Well maybe you all remember 13 months ago i was in a dillema about what to do with my best buddy who had cancer. The vet bills were $1900 to take out the tumor and after the surgery they found out it was cancer. They said he would never go longer than 6 months but 13 months later he was still happy and like any normal healthy old 12 year old dog. Monday morning i said bye as i left for work as usual but when i got home he seemed to swagger in his hind legs. Tuesday morning he was dragging a rear leg at times and i made a vet appt at work and when i got home to get him he was having a hard time staying up at all in the hind end. After a bunch of xrays The vet said it could be 3 different spine disorders, or the cancer may be in his spine. He gave him steroids to try and help any spine inflamation and said we may see an improvement in a few days, maybe. Well i had to help him up so he could take a leak that night , he was having a rough time controlling his rear legs. When i woke up tuesday at 4am he was completely paralized in the rear. 
Me and the wife knew there was only one thing we could do
It was so hard because he was still eating, drinking,and seemed pain free but seemed scared about his problem. he was so worried about peeing in the house i think. I carried him out on the porch and he took a pee as i held him up. He was a trooper to the end. I called in to work and told them i wont be in, and called the vet as soon as they opened. It was so hard to see him take his last breath, i admit i cried like a woman. I drove him 3 hours to my hunting land and took 2 hours picking and shoveling the frozen ground until i had a deep grave for him. It was a long ride both ways.
There are dogs and there are once in a lifetime dogs. Buster was a once in a lifetime dog and he was everything to all of my family. he was a clown,always happy, friendly,protector, a snuggler to anyone who would let him, and the best upland bird dog i ever had the pleasure to hunt with.
Here is a few pictures of the old guy starting with his last day with us. We lifted him into bed and pet him a long while as we waited for the vet to open. He will be missed and this home will not be the same for a long time. Its sad that when i went to find pictures of him he was in just about every one i have! he was always there.
a younger buster in his prime
the family man
and my hunting pal always
Me and the wife knew there was only one thing we could do It was so hard because he was still eating, drinking,and seemed pain free but seemed scared about his problem. he was so worried about peeing in the house i think. I carried him out on the porch and he took a pee as i held him up. He was a trooper to the end. I called in to work and told them i wont be in, and called the vet as soon as they opened. It was so hard to see him take his last breath, i admit i cried like a woman. I drove him 3 hours to my hunting land and took 2 hours picking and shoveling the frozen ground until i had a deep grave for him. It was a long ride both ways.
There are dogs and there are once in a lifetime dogs. Buster was a once in a lifetime dog and he was everything to all of my family. he was a clown,always happy, friendly,protector, a snuggler to anyone who would let him, and the best upland bird dog i ever had the pleasure to hunt with.
Here is a few pictures of the old guy starting with his last day with us. We lifted him into bed and pet him a long while as we waited for the vet to open. He will be missed and this home will not be the same for a long time. Its sad that when i went to find pictures of him he was in just about every one i have! he was always there.
a younger buster in his prime
the family man
and my hunting pal always
