Life without my cuddle bug.

Scootie baby!

Mommy's little cuddle fella

Doing what he does best!

Sleepy, warm frito-boy --- my favorite time to spend with him

Scootie and D-gurl -- she misses her best friend

Yesterday, along with being sick, I had the worst possible day of my life. Scootie was having another pain episode a couple days ago, subsiding for a day or so. On Saturday morning, I came home from work to sleep with my lil' guy and cuddle. However, he woke me up yelping in pain around 1:30 that afternoon. I gave him the appropriate medications, but after a hour and half - he was still getting no relief. So we headed to the Emergency Animal Hospital.

We had to make the most difficult decision of our lives. Scootie had another area in his back that was now affected, causing him pain every couple of months. The doctor gave us the option of having another back surgery, giving him 3 days of steroid injections, or putting him to sleep. Surgery was not an option for us or Scootie and the injections would be only temporary and maybe not even work.

The doctor gave him an injection of high dose pain medication while we waited for Jason to get to join us. When we arrived to the vet, he was constantly yelping in pain and the pain medicine only made him get comfort for a couple minutes at a time. The pain of watching him suffer was agonizing and we felt it was time to make the decision that we knew would some day come - just not realizing it would be this soon.

Mommy and daddy loved on him and made sure that he knew how much we loved him. As he went to sleep, mommy kept whispering in his ear that I loved him and how he was going to be pain free and able to walk again. Jason and I completely lost it and the doctor left us alone to say our last goodbye's. He went peacefully, knowing how much we loved him and would miss him and NEVER forget him. Mommy kissed on him for a few minutes and whispered in his ear and then we said goodbye.

This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. I have never felt so empty and really hated to return home. It has been a little over 24 hours and I have cried throughout the night and day. It is hard to let Daysia out, come home, feed Daysia, lay on the couch, take a shower and even sleep at night. He was my little sidekick and he was always cuddling with me or at my side. We feel like we have lost a child, not a dog. He was so dependent on us for every care that he needed. Our schedule was arranged around his cares and took up time from the day. Time that I wish was still being taken up by taking care of my lil' man. We will always love him, never forget him and always think of him. We know he is better off, but that doesn't make it any easier! Please pray for us that this time will pass and things will look up. I have never felt this much pain in my lifetime - he was such a special member to our family. All of you know this, as I talk about him and laugh at his actions all the time. We will miss our lil' Scootie.