Finlay 2003 - 7/9/2016

The First Photo - A Scruffy Nameless Dog From The Pound 

It's well documented, Finlay was a 4 year old rescue dog on death row in the pound in the Summer of 2007. His life like many others was in the balance. To save him from destruction we agreed to foster him on a short term basis ... but he soon wormed his way into our hearts and here he stayed. My first "Foster Failure" if you like!
For years Finlay was an amazing dog. Affectionate, attentive, obedient and devoted, but the old dog of recent times was a peculiar creature, distant, awkward and aloof. More so with me than Steve, but he had his moments with Steve too. Though it was hurtful I have to think logically, dogs by nature are not devious creatures, he must have been suffering with some kind of doggie dementia ... or something similar, at least it gives me comfort to think that today.
Yesterday morning was just a normal day. We did our walks, the weather was less than favorable so they were short walks. Finlay had the usual hand to get in and out of the van and plodded along behind us on our walk. He came home and finished his breakfast, as he often did and then fell asleep by the radiator in the middle room. But late afternoon when it became necessary to move him, he wouldn't or maybe couldn't? We both helped him up and into the living room. He didn't want his tea, but ate a bonio. As the day went on he tried and failed on numerous times to get up, CDRM does not immobilize one so quickly and we came to the conclusion something more sinister was now taking hold.

Rags To Riches - BIS At A White & Long Coat Rally 

It almost a year since Finlay had the "major episode" and we were told that he also had a small tumor on his spleen. In February we where told the tumor was much larger, but the vet was almost certain Finlay would be with us through the Summer ... and 7 days into Autumn, well, here we are eh!
During the evening as we tried to help Finn to his feet we realised he was experiencing abdominal pain and it became harder to raise him to his feet, still we got him into the bedroom and hoped he would settle for the night. Obviously in discomfort Finlay was panting and licking his lips, occasionally trying to get up and falling over, he was just unable to sleep. At around 1 am he vomited and seemed to settle for a while after that. But none of us where sleeping and for the benefit of my healing brain sometime after 3am Steve decided he and Finlay should move into the living room. It took both of us to move him through, but to be honest I didn't sleep anyway.
Steve opened the door for Finlay to go out around 6.30am. He had been very unsettled but had no strength to get up, if he was helped up he fell over and now it was impossible to hold him around his body as he was in obvious discomfort. When I got up about an hour later he was lying full stretch in the yard, it gave me a shiver, momentarily I thought he was dead! Steve felt he was more comfortable there as he was more settled, but we did feel it best to move him before the others came out.

The Last Photo - The Last Walk

There was no choice, that dreaded call to the vet had to be made, and getting Finlay out of the house and into the van for that last painful ride was a nightmare.  I do take comfort from the fact that only 24 hrs earlier he had enjoyed his trip out.
Thank god for a vet you know and trust, Finlay fell asleep peacefully and calmly in Steve's arms. The first time in my life that I have not held one of my animals as he was given sleep. But I honestly felt he would want to be with Steve, and his comfort was paramount. Still I was able to look into his eyes and tell him I loved him ....
Somehow we've been preparing for this day for months, somehow I thought it would be easier. I was wrong, it wasn't!