Last Thursday, my family lost one of our dogs and it truly sent all of us reeling. You see, Zeke wasn’t just any dog; he really was special.
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Technically, he was my parents’ pet as he replaced my sister and I when we went away to college. My mom and dad were stuck with empty nest syndrome and wanted someone to fill the void. We have always been a Boxer family, so they went out and purchased Zeke. Straight off, he was my dad’s baby and we referred to him as “the son my dad never had.” And you know? It wasn’t that much of an exaggeration.
Zeke was the largest Boxer I’ve ever seen (almost 100 lbs.) and had a head that was almost twice the size of my own. We called it his battering ram because he used it to head butt things. If he was hungry, he would use his head to knock on his food bowl, and if he wanted inside, he’d ram it against the door. If you’re thinking that he sounds misbehaved, you’d be right! As a puppy, he even ate his way threw an entire living room set (couch and loveseat!), an irrigation system, and a year’s supply of heart worm meds in a single day. He slobbered more than any creature alive, and his drool would fly threw the air when he shook his head. My parents’ cleaning lady was constantly trying to scrape the hardened saliva off the ceiling, the walls, and the TV screen. He was unruly, boisterous, and a total ass, but we loved him anyway.
You see, Zeke was one of the funniest and most gregarious dogs I’ve ever met. I’ve never seen a dog that loved more or played harder; he enjoyed life to the utmost. When you were sad, he would crawl all 100 lbs. into your lap and take a nap. Sure, it wasn’t necessarily comfortable but the image of such a massive lap dog was priceless. He also did this bizarre Chewbacca noise whenever you rubbed his head the right way, and it always made me laugh. If you’ve ever read the book Marley & Me, then you know Zeke. He was our real-life Marley.
The part that has been the most difficult for us is that his passing was incredibly sudden and unexpected. Zeke had been in and out of the vet for a few months for some spinal issues, but nothing life threatening. However, when my mom called me on Thursday morning and told me that he couldn’t get up, I knew something was wrong.
As we found out, poor Zeke had an undetected tumor in his spleen that erupted Thursday morning. It caused his spleen to rupture, and he was internally bleeding to death. My dad was out of town, so my mom and I had to make the decision to put him down, and it was one of worst things I’ve ever experienced in my life. Yes, I know that he was “just” a dog, but he really was part of our family. We spent 20 minutes in the vet room with Zeke, saying goodbye and recounting all of the memories before we let him go. Walking away from him in that room is a horrible image that I think I’ll have seared into my memory forever. It’s still with me today, and I cry every time I think about it.
RIP, big guy.
31 Comments
I’m so sorry for your family’s loss! There are few things harder than having to put a pet to sleep and I think I have cried more about saying goodbye to a pet than I have at funerals. I hope the good memories of Zeke can be a salve for the pain!
That’s rough, I feel for you.
Sorry for your loss. It is incredibly hard to say goodbye to a beloved pet.
A few things.
1. I am so sorry for your loss. From one dog lover to another.. this is tough.
2. Zeke was not “just a dog” don’t think that for a moment, “just a dog” doesn’t get a blog post.. He was a family member, which makes it ok (expected) to be upset and sad!
3. Cry as much as you need, appreciate Zeke for all the joy and laughter he brought to you! Then remember him happily!
Hang in there, these loses are tough!!!
A pet is NEVER “just a dog/cat/bird/whatever,” and don’t feel bad for being sad and grieving! One of my cats rapidly declined last fall from cancer, and I had to make the difficult decision to put him to sleep. It still brings tears to my eyes to this day, as my cats are my children, plain and simple. One thing I take comfort in, both as an animal lover and RN, is that we are able to make compassionate end of life choices for our furry family members.
So BIG HUG!!! So sorry to here of your family’s loss. Relish the good memories!
I’m so sorry about Zeke. Pups are just as much of our families as anyone else. Huge hugs to you guys during this tough time.
Thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family
Thinking of you and your family. I just lost my last family dog a month ago, and it’s still a fresh hole in my heart. Hugs, slobber, and puppy love to you and yours. <3
Not “just” a dog… no way. They are our family! OMG this made me cry. I lost my superamazing cat a few years ago amd still can’t think about her without crying. I love that Zeke made Chewbacca sounds… my dog does that, too! And it’s all those funny little stories that help take the sti g out. Thanks for sharing his story here. Hugs to you and your family from CA.
I’m so sorry for your family’s loss! At least he knew he was loved, even right up until the end.
And I agree with the above commenter, he was not “just” a dog and anyone who feels that way has never truly understood what it means to love an animal. Our pets are not “just” pets, they are our family too!
I hope the good, and quirky, memories of Zeke help you through this hard time!
There is no such thing as “JUST a dog”…not to real dog lovers. It always hurts to see the ones we love go…4 legged or 2.
Very sad, I hope your folks find a new puppy soon.
Sorry to hear about your family dog. It’s never easy. They truly do become a part of our families.
I am so very sorry for your loss.
I’ve had to euthanize pets before and I’ve worked as a vet tech so I know absolutely how hard of a decision it is (even though it was the best decision for the pup). I’ll tell my little Angel kitty to look out for a new big friend in pet heaven 🙂 You will be in my thoughts!
Oh girl, I am so sorry. This post brought me to tears and put a lump in my throat. No pet is “just” a pet, they are our worlds and Zeke sounds like the sweetest pup (I love boxers so much). My heart goes out to you and your family. Thinking of you guys right now.
the worst.
so sorry for your loss. when i found out my parents had to put my childhood dog to sleep last december, in the middle of my law school finals, i broke down in the middle of chipotle and cried like a baby for hours, so i don’t begrudge anyone the grief and sadness that comes with the end of a pet’s life.
it’s so great you have a place (your blog!) to record your favorite zeke memories and photos–hopefully they’ll make you smile for a long time to come 🙂
So sorry to hear about your lost…loosing a furson is very tough and something no one wants to go through…hang in there!
I am so, so sorry for your loss. I lost my dog Molly in April (she was almost 15). We got her when I was 17 and she was my baby. Pets are members of the family, just furrier, and it is always so hard. It sounds like Zeke had a great life and was just as lucky to have you as you were to have him!
I’m so sorry! He sounded like an amazing companion and I’m sure your whole family is just heartbroken.
This is so timely, too, b/c I just returned from the vet with my 14-yr. old whippet who is in big decline. We even discussed whether or not he is ready to go down, which killed me. We still have some time left with him, but I am never going to be ready when the day comes!
Hugs! BTW there’s no such thing as “just a dog” =) xo
I have never believed that a family member such as Zeke is “just a dog”. That is only said by someone who has not experienced the kind of love and loyalty a dog offers. My thoughts are with you and your family
Dogs are never “just a dog.” They are part of the family and make life better in so many ways. I’m sorry for your family’s loss.
So sorry for your loss. My family went through something very similar this past May, losing my parents’ “fourth child”/chihuahua, Pookie. They truly are members of the family & so we feel their loss deeply. Just remember how lucky you & your family have been to know, care for, & love such a sweetheart like Zeke! Prayers for you at this difficult time.
Dang it. Here we go with my waterworks again. I hope that your hearts are healing. Losing a family pet is just as painful as losing a family member. They have this ability to make such huge imprints on our hearts with their charisma and unconditional love. I hate that he had to go with such a traumatic memory for y’all, but I guess he didn’t want to botch his reputation for making things difficult. Hopefully writing about it helps, it always helps me a little. Sending lots of teleconetic hugs your way!
Oh this has me in tears because I had to put my 14 yrs. old cocker spaniel to sleep two months ago. I’m still not over it and miss him terribly! He was my first dog ever and having been there as e went to sleep was one of the most heart wrenching yet bittersweet moments of my life. Animals brings such joy and give us unconditional love. Your boy was beautiful and looks like he gave you guys much love. I’m so sorry for your loss but he is now over the rainbow bridge playing with other doggies in heaven! Sending a big hug!
I’m so sorry for your, and your parents, loss. I hope you all adjust well. The fur babies we get to “replace” our furless babies are special. They help keep us sane and give unconditional love. It sounds like he was a very special dog.
I’m so sorry to hear about Zeke. I don’t care what anyone says: pets are family. I’m sure Zeke filled a void for your parents at a time when they missed both you and your sister terribly and he gave them lots of love, slobber, and obviously kept them on their toes. Thoughts and prayers for you and your family as you guys process this!
Oh, Heather… my heart ached for you as I read this post and I felt the tears welling up. I definitely know how hard it can be to lose a pet. And I also know how much dogs are a part of the family (I’m pretty sure you know just how obsessed I am with mine!).
My parents had to put their 13 year old Golden to sleep in July- while I was out in Colorado. It was pretty much unexpected too- just like Zeke. Regardless, it’s never, ever easy. They give us so much love, and never ask for anything in return.
My heart goes out to you and your family!
Never “just a dog.” That is a family member. My heart goes out to you and your family. It is never easy, they can never be replaced and they will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Zeke knows he was loved and every special moment you spent together was loved. Dogs are great that way. They love endlessly. Hugs.
Sorry to read this… Best wishes to all of your family.
As others have said, I echo the comment that there is no such thing as “just a dog.”
So sorry for your loss. Putting a family pet down is so difficult. This is almost the exact same situation we had with our first dog, Hunter. Walking out of that room is so so hard. Sending you hugs and love.