Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 11/18/2011 10:18 AM |
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Kintra's story has been very hard for me to follow. I end up in tears every time I read the posts. However, I wanted to let you know again how sorry I am for your lose.
As for your question about getting a new puppy so soon, well I have always had dogs and only 2 weeks in my life was I without a dog after I had lost my first heart dog to a mysterious illness when she was 4 years old. Those are the hardest loses because they are too soon. I swore then I would not get another dog, but after about a week I found myself like you missing the joys of owning a dog, and so I called my grandpa who had a kennel of greyhounds and he sent me a retired racing greyhound. I have never thought of my dogs as replacements, but as a new friend who has the power to help me past my lose and brings laughter and smiles back into my life. Enjoy your new puppy when you get her. She will have a different personality from Kintra, but don't be surprised if from time to time she does something that was uniquely Kintra. I like to think that the ones that have gone before have a special way of reaching back to us through our current dogs to remind us they are waiting for us to join them some day.
As for all of Kintra's belongings, that is a choice you have to make, but mine all get handed down to the next generation with the exception of their collars. I keep the collars much like Phyllis does.
Can't wait to see the pictures of your new puppy when you get her? I loved Kintra's name and the story behind it from your other post, so I was wondering have you got a new name picked out yet for your soon to be newest member of your family? You should start a new thread on your soon to be new puppy too. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
   
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
MH
Posts:726
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| 11/18/2011 10:43 AM |
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I'm planning to take loads of photos tomorrow so i will post them as soon as i get back. We have narrowed the names down to a couple that we really like but we're hoping that one of them will really suit her. We were tempted to go with the place name thing again as with Kintra but we're so determined to do things differently so that we definately do think of this wee girl as another personality in her own right (if that makes any sense  ). We did look at some lovely gaelic/celtic names but then found out they meant things like "lost" or "running free" which we thought might tempt fate with her recall  then we had some stupid ideas about calling her tattie (potato) or neep (turnip), i think we were in the depths of grief-related hysteria at that point lol. thanks for your kind words xxx |
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Miss you forever Kintra baby xxx |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
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Posts:1208
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| 11/18/2011 10:57 AM |
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| I am so very sorry for your loss and like others, it was a very emotional thread for me to read - brought me to tears. We got Windsor last November and added another gsp to our family this last August. And before that it was 12 years without having a dog and I can't believe how good it feels to have dogs in my life again. I totally understand you getting another pup. I also am a cat lover and when my Maine Coon went to Heaven I had a new cat w/in the week - it was because my girlfriend couldn't keep her and it was weird timing. I know you will always love Kintra and she will be in your heart forever but I think it's nice that you took another dog into your home to be loved and cherished. |
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TessaGA
Georgia
MH
Posts:2387
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| 11/18/2011 1:49 PM |
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Okay, I don't know you not even from this forum because I haven't been here in forever, and I didn't know Kintra, and yet, this post is killing me - I just want to cry! So sorry for your loss.
You sound a lot like myself - I also once opted for a necropsy to see what was going on, and I also tend to move on quickly. You wrote further up "Its really testament to how much she brought to our lives and how much we enjoyed having her. " That is my take too. Some people don't get another pet because they just can't bear to go through another loss. I respect that. But for me, the best way to honor the previous dog and the joy he/she brought is to get another dog because we know the joy so much outweighs the pain, as immense as it is.
Good luck with the new pup - he/she will help you through the grief and soon you can look back on Kintra with nothing but smiles.
In regards to Kintra's stuff - I always hang on to one or two special favorites (each dog seems to have one thing that is special to them), and pass on the rest to the next dog, and whatever is not suitable or not appreciated goes to the shelter (if still in good/safe shape). Food and shampoo etc, if left over, always goes to the shelter. It's kinda tough to do but I like the thought of an unwanted pet benefiting from things that my dog left behind. I keep the collars but do not reuse them.
It's kinda cool to have a mix of items, some that were not touched by any other dog and some that have been touched and used by all my dogs. Both make me feel happy when I look at them, with a little sadness mixed in of course, but just a little.
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To live without dogs would mean accepting a form of blindness. [Thomas McGuane]
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vnrose53
MH
Posts:379
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| 11/18/2011 3:34 PM |
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Well, I think "Tattie" or "Neeps" would make a good pet name if you come up with a "real" name that is a little similar--but I have to admit that one of my dogs is "Humphrey" and I sometimes call him "Numps" or "Numpsie."  |
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
MH
Posts:726
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Splat
Illinois (Northern)
MH
Posts:3130
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| 11/20/2011 6:26 AM |
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| adorable!!! cute name! |
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Willowglen
Fort Collins, CO
MH
Posts:216
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| 11/20/2011 7:08 AM |
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| She is absolutely precious! I hope she is able to ease the pain in your hearts and add to the memories of owning this great breed! Love the name. |
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Christine
Willow Glen GSPs & Weimaraners
www.willowglengsp.com
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everbell
Kanata, ON
MH
Posts:3164
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| 11/20/2011 9:12 AM |
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So sweet! I love puppy breath (but am more than happy to let others deal with the needle teeth  ) |
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Joce and Rich
Bogart and Shiraz (GSPs)
Roxane (RIP: 1995-2009) and Tiger Lily (Cats)
The Everbell Adventures |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 11/20/2011 10:16 AM |
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| She is a beautiful puppy and I love the name. You know they say be careful what you name them, but I think the name is perfect for her. The 3 weeks will be hard, but you will have her in time for Christmas. What a wonderful time of the year to get a puppy. You were also very lucky to find a puppy so quickly. I think Kintra is smiling now and probably sent little Keely your way knowing you would need her. Can't wait to see more pictures of Keely. Does the breeder live close enough for you to visit often over the next 3 weeks? |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
MH
Posts:726
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| 11/20/2011 10:37 AM |
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Unfortunately it was a 4.5 hour journey each way so its unlikely we'll be able to visit before collecting her  What is really strange is that today we went to a local branch of a well-known uk pet food/accessory shop which i visited on a very regular basis for the last 2 years for things for Kintra. We drove into the carpark and the first thing we saw was a couple carrying a 10week old liver and white gsp. We couldnt believe it as i have only met 1 other gsp in our area for the last couple of years. Maybe it was a sign - although when i first saw them i felt really guilty about Kintra as the puppy was very similar to her, and it also reminded me of our first visit to that shop with Kintra when she was approx the same age.Then i thought maybe it was a sign, and to NOT feel guilty, it was just so very strange. I've got to admit, i'm really struggling to shake off the guilt, although i do actually believe that we are doing the right thing |
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Miss you forever Kintra baby xxx |
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Texas Belle
Austin, TX
MH
Posts:7835
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| 11/20/2011 12:16 PM |
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| Don't feel guilty. Kintra would want you to be happy, and I think she would be so happy that you are giving a wonderful home to another beautiful shorthair puppy. Besides Kintra hasn't gone anywhere, she is still right there in your heart and in the wonderful memories. |
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Bev Quarles, the Pointer Sisters (Belle and Halo), the Outlaw GSP (Johnny Ringo) and the little Princess (Fauna)
Yellow Rose GSPs
"A dog has the soul of a philosopher." - Plato |
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Terra's Owner
Planet Earth
MH
Posts:262
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| 11/20/2011 5:07 PM |
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Oh wow, a baby puppy at Christmas time. Just in time to help open all those gifts.
Just think, in 2, 5, 10 maybe even 15 years from now you will be able to remember back to when Keely was a pup at Xmas time. You can remember how you were heartbroken when Kintra died and then you got Keely at Xmas and how she has been such a great companion since then.
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John (human), Bearoff (gsp), Jenny (Plott), Sunshine (Heinz57 rip 11/4/2010), Terra (missing but still in my heart) |
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rebelyell
Iowa
MH
Posts:176
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| 11/20/2011 8:13 PM |
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| Awe...what an adorable puppy!!! She looks so cuddly. Yes..you need to stop feeling guilty and try and focus on getting ready for Keely to come home!! I feel Texas Belle is correct....Kintra is not gone...just think of her waiting until you meet again. Right now she is happily playing and pain free and would want you to give the love you gave her to a new puppy |
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Jolene
-- Rebel (GSP 2010)
-- Shila (GSP 1988-2006 17 1/2 wonderful yrs )
"There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face." -Ben Williams
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
MH
Posts:726
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| 11/23/2011 10:14 AM |
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Looks like we can finally try to put the last few weeks behind us and remember Kintra as she was before then. We just got the histopathology results back. The post mortem showed that she had an enlarged liver with a lesion, an enlarged gall bladder, inflamed pancreas, consolidated lung, a mass in the chest, fluid in the abdomen and around her lungs, enlarged lymph nodes in her tummy and jaundice.
The histopathology results show that the mass in her chest was most probably a small but aggressive sarcoma which had infiltrated her lung. The cancer had also spread to her liver (which caused the most concern at the time) which then became enlarged an caused the initial shallow breathing. Subsequently she developed pneumonia possibly as a result of her already compromised immune system and that fact that her lung wasnt functioning properly due to the spreading cancer. Although not fully conclusive in that they cannot be 100% sure in what order everything has been affected, the vet has confirmed that even if she had presented with symptoms a few months earlier they wouldnt have been able to do anything about it, the plus side being that she DIDNT show any symptoms and so it would seem that she didnt actually feel any illness or pain until the week before she was put to sleep.
Sorry for all the detail but:
1) For obsessive reasons i kinda want to record everything while it's fresh in my head and i can come back to read it in the future and stop torturing myself. And....
2) I (we) wouldnt have gotten through this without reading the replies to my baby Kintra's progressing illness updates.
Thanks to you all for following this post. I am so grateful to you all for keeping us going, giving us hope and ultimately understanding us and reminding us that life has to go on after the grief!!
Rest in peace, Kintra. You'll always be in our hearts and we know you'll be waiting for us at Rainbow Bridge - please enjoy running on the beach with large branches of driftwood in your mouth, chasing squirrels in the woods, drinking seawater  ,bum-rubbles, lying on laps, "helping" with the gardening, eating my strawberries and brambles, dragging your bum on carpets, giving the most amazing unconditional cuddles, rolling on your back, eating horsepoo, a never-ending supplies of cheese, all the jammy toast you can eat, peanut butter and chicken with gravy - all your favourite treats. I'm sure you will find plenty of friends to give you all the cuddles you need until we see you again. All our love forever xxx |
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Miss you forever Kintra baby xxx |
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Smylinacha
Connecticut
MH
Posts:1208
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| 11/23/2011 12:44 PM |
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| Darn - on my break at work but I can't see Keely's (love that name) pics since they block photobucket! Have to wait until I get home. Just want to also give you a huge hug for all you've gone through and as much as I complain about the internet, I cannot complain about this place because people genuinely care in here and the last paragraph of your last post was the most beautiful tribute to Kintra - brought tears to my eyes. She will always be a part of you and thank you so much for sharing her with us. |
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flygirl
Muncy, PA
MH
Posts:409
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| 11/24/2011 7:04 AM |
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From the sounds of your post, her disease process spread quickly and was not something that was treatable even if caught early. You can't beat yourself up (although we always do). God needed his angel back and I am sure she has a special project that he has assigned to her. Record everything that you an about her so that you will have it. She was blessed to have great caring parents while here on earth. Sounds like she was treated like royalty
BTW, Keely is adorable!
Keeping you in my prayers. |
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Benelli
Abby
RIP Dutchess - 2000-2010
Cheyney the cat |
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Shelley
Bristol, UK
MH
Posts:704
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| 11/24/2011 9:37 AM |
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| So sorry to read of your loss. Would you mind PM'ing me the breeding of Kintra? |
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weerubbertummy
Ayrshire, Scotland
MH
Posts:726
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| 11/24/2011 10:14 AM |
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Hi Shelley, i've emailed you (is that the same as PM? i'm a bit dopey at using forums). |
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Miss you forever Kintra baby xxx |
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juliej
Kentucky
MH
Posts:113
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| 11/24/2011 10:19 AM |
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You will be so glad you documented your memories! I often think of making a journal of memories of pets who have passed.
I am so looking forward to your new pup, Keely. She will be such a joy for you. |
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Julie
Aldo von der Raucherei |
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