When we brought Riley to us, we thought we may have only a few months to a year with him if we were lucky. We didn’t. We had more.
We had 2.5 years with this bundle of fur!
We hiked more. We played more. We laughed more. We did more. We loved more.
This wonderful boy brought us forward into life again. We will be forever grateful to the amazing pup he is for all he was.
He had stopped eating shortly before thanksgiving. We tried meal stimulants and medication and gravies, he refused them all. We made homemade dog foods which he would nibble at here and there but he wasn’t eating full meals. We had 3 days where he ate one meal each day and we had some glimmer of hope he would rebound…he did not. He was sleeping all the time. He wasn’t wanting to go for his walks. He was tired. We were in the vet’s office every 3 days. Our dear Riley was approaching stage 4 renal failure quickly.
We decided that we would not prolong his struggle. We would not make him waste away. We booked a vet to come to our home on Monday October 17, 2022 at 7:30pm to say goodbye to our precious boy. We thought we would take him away for the weekend to the cabin to enjoy one last hurrah in the woods.
Riley was okay the first night at the cabin, and the Saturday. He slept mostly and was enjoying the Cleopatra carry treatment. But he was still not eating. He was barely drinking. And he had no energy. He was the center of attention. The center of the snuggles. The center of the love.
Sunday was a challenge. We were to be heading home and when Riley could not stand we decided we could not wait another night. He woke in the morning having wet the bed and he was unable to put any weight on his back legs. We packed up and headed home, calling the vet we had booked for Monday along the way. Unfortunately she was not able to come out to us on the Sunday evening. We decided we did not want Riley to be uncomfortable any longer than he needed to be. And not being able to stand, no control over his bladder or bowels, this was not the life we wanted for our boy. He was not comfortable any more and there was nothing more we could do to make him comfortable.
On Sunday October 16, 2022 we drove to our vet’s office and asked to be squeezed in with our boy. They quickly accommodated us. The staff at the counter checked us in and took us back to an exam room.
We said goodbye to our dear Riley at 6:02pm on Sunday October 16, 2022.
He was our Goofer-butt, our Baby-Boy, our Fluffer-butt, and our little prince. He was Riley.
He was a dog who loved to love. He loved to be with you. He loved to explore and adventure and he loved to learn. He loved to shop and meet all the ladies in the stores (he was a ladies man for sure!). He made friends with the neighborhood children. He loved his puzzles and ropes. But he really loved his squeakers! He would rip those little squeakers out of toys and throw them around the house for hours.
Rest now sweet boy.
Your wings were ready, though our hearts were not.
In memory of our Beloved angel, Riley (March 17, 2007-October 16, 2022)
A very special thank you to:
Stephanie Leigh Photography for the amazing photos of our boy. She received my email and called me right away to get us in for photos. Full photo credit for the pictures in this post go to her.
Langley Animal Clinic for taking such great care with our beloved Riley these last few years. You answered all my questions (believe me there were many!) and spent the time to ensure I understood exactly what was happening with my boy. Your team of techs, receptionists, and vets are amazing.
ASR Adventures 