus and Kitten Kaboodle in happier times
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Orpheus and Kitten Kaboodle in happier times
Orpheus and Kitten Kaboodle in happier times
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#4 Re: He was not a rocket dog, just a good friend for over 14 years

Post by Rocket Babe »

I am very sorry to hear this, it's always hard when it's time to say good bye but you did the right thing. It could not have been easy. :cry:
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#5 Re: He was not a rocket dog, just a good friend for over 14 years

Post by bernomatic »



The two male dogs, Hank (dumb ass) and Hajie (fat ass) are trying to comfort me as we laid Orpheus (smart ass) to rest today.
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here is a pic of him in the cantina when it had been invaded by kittens. The thing with Orph was that he was always sociable. If I took him for a walk (or he escaped and visited the neighborhood, I presume) he was always, "hello, how are you?" till the other dog coped an attitude. Then he would be like, "Dude, you need to back off or I'll smell your ass as you lie there bleeding out." He wasn't mean, just looking for a good time and not willing to take smack from no one (at least in the canine world). He had a devil may care attitude, and, was always initially sociable. He cared more about how you were doing, then how much power you had.
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#6 Re: He was not a rocket dog, just a good friend for over 14 years

Post by bernomatic »

I use to get upset, years ago when we lived in another municipality, because when the animal warden told him to go home, he would, leading them back to me and admonitions or other words of woe. For the most part however, he knew where he "belonged". He also knew that the wide world was out there and lots of friends (and enemies) were to be found, and he wanted to find them. If the animal warden told him,"go home", he would, leading to what ever repercussions were forthcoming to me. A good part of that is when neighbors would tell him to go home, usually he would (or head that way till a squirrel made him forget his mission and set new goals) and we would hear him scratch at the door.
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