Strange Phenomenom !!!

[gtfpv]

MY GERMAN SHEPHARD OF 10 1/2 YEARS IS DYING . the vet confirmed it about 5 weeks ago. he was losing weight . and eating well, and his dropping turned from mountains to mould hills . so off to the vets. the vet said anemia , spinal nerve damage, very bad hip deterioration. and possibly cancer . not long to live said the vet .
anyhow since we brought him home . as he doesn't seem to be suffering, he has dug this massive hole in the back yard , everyday we fill it in , everyday he digs it up agian, so we have left it there. it is a crater about 2 feet deep and 5 foot diametre.
anyhow i was telling the neighbour about the dog being sick . and he asked ... IS IT TRUE THAT WHEN A GERMAN SHEPARD IS DYING THEY DIG MASSIVE HOLES ????
WELL BUGGER ME is it . perhaps so . apparantely a friend of his had 2 shepards one started digging a massive crater in the back yard would not allow it to be filled . would not allow the other shepard to lye down in it . lied in it daily . as mine does . and died in it .!!!!! HAS THIS HAPPENED TO ANYONE ELSE . ???? ARE THEY DIGGING THIER OWN GRAVE ??? SADS BUT SPINE CHILLING STORY .

[bob 351]

unfreekin real sorry to here about ya dog dude but you know whet tyey say animals have a 6 sence maybe he or she knows whats going on

[Allen]

I've never heard of that before...

My dog is a german shapard X doberman, unfortunatly he had to be put down this afternoon, due to old age. He was almost 18 years old. :(

He was fine until yesterday when he just lost all his energy and couldn't stand by himself.

Never dug any holes though....

[the_scotsman]

damn, weird.....Google brings up nothing...dunno...

[1970galaxie]

If it's on it's last days, let the dog do what it wants if it's happy doing so.

[Scott]

Mate, the poor bugger was on his last legs and some bastard kept filling his grave in! Bad news about your pup, always a big impact when a family member passes.

Any plans for a new pup?

[Toxic Beast]

damn thats so sad to hear =/

can't stand the sight of when your favourite pet is suffering

[Ozfords]

I had to put a cattle dog down once, it was hit by a car.

When we arrived it had broken feet and was coughing up blood and whimpering, it was 4am and no vet not even WIRES wanted to help the poor thing. So we bundled it up and the family looking after it gave it a last good bye.

We drove it out to a vacant plot of hilly land and took it to a cravass.

It kept on moving its head around, then I pulled out my pistol and patted it on its head in a hope that it would'nt move around to make the shot difficult.

It stopped moving completly and lay still enough for me to get a good shot, needless to say it only needed the one shot.

Poor thing, but I couldn't help but feel it knew what was going to be done to it and it stopped moving to make it easier.

[Bill_R]

Originally Posted by Ozfords

I had to put a cattle dog down once, it was hit by a car.

When we arrived it had broken feet and was coughing up blood and whimpering, it was 4am and no vet not even WIRES wanted to help the poor thing. So we bundled it up and the family looking after it gave it a last good bye.

.

WIRES can do a great job but what can be sad is that they will only deal with native animals. I thought humanity was humanity regardless.

I had to have a horse put down once. It was a real family pet and had badly broken a leg while getting loaded on a flat-top at a neighbours place to go out and get trained. The Vet put it down and we rang around trying to find out how to dispose of it. Some wanted it for dog food but wouldn't take it because of the way it was put down. We ended up cartign it home on the back of a tractor and then had a huge hole dug to bury it. all before the neighbours kids got home to witness it all.

[photn]

dogs do have a six sense in my opinion..when my nan was sick my dog who lives with her would wimper everyday and scratch the glass door......anyway... some sad stories here........

sorry to hear about your dog being on its last legs dude.....it is a sad and trajic event...equal enough to loosing a family member as they sometimes are.....:'(

[weenie]

Im sorry to hear about your shepard. I have 2, my female is almost 9. I dont want to believe what u are saying , but how can i not when our female is doing the same thing. She has real bad hips. we were told she wouldnt last till 5. She has also got a sort of infection on her back side which is common for older shepards. We are just about to try a new medication called atopica , which is said to cure itchy dog as well as this thing on her back side. She has been an itchy dog for years. We had the option of cutting the area out that is causing probs, but the vet said it would be like trying to sew tissues back together. So this treatment is the last try. If it works , then great, she wont be itchy any more & it gets ride of this rear end issues. If it doesnt then its most likely a cancer of sorts. We will deal with that when we get there. I feel for you, i have more respect & love for my dogs than my own family.

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by weenie

Im sorry to hear about your shepard. I have 2, my female is almost 9. I dont want to believe what u are saying , but how can i not when our female is doing the same thing. She has real bad hips. we were told she wouldnt last till 5. She has also got a sort of infection on her back side which is common for older shepards. We are just about to try a new medication called atopica , which is said to cure itchy dog as well as this thing on her back side. She has been an itchy dog for years. We had the option of cutting the area out that is causing probs, but the vet said it would be like trying to sew tissues back together. So this treatment is the last try. If it works , then great, she wont be itchy any more & it gets ride of this rear end issues. If it doesnt then its most likely a cancer of sorts. We will deal with that when we get there. I feel for you, i have more respect & love for my dogs than my own family.

same story . the sore on my dogs tail caused from biting will not heal . it's because the nerves are damaged the dog is numb at the back which produces a tingling sensation. the dog bites it's tail to get rid of the tingling . which of course it can never do . nor can it feel the biting of its own tail.

[Bill_R]

sad news. Dogs ARE part of the family.
I wondered if it was just peculiar to that breed but just found this:
"12) Anxiety, Trauma and Threat: Dogs often dig when feeling sick or especially anxious. "Dogs that are extremely ill will sometimes go off and try to dig a hole in which to lie and die," Walker says. Likewise, when dogs are feeling threatened or insecure, a den may provide comfort and help them relax. When digging is related to trauma (often separation) or a genetically anxious temperament it may become an obsessive tension-reducing mechanism that usually provides only temporary relief. In such cases a veterinarian should be consulted to consider possible anti-anxiety medication."
It's a comfort/security thing. The dog is stressed so seeks the security of a den.

[Mechan1k]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah the doggers like horses to be killed in a certain way.
Have had to get a bobcat before to dig a hole for a dead horse ... not something I'd like to do again though ... getting the horse into the hole was difficult enough.

Brother in Law has a Rottie who is 11 yo now ... and on his last legs by the looks of it ... has a hard time getting up and looks like there is a growth on his chest now ... has had a good life though. I don't think he could handle having to put him down.

Dealing with loss is difficult ... as a pet is pretty much a family member.

[Ryan]

I've never heard of anything like that before.

Very strange.

[gozza]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Yeah the doggers like horses to be killed in a certain way.
Have had to get a bobcat before to dig a hole for a dead horse ... not something I'd like to do again though ... getting the horse into the hole was difficult enough.

Brother in Law has a Rottie who is 11 yo now ... and on his last legs by the looks of it ... has a hard time getting up and looks like there is a growth on his chest now ... has had a good life though. I don't think he could handle having to put him down.

Dealing with loss is difficult ... as a pet is pretty much a family member.

when i lived on a farm we had horses and cows die from time to time.......We had to burn them

[GREGXR8]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Brother in Law has a Rottie who is 11 yo now ... and on his last legs by the looks of it ... has a hard time getting up and looks like there is a growth on his chest now ... has had a good life though. I don't think he could handle having to put him down.

my rottie developed a lump on his front leg, the vet took xrays and he had cancer that went from the lump through to his chest and lungs. he was given 6 weeks to live but it was 2years before the vet said he was in pain and it was time to put him to sleep. i think that was about the hardest decision i have ever made. gtfpv. i realy feel for you and your family and i know what you mean about feeling guilty, i had to muzzle ande cuddle czar while it was being done (vet came to our house) angry old dog was going to take the vet with him. it was just as hard telling my daughter. we got the dog when she was one year old and she was 12 when he died.

[gtfpv]

on top of the dog situation . the cat has gone . 2years old . hasn't been seen for 6 days.

[DJM83]

Thats strange but very sad mate i hope everything goes well we have had our dog back from vet she isnt good but gettin, there she is old and we are doing everything we can.

[Feathers]

My Shephard didn't do that. He had a kennel though. He just crawled into that and lay there. His hips went as well, and his heart. Perhaps he just didn't have the strength to dig. Or he felt more secure in the kennel.
We had the RSPCA animal ambulance come to get him, and he died there.
Being an only child, he was my best friend, and I was 8 or 9 when he died.
I didn't take it well, and just typing this, and reading everyone's posts has me crying already.
I have a pic of him as a pup on my desk too.

[gtfpv]

i put him down yesterday . absolutely horrible . instantly felt guilty . as soon as he died i didn't know wether i put him down too early and was full of doubt.
he trusted me, when he saw the table he ran out of the room on the lead and tried to pull me with him . i had to pick him up and put him on the table .he died in my arms,with me, my wife and 2 children there with him, i'll miss him so much and be sad for a long time.

[bob 351]

bugger mate i feel for you sorry to here

[gtfpv]

Originally Posted by bob 351

bugger mate i feel for you sorry to here

thanks.

[atec77]

Originally Posted by gtfpv

i put him down yesterday . absolutely horrible . instantly felt guilty . as soon as he died i didn't know wether i put him down too early and was full of doubt.
he trusted me, when he saw the table he ran out of the room on the lead and tried to pull me with him . i had to pick him up and put him on the table .he died in my arms,with me, my wife and 2 children there with him, i'll miss him so much and be sad for a long time.

It's never easy , I have kept dogs for almost 40 years and it's hard to do but at least you know the pain and discomfort has stopped . In the wild most dogs would be lucky to make 5 or 6 years so anything beyond that is a bonus..

[Jock260]

terrible to hear mate, im in the same situation with me labrador, his hips are gone, the poor bugger can harly get up, we dont know if he is in pain, if he is, i'll have to put him down, i dont know how, its gonna be one of the hardest things i will ever do, but i cant keep him alive, if he is in constant pain. really sorry to hear about your dog mate, pets will always be part of the family

[TUF_302]

Sad news mate, but thats really freaky about the dog digging a hole to die in, its scary!

[Bill M]

Hats off to you and your family gtfpv for having the guts to stay with your dog to the end.
Many don't.
Nothing can take away the good memories.

[superpursuit83]

Originally Posted by Jock260

terrible to hear mate, im in the same situation with me labrador, his hips are gone, the poor bugger can harly get up, we dont know if he is in pain, if he is, i'll have to put him down, i dont know how, its gonna be one of the hardest things i will ever do, but i cant keep him alive, if he is in constant pain. really sorry to hear about your dog mate, pets will always be part of the family

I had to put down my white Shepard 3 yr ago. Had a rare hip/back degenerative disease. When she could not get off her bed for a crap anymore, I thought she had lost her dignaty also. Then it was time to go. Very sad. No holes but?

[Jock260]

Originally Posted by superpursuit83

I had to put down my white Shepard 3 yr ago. Had a rare hip/back degenerative disease. When she could not get off her bed for a crap anymore, I thought she had lost her dignaty also. Then it was time to go. Very sad. No holes but?

yeah, its starting to get bad for my dag, but no, he hasnt dug any holes that he hasnt been digging all his life, lol

[Sloth]

Our Labrador/dalmation cross is going downhill too. Shes almost 13 I think and has had bad hips for a long time now. She was on these tablets for a while and they worked wonders but theyre so damn expensive!
Sometimes she cant get up the stairs, I have to carry her, she cant run anymore, isnt allowed to swim and and she struggles to sit down and stand up again. Funny thing is, when its dinner time, shes jumps and runs around like a puppy.
I dont know how the hell im going to cope when she has to be put down, I cant bear to think how empty the house will seem without her.