u/TheGreat_Goonsby

Lost My Best Girl Athena

I am not sure if I can this here so please point me in the right direction and I’ll remove it.

A short story of my time with the best girl: Back in 2016, I was serving in the Air Force and went on my first deployment. Shortly after I got back whilst I was on R&R, my best friend called me saying he found a Breeder that breeds Malinois. Some background, I was a young dog handler and Mals are the main dogs we train with. I was super excited as I wanted a buddy to be with me and was going through a bout of depression after my deployment. I went to go see her when she was two weeks of age and instantly fell in love. She was the sweetest baby and I knew she was the one. She was my soul dog.

A few weeks later the Breeder called me saying he needed us to pick the pups up sooner due to lack of space on his ranch. I took her back with me at six weeks. I know that’s way too early but I’m glad I made the choices I did. She was with me from England to Japan then Louisiana and now Texas. She has always been there with me every step of the way and having to navigate life without her feels impossible. She was there before my wife. She was there in my lowest moments. I lay here asking myself “where did 10 years go?” This all feels like a fever dream. She was the best girl.

The last week or so she just wasn’t being herself. She would still want to play frisbee with me but I noticed her energy levels were declining. I found a vet to see her before the holiday and got terrible news. Her spleen and liver were enlarged and her gallbladder had hardened. After 12+ hours in the ER I decided to keep her home and do an at home euthanasia. I chose her favorite spot in the backyard where she would sunbathe and chill. I didn’t go with surgery because it would’ve been too much on her body. When she was 6/7 I had to get her a blood transfusion because her platelets were low then as well. A blood transfusion on top of an invasive surgery that wasn’t likely to solve the issue was too much on my girl. I wanted her to pass with dignity and peace. Not the way she was the past few days.

My mind was playing tricks on me. I took her on one last truck ride and for a brief moment, I got my old Athena back. I thought I was making the wrong choice for a moment but I know I didn’t. If roles were reversed, she’d want what’s best for me too. For her last meal, I grilled her a nice thick ribeye steak with some bacon and pumpkin purée. She used her last bit of energy to play frisbee with dad one last time. I am heartbroken beyond belief. I miss you babygirl!

Thank you for reading and apologies for the grammatical errors. Dehydrated and in tears typing this. Much love to you all!

ETA: Been three months since that fateful day and I’m still in a lot pain. I miss my girl so much. Hard navigating life without her.

After years of being a Garmin user and chasing this unicorn, I finally achieved a 100 sleep score. It may be gimmicky, but I never thought I’d see the day where I even got close to this. I was on daddy daycare duties yesterday with the baby, and all I was able to do was at-home Pilates and some mobility work in between the baby naps. Maybe that’s why my score went up?

Hello everyone,

I’ve been in the vet the last 12 hours with my 10 yo Malinois girl. I’ve been crying almost nonstop and am dehydrated. I’m sure I know what must be done but would like to talk this out.

I noticed a few days ago she was being lethargic and barely touched her food. Didn’t think much of it until I threw her frisbee and she just walked to get it instead of chasing it like normal. After some x rays and ultrasounds it was discovered that she has an enlarged spleen and liver.

The dilemma that I’m having is that we won’t know if the spleen is cancerous until they cut her open. I obviously want to do what’s best for her and keep her as comfortable as possible. However, if I were to pay for this $7k surgery and it’s going to be cancerous, I’ve been given only three months with her. The platelets are really low and they want to keep her overnight to see if the numbers go up. I want to take her home just for one more night and bring her back in the morning. I was told she may collapse and pass away at home, but I think she will be OK for one more night. I’m not being irresponsible. I am definitely going to bring her back however they’re just poking and prodding. You’re trying to figure out what’s going on. If she is going to pass away, I would much rather she do it at home and I can bring her back in the morning for a reassessment.