Sweet Dudley

I’ve dropped off the planet, but had some good reasoning.

A week ago Wednesday we lost our sweet, loving Golden Retriever, Dudley. Dudley was our pet at my Mom and Dad’s house for the last 12 years. He was such a sweet, loving boy! We were not expecting him to pass away so soon so I think that may have been why it was so hard for me. I also knew that my brother wouldn’t get to tell him bye and it was his dog so that hurt me too.

Dudley had a seizure Tuesday afternoon when my Mom got home from school. She had noticed the last week or so he was slower getting around and seemed kind of out of it, but he is old, likes to lay around, and we just thought that was maybe his new normal. We were afraid he was having joint problems but it was something else. During his seizure he was throwing up :( and went to the bathroom and she finally got him outside and down our deck stairs where he just laid there. My Dad came home and they took him to the vet to find out that his heart, lungs, and stomach were filled with fluids. The vet said that most the time by the time the fluid gets to the stomach there just isn’t much they can do. It was like congested heart failure. They brought him back home for one more night and then Kody and I went to say bye Tuesday at lunch. Lord, I haven’t cried that much in a long time and it’s still hard for me to type this post.

It’s funny how pets become so much like your family. It’s weird going to their house and him not being there, just barky Boj! He loved Kody and when we went to see him at lunch he was laying on a pallet in the living room under covers and when Kody walked in he raised his head and started wagging his tail. :( We’ll miss him for sure, I hope he’s running around Doggy Heaven with all his friends and family.

Here he is with Jax when Jax was younger and my friend Courtney’s dog Ranger. This night he was like the referee between these two pups.

Christmas time 2006, he looks like he’s smiling here.

Brothers, just different sizes!

We always had him shaved in the summer time. He would act embarrassed right after he came home, but loved being cooler.

He loved being outside, chewing on that bowl. If he was inside he would find towels and chew on them. In his later years he loved playing with those ‘stuffless’ squirrels.

I’m so glad back in the fall he got to come spend the night at our house. He loved our HUGE yard and ran all over it playing. That night he got to sleep on the couch. First big dog to ever be allowed on our couch, but I broke the rules for him. Here's one last more right after we got him 12 years ago on Halloween with Alex!

Love you Dudley, we won’t ever forget you!