Farewell Pupster my dear friend !

Today has been a very sad day ! Pupster had to be put to sleep. As I type this still raw from todays events the tidal wave of emotion sweeps over me & to people out there who have lost a pet will know what I mean. Losing a pet evokes the same feelings of losing any family member.
Pupster seemed in good health & the photo below was taken only 6 days ago but about a fortnight ago I did mention to my husband that I had noticed a very subtle change in him, with him being a little slow to rise when we were going out but put it down to him being seven years old & just starting to slow up a bit. Last night though about 8pm he got sick several times which did not alarm me to much as Pupster will eat any old rubbish but decided if he was not right in the morning I would pop him into the vets.
Morning came & Pupster was obviously not very well & was drinking lots & then vomiting it up seconds later & was showing signs of being in pain. When I got to the vets I still thought that he had just eaten something that had upset him but on the vet examining him & then scanning his abdomen we became aware that he had a large mass sitting against the outside of his stomach & was causing the stomach to be almost closed over. So surgery was the only next option & it was felt at this stage we were looking at a tumour the size of a tennis ball & on signing permission for the surgery the vet & I had to discuss the fact that with such a large mass that we may have to look at euthanasia as a possible out come. This caught me slightly on the emotional back foot so to speak as I am normally a person who in public keeps control on my emotions but from going to the vets thinking Pupster just had a tummy ache I was now talking about the possibility of putting him to sleep, so the tears could not be held back. I cuddled the old boy before I left & drove home on an emotional rollercoaster.
Middday came & the phone call from the vet followed but at this time I was prepared for the worst & unfortunately it was the worst being a large tumour which was puting so much pressure on the stomach it had almost closed it over & had spread to the lymph nodes & other areas of the intestine although no other organs showed signs of damage. The choice was remove the tumour which would mean dividing the stomach & then stitching it back together getting him over this surgery with the very high probability of the cancer left behind rampaging his body & claiming him shortly after getting over the operation or not bringing him round from the surgery. I made the choice right or wrong which I felt best for him which was to put him to sleep on the surgeons table. It is never easy to play God & I will now rerun today over & over again hoping that the choice was right for Pupster. I did not want him to suffer. I have had a dog called Penny who was Smidge's Mum who had a similier cancer & we tryed to keep her going but I regret today the shell of herself she became.
We brought Pupster home this afternoon & he now lies beside his old mate Smidge. The other dogs got to see him & know his passing with our children being able to say goodbye to our Pupster.
I am astonished that Pupster could of been so well up to 24 hours ago even eating his breakfast happily yesterday morning & have a tumour in him the size of a tennis ball. Pupster up to today at just over 7 years old had never had an ill day or any health issues.
Rest in peace Pupster our little welshman !

Rest in peace Pupster