EPI * Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency

Hi everyone,

I am so sorry to tell you all that we had to put Krieg down this past Friday. We are both just heartbroken as we only adopted him about 10 weeks ago but both felt such a strong connection with this dog. It is harder for me than our last GSD who we had a very long time.....

Although Krieg had made some progress with the EPI, he relapsed in some areas as well... The decision point came last Tuesday when I was walking him past our neighbors house. We stopped to chat (he knows our neighbor and has played ball with him at our house)....Krieg barked at him, lunged at him and clamped down on his arm. I pulled him away and fortunately our neighbor was not hurt (By the way, he has 2 GSD's and loves them).

This was the 4th such incident in the 2 months we have had him but this one was the worst one....especially since it happened on our neighbors property, not our property. One of the other  unprovoked incidents was towards our son who he knew very very well.....

After this happened, I started researching EPI and aggression and discovered some dogs with EPI do become aggressive.  We consulted with Vets, etc and decided that while we might have been able to manage the EPI, his dermatological problems were very difficult and making him miserable and of course the aggression was a major decision maker.

This was an incredibly hard and very difficult decision.  We miss him so much and wish it could have worked out differently.

I know so many of you have worked so hard to manage your dog's illness and I feel some sense of guilt over this.....but I do believe in my heart that we did the right thing given the aggression issues.

I hope you all understand.....

P.S. We have left over Pancreazyme and Tylan that I will ship to whoever in the US wants it....please send me your shipping info  to : lwaning@email.com

Dear Jeanie,

Please accept my sincere sympathy for your loss of Krieg.   There is nothing quite like the pain of putting your beloved dog down, no matter what the circumstance.  You and your husband worked tirelssly to ease his suffering.   Krieg was a gift to you as you certainly were to him.   You are in our hearts and prayers.

Barb

My heart is broken for you!  You know in your heart what you needed to do and none of us can put ourselves in your situation to judge you.  I will pray for you to have strength while you mourn your loss.

Laura

Jeanie, I am so very sorry.  This is a sad situation.  My thoughts & prayers are with you & your family. 

Please take care.

Lynn & girls.

NOooooo!    

Dear Jeanie, our heartfelt congratulations to you and your family for not only taking on a rescue dog so soon after losing your previous companion but when finding he had a problem not giving up and having a red hot go at helping this beautiful animal. Many would not. You're to be congratulated amidst your sadness.

May your new pup bring you many years of joy.

Best,

Lulu, Jemima & Craig

I am so sorry for your loss.    He was a beautiful boy, and you were an angel to try so very hard to save him and to give him a wonderful home.   You know, not everyone or everything is meant to last.  And, just remember that time does not exist in the continuim of a soul.  Krieg's time here was a wink of an eye in the life of his soul.  He is happily waiting for you at the Rainbow Bridge, with so many of our beloved pets.

You gave it your best, and he knows that.  He is now a happy pup.

Jeanie,

My heart aches for you. You did what you had to do, please don't second guess yourself. You gave Krieg a new life and all the help you possibly could.  Some things are taken out of our hands and we are left with no options  and that was where you found yourself.

Krieg is now happy and pain free and waiting to be united with you someday.

Hi Jeanie.  Of course we understand.  It was a very difficult decision to make, but you did what you felt you had to do.  I wonder if the aggression was the reason he was given away to begin w/, but nobody said.  I am so sorry you had to make that decision as it is never easy, but please, don't feel guilty or second guess yourself.  In your heart, you knew it was the right thing to do.  You put a lot of thought into it and did your research before you came to the conclusion.  My thoughts are with you and sending you a big cyber hug. 

I hope you will stick around here.

Jeanie - Oh no...I saw something on Barb's post and wasn't sure what it was about.  I am just soooo sorry to read this.   I know from your posts how much you loved him.  You tried with all you had and he is in heaven thanking you.  My heart feels for you.   I am sure you did the right thing but that doesn't make it any easier.   Much love and a huge hug from the Daniels family.   

I am so very sorry for your loss.

Oh Jeanie i am so sorry to hear this.... your hearts must be breaking. I feel so bad for you and your family and for Krieg.  What a horrible situation, oneof which we had no idea. I too wonder if erratic aggression was part of why he was given up.  Please know that you are in our thoughts and prayers, God Speed Krieg.

Hello Everyone- I just want to say thank you to all of you for your wonderful responses. I can't tell you how much better you have all made me feel. Your kindness and understanding mean everything ....You are all the most wonderful people and I feel like I know I have known you all forever!

I also wanted to say that Krieg had a wonderful last day. We took him to our mountain cabin and my husband rode him around in the ATV for hours.  We let him run, run, run too. Then in his final hour, he played happily with Ginger.

He is buried on the mountain cabin property with Buddy, our GSD who had passed away in April from cancer.  We buried him with his very favorite stuffed blue Octopus.:)

He was  a very special boy.

I will keep in touch.  You guys are just  THE BEST.

A very sad day for you and everyone who has loved a dog with problems.  Strong woman you are to manage not only his EPI but also behavioural issues.  He was a lucky dog to have someone who  loved him send him on his way.

Jeanie,

When I first read your post on the news on Krieg, I didn't know what to say. I cannot even begin to think about how much saddness you are experiencing right now. Bella has been my families first pet; therefore, I have never experienced a heartache like you have. Not only did you rescue him, but you rescued him knowing the condition he was in. You gave him life while others would not, and to be honest..not many people would rescue a dog who had that condition. Like Karen said, please don't second guess yourself or the decision you made. You did what was best for Krieg, and you gave him the best home he could ever have. My heart aches for you.

Oh Jeanie, I am so very sorry to hear this, but know that Krieg is playing with his octopus at the Bridge...

Hugs to you and godspeed to Krieg

Jeanie, Your description of Krieg's last day was so beautiful and touching I am sitting here sobbing.  What a wonderful gift you gave him.  Such love shining through all of you.  Thank you for sharing it with us. 

Barb

Dear Jeanie,

I can't tell you how sorry I am for your loss. You and your husband gave all you could to help Krieg, just sometimes we just can't make it all better, however much we try. I too am smiling through my tears having read how you gave him a wonderful day, how hard that must have been for you.  I too had to make that heartbreaking decision last year, its never easy.  You are kind and wonderful people for taking him in.

Run free our beautiful Krieg, go find Bonnie.

Jeanie, here is a quote by Gene Hill that I found. It describes my Bella perfectly, and I am sure it describes Krieg perfectly, too.

"He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds. He is the part of me that can reach out into the sea. He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being; by the way he rests against my leg; by the way he thumps his tail at my smallest smile; by the way he shows his hurt when I leave without taking him. (I think it makes him sick with worry when he is not along to care for me.)

When I am wrong, he is delighted to forgive. When I am angry, he clowns to make me smile. When I am happy, he is joy unbounded. When I am a fool, he ignores it. When I succeed, he brags. Without him, I am only another man. With him, I am all-powerful. He is loyalty itself.

He has taught me the meaning of devotion. With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace. He has brought me understanding where before I was ignorant.

His head on my knee can heal my human hurts. His presence by my side is protection against my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me... whenever... wherever — in case I need him. And I expect I will — as I always have. He is just my dog."

Beautiful Jessica...beautiful...