I live right near Lower Allen Park....I am in Lisburn! I take my dog there all the time! jen

I wish I had some advice to offer, I live with my sister and her Min Pin does the same thing, eats/chews on anything that isn't nailed down, it is very frustrating...

Irish, I'm so sorry for your loss. I "heard" Dakota for some time after she was gone too. 15 YEARS! That's a life worth celebrating! I hope someday you can smile again when you think of Pockets. Best Wishes, Regina

Dakota was a mixed german shepard and rottweiler. When she was young, her bones grew so fast that her knee joints didn't close up right. As she grew she developed arthritis in both knees. She was too big -- the dr said they didn't make joints for dogs her size so surgery was out of the question. The only alternative was to treat the pain so she started taking rimadyl twice a day from the time she was 3 years old. The pain meds managed her pain for a time, but it was a constant struggle for the next 4 years to keep it under control. The rimadyl was a good thing and a bad thing. It helped but we had to gradually increase the dose to manage her pain. The problem was it causes liver damage and stomach ulcers with long term use. We were between a rock and a hard place becuase we eventually had to measure here QUALITY of life vs the Quantity left. In november she got a scratch on the pad of one of her feet. It got infected, and because she had been on the rimadyl so long, her liver just couldn't manage the infection. She started going into multisytem organ failure, wouldn't eat. Dropped at least 30 lbs in a couple of weeks. She was not going to recover and we had to accept it. That didin't make it any easier to put her to sleep but in that last 2 weeks she was so miserable it showed on her poor face and wasting body. As it happened it was the week of thanksgiving, so we had to wait through it to see the vet since they were closed for the holiday. That last week was terrible for her and I still regret that we didn't take her to the vet for that last trip sooner. 7 years old wasn't very old. But she was "sick" since before she was 3. More than 1/2 of her life was lived in pain and under medication. We tried to keep her as comfortable as possible for as long as we could - but eventually her poor body just couldn't take it any longer. I understand what you're going through. I still get teary when I think of Dakota, she was a gentle giant and a kind spirited dog. Pockets sounds a lot like her. You really don't have anything to feel guilty for. Pockets long life is a testiment to the love and care you have provided for him. I know it won't be easy but you may need to think of helping ease his transition from this life. One thought that gave me comfort was this -- Dakota had a vet called "Doc" who she ADORED. Whenever we would go to the vet (and it was quite frequently because of her illness) she would stand in the hallway and watch for him. He died of cancer about a year ago, and afterward she would still watch and wait for him when we would go back to the vet's office. So, thinking Doc was there on the other side and that Dakota could pass over and be with him made me hopeful that she would be OK over there. She is gone, but never forgotten. Love never dies. Best wishes, Regina

You guys are all right about poodles being little people. I have a minature apricot poodle whose name is Minks-Amazing-Grace, we call her Gracie. I also have a long haired Chihuahua mix her name is Mattie. They are both very smart. They love to go bye bye and they also sleep with us. We have them spoiled rotten, but isn't that what they are for?