Goodbye Wood-man....

[Sue]

Woody, nothing could have prepared us for your leaving us to cross the Bridge on Monday. On Sunday night the emergency vet sent you home with a triple antibiotic ointment for your eye saying you'd be fine by Christmas, and on Monday afternoon you were gone. The worst pain is wondering if you'd still be here if you had been properly diagnosed that night, or if the infection was already too advanced by then. We have a lot of anger right now.....how could that E-vet not have diagnosed it properly that night when the next morning Dr. Barb walked into the exam room and said "Oh man, I think I know what the problem is" without even touching you, and she was right? With the abscess being so bad, there's no possible way it wasn't there the night before. She even kept questioning me...was he this swollen last night? Yes. I know Daddy told the Evet everything he should have because I read the vet diagnosis. Dr. Barb and the staff were just as stunned as we were that you left so suddenly. Did you know I was in the waiting room waiting to take you home again? Daddy had cut a nice piece of carpet for you for in your new blind...the perfect place for you to slowly wake up. He was waiting for us to come home, and I had to go without you and tell him that his best buddy wasn't coming home again. Dr. Barb said you were doing great, then suddenly your great heart stopped and you left us, and nothing they could do could bring you back. She said she thinks the infection was so extensive that you went septic and the bacteria invaded your bloodstream and attacked your heart. I'm so sorry Woodman.....you gave us your heart and soul and I feel like we failed you. Rest in peace big guy. We love you.

[AngelBunny]

Oh, the heartbreak, the terrible pain when they go. I'm so sorry for you and your family. Many of us here--all too well--know how your heart is breaking.

I'm so sorry.

[Troy]

I'm so sorry. Know my thoughts are with you...

[KatMc]

Oh Sue, I'm so sorry for your loss of Woodman.

My heart is breaking for you all to go through such an unexpected loss.

You can't second guess yourself and the ER vet. I have doubts about the expertise of the vets at the Emergency Vet offices (personal experience), for some reason we expect them to actually be "experts", but I don't think that's the case at all.

I can't tell you how bad I feel for you and your family, please tell them they are in my prayers.

Kathy

[codglvr]

Sue, I am so sorry for the loss of Woody. Please don't doubt yourself, it only makes it worse. Rest assured that Woody gave you his best and is now waiting for you on the other side of the bridge, and wishing you wouldn't miss him so. We all know that's not possible, but we are all sending hugs your way. Sorry for your sudden loss.:(

[Dina's Mom]

Sue,

I don't have enough words to express my feelings for you and your family. Please don't be so hard on yourself, Woodman knows what a loving family he had. I'm sure he wouldn't want you to be this sad, but I know it just can't be helped. You have my deepest sympathy and prayers for all of you at this time.

Pat

[myagirl]

Sue,
I am so sorry to hear of your loss of Wood-man. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. God bless you.

[rottie2mom]

I'm so, so sorry for your loss.....please know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.

It's never easy, but know that he will always be a memory away.

There were many precious Rotties taken this year....God sure knows how to pick 'em!!

Amy

[Barbara Surplus]

Sue, so very sorry to hear of the loss of your sweet boy. Thoughts are with you.
Barbara

[Sue]

Thank you all so much for your warm replies. I realized when I reread my original post that I left out one thing.....the infection wasn't his eye. The eye was only a symptom....he had a severely abscessed tooth. The vet said he had a huge pus pocket in his throat and one in his mouth. She lanced, drained and flushed them, and of course extracted the tooth. The reason I'm so upset about the Evet is that he diagnosed Woody with conjunctivitis and didn't even notice the tooth. There's no way it unnoticible Sunday nite. Our vet was incredulous at how huge the abscesses were. We checked his teeth on Friday night and they were somewhat dirty, but the swelling was on the inside of his mouth and we didn't see it. I've worked with enough vets to know that the Evet only treated the symptoms and didn't do a thorough physical. I guess I blame the evet, and ourselves. I realize that the infection may have been too advanced by Sunday night to have had any different outcome, but it should have been diagnosed, regardless. What if, what if, what if? We'll never know, and our Woody is gone.

[cinde33]

Sue, I can understand your anger. And I'm so sorry this happened. I try to imagine the pain and heartache your feeling and I'm sure it doesn't compare to what you and your family are going through. Let out the anger, but try not to dwell on it, and hopefully soon you'll be able to heal a bit. :( :(

[Karyn]

You did not fail him. You loved him till the end. He will always be with you.