Shih Tzu named Rocky

I know this is a very hard time to cope with, I guess all you can do is assure yourself that you gave those animals the best life you could while they were with you, I think animals are sent to us not only to love but to learn from them even if just for a short time, we humans could learn a lot from animals, we think we know it all but I think animals know more than we are willing to admit , i believe they are connected to the spiritual side of things and I think your loving pets will always be around you..

well it sounds like they are a blessing to you as well as you to them. isn't that sweet? :) It's got to be aweful to find out that he's so much older then you thought and you have a lot less time but at least his last years are in a very loving home. I've had my heart broken by the loss of a pet a couple times. it is hard. and I can't imagine being able to ever again have a pet that I feel so much love for like that, but I do. I end up loving another one just the same because their too sweet not to! I hope that the rest of the time you have with your pet is a VERY long and wonderful time. I'm sure his little self is just excited he's spending his time with you.

Maggie, It sounds like Rocky is loved, and I'm sure he knows it. Make the most of what time you have left with (take lots of pictures), so you'll have lots of wonderful memories long after the pain has subsided. However, I wouldn't count him out yet. Rocky's are known as stubborn fighters who never give up, so he may stay with you longer than expected. This may sound silly, but you might want to consider some of the life extension techniques the older people sometime use, such as losing some weight, better diets, and more exercise. Also, pay close attention to short-term health conditions. For instance, what may seem like only a cold today could quickly become pneumonia tomorrow. I have a Shih Tzu also. His name is Champ, he's about 11 or 12, so I have an idea what you're going through. He has really slowed down the last few years, and I'm also wondering how much longer he'll be with us. Sometimes his little curly-Q tail just kind-of hangs down behind him, as if he's lost his Mo-Jo. Yet, there are other times that he prances up to the door on his way back doing his business, with his tail curled up over his back bouncing like it did 5 years ago. I've found that mine gets lethargic if we let his hair get too long. So we started keeping his hair trimmed (almost shaved at first) and not letting it get more than a couple of inches long before we take him to the groomers again. Living in the upper mid-west, it get kind of cold this time of year, so we have little sweaters that he wears for a few weeks after his grooming. Just some ideas, Wish you both the best of luck, Greg P.S. Widget was the name I gave to a stray cat that I addopted while I was an Engineering Student about 25-30 years ago, but that's another story.