# My Tribute to Flint



## Kev-V (Apr 19, 2011)

Hi all, my beloved friend and family member was put to sleep in the early hours of Monday 18th April 2011. Flint the border terrier was a little over 17 when he closed his eyes for the last time. He was and always will be such a large part of my life, a faithful companion that was always there to comfort and support through all the good times and the bad and wanted nothing but love in return. 

He chose me when he was just two weeks old by wondering over and sitting on my foot, waiting to be picked up and cuddled and when he was old enough at seven weeks he came home to live with us. In all his years he was never put into a kennels or left on his own for any great length of time, there was always a family member there with him through all his years. 

He wasnt what I would class as a sickly pup but at the age of two he began to suffer minor fits which didnt last long but to begin with became quite frequent occurring perhaps twice a week. We never got to the bottom of what caused them, with medication and age he all but grew out of them having one minor fit perhaps twice a year, and some years having none at all. When I married and my wife moved in she brought with her Daisy-Mae the Westie who became a great friend to Flint and Im sure he was happier and healthier because of her.

About 10 months ago Flint had a strange seizure, having been so used to seeing his fits we straight away noticed the difference. He was bounding around and barking at nothing but just would not settle and didnt seem to recognise us at all and would scream when we picked him up to comfort him. When it occurred we honestly thought wed lost him but he was made of sterner stuff and after 30 mins or so pulled through as if nothing had happened and wanted his dinner. Wed naturally rushed him to the emergency vet who checked him over but could only guess that it was a neurological disorder of which there was no way to predict if it would ever happen again. We were given diazepam to administer if he ever did it again to calm him down and three weeks later when he was on a walk in his favourite park he had another seizure and again he came back to us after about 20 minutes.

I refused to give Flint up without a fight and started studying to see what if anything could be done. It was then that I stumbled across Canine cognitive dysfunction syndrome (CDS) or Canine senility which is a bit like alzheimer's for dogs. I figured that if it was some sort of neurological disorder that would also explain why he had been having fits from such a young age. Reading down the various lists of symptoms I was shocked at how many applied to Flint, Id put things like his night-time wonderings, lack of enthusiasm, intermittent incontinence and confusion when up the garden down to old age as by the time he was 16 he slept a lot during the day and he was deaf and his eyesight was very poor. By this time I was aware that there are drugs available in the UK which may or may not help but they can have nasty side effects and I didnt see the logic of treating one disorder to cause another. I then read about Cholodin R, a vitamin supplement if you like which is available in the USA but not the UK which I found very frustrating, so much for our nation being pet lovers. From various medical notes and testimonys it is suggested that this supplement can assist aging dogs and cats with symptoms of Canine Cognitive Dysfunction with little or no side effects what-so-ever and had a very positive success rate. Figuring we had nothing to lose I ordered a very large tub of the stuff in tablet form from America and once it arrived, I gave it to our vets to check out. Once I got the all clear we started Flint on a course of these tablets, just half a tablet a day. Whether it was the tablets or not well never know but there was a marked improvement, he started to greet us when we came home again and would roll around growling which is something he had done from a pup, his wonderings in the early hours stopped to begin with and even towards the end did not last long, he loved his walks again and although he intermittently still had accidents indoors they were nowhere near the degree that he did before and until the day when we lost him, he never had another turn.

In the last week Flint started to struggle getting up, his back legs were just getting too weak. On the last day we had been with him all morning and early afternoon and just popped out only for a few hours. When we came home we found him in the process of another fit\seizure, again different to before but sadly this time it was not one he could recover from. Once he was himself again he was unable to stand unless we put him on his feet and when he tried to take a step he would just collapse. We sat with him for a long time and stroked him to sleep, hoping that rest may help but he woke in the late evening and started to struggle to move and just couldnt and then started to wine and squeak, he started looking around vacantly but still knew us when we cuddled him so I made the hardest decision Ive ever had to make and took him to the emergency vets to be put to sleep. He wasnt stressed at all and licked me all the way there, as if saying goodbye and we stayed with him the whole time stroking him and staying where he could see us. Once he was gone we brought him home to bury.

Today we are all sad, theres no guilt for doing what we did, I know it was time and Im so relieved I got to say goodbye. Ive lost numerous pets over the years including other dogs but Flint was\is my dog and to be honest it doesnt feel like hes really left but it hurts all the same. We are monitoring Daisy-Mae closely to see how she copes and giving her lots of cuddles, she has a poorly front leg at the moment so shes used to getting lots of cuddles anyway.

It just felt important to share this for some reason, perhaps typing it out will help the healing process or maybe its the thought that someone else now knows Flint existed, even if just one person reads this.


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## kaz_f (Mar 8, 2009)

Ah RIP poor Flint, it sounds like you did your very best for him. My thoughts are with you - you must be heartbroken right now at the loss of your wee pal.


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## Doolally (Oct 12, 2010)

I'm sorry. What a great age though!!


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## Kitty_pig (Apr 9, 2011)

He was a beautiful looking boy 
I hope this has helped you to begin healing even in these early days. 

Much love to you and your family at this most difficult time.

RIP Flint, hope you are enjoying running free and having fun at the bridge xxx


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## happygillie34 (Apr 11, 2011)

aww im so sorry 2 hear of poor wee flints death. its still raw 4 me as its been 5weeks 2day since our 11 yr old rough collie dog Hollie died of cancer. im so devastated. we released a balloon in her memory and then we r gonna build a memorial in our garden. it will get easier in time. R.I.P flint xxx


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## CAstbury (Oct 24, 2010)

RIP Flint 

It is obvious by your post that you cared very much for you little boy - and he was lucky to have had such a loving home.

It will hurt but remember the good times and the love you had for each other.

(((hugs)))

x


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## Kev-V (Apr 19, 2011)

To you all, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your kind words and support. Its comforting to know there are still kind people in the world. 

It was an absolute honour be with Flint on his journey through life, he was such a lovable little guy, full of life for so many years, playful and fun, mischievous at times and always so happy. 

He will always be missed but never forgotten.


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## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I am sitting here with tears in my eyes, thank you for sharing the great love that you shared with your dog, i am new to dog ownership and hope to have a story like yours to tell of a lifetime of love that i can give to my dogs and receive in return.

And have the strength to do the right thing if the time comes.

RIP Flint. x


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## WENDY517 (Nov 26, 2008)

hi kev
im so sorry to hear of your much loved pet flint.
It never really goes away, that feeling of loss no matter if the years go on, flint will still be apart of your life,
I believe he has gone to a much better place and he is well rewarded has he had fullfilled his destiny in this life.
I believe also that they know and flint had some idea of his passing, they say time may mend a broken heart but memories will live forever.
17yrs is a long time, flint sounds as if he was a well loved animal and he was given a bonus on his life,
my dougal died in nov 2008 he was 16+ yrs old.
I must tell you right now ive live on the internet cos of my loss, but never come to except the loss, i put dougal on critters.com.
you can upload flint on there, its a beautiful site and people will sign the guestbbok for flint bless his heart.
I hope flint is happy and free,
r.i.p.dear flint


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## 912142 (Mar 28, 2011)

Kev-V said:


> To you all, please accept our heartfelt thanks for your kind words and support. Its comforting to know there are still kind people in the world.
> 
> It was an absolute honour be with Flint on his journey through life, he was such a lovable little guy, full of life for so many years, playful and fun, mischievous at times and always so happy.
> 
> He will always be missed but never forgotten.


I'm a firm believer in 'things happen for a reason' Flint chose you and you him - you were a team learning from each other over the last 17 years. Just remember all those happy, happy times you had with him. He was there for a reason.

My thoughts are with you.


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## Mum2Heidi (Feb 17, 2010)

Aww that's so sad but lovely as well to think you had each other and were such a perfect team for so many years.
So hard when we have to say goodbye but the legacy Flint has left you will eventually shine thro and all those happy times will keep him current in your life and never far away.
(((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
Sandie


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## ridgeback05 (Aug 5, 2008)

rip flint...

sounds to me like flint had a fantastic life with a fantastic owner...who in the end had the courage to do one last good deed for flint...


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## Nico0laGouldsmith (Apr 23, 2011)

bless you! He was adorable judging on the picture! I lost my little boy on Valentine's day last year. I'd say it's like losing a child, you just don't know what to do with yourself. We also have another dog and it was heartbreaking to hear her cry all night for months after but we had to leave her alone to get used to it. . . I couldn't bring myself to get another to keep her company because it would feel like replacing my little boy too much. He went through quite a similar ordeal to your little one, he went downhill fast. He was about 15 we believe but may have been a few years older. . . we bought him from someone who's daughter was allergic and they said he was 2, gave us his pedigree papers which showed this but later when we got the other pup her pedigree papers looked completely different so we think they could have been forged to make him appear younger than he was. . . she's never been alone because we got her after we got him and she went straight from being with her siblings to being with him so she doesn't even know when it's time to go out for a wee or anything any more! we have to ask, it's like having a puppy all over again!

But I do know how terrible it is to lose them and at least you knew you were doing the right thing  with my little boy he had a few fits and the vet said it was common in yorkshire terriers in old age and then he just started to act like an old man. . .I remember he had a fit and when he'd recovered he was all weak and floppy the rest of the day, he went outside for a wee all by himself but then collapse whilst in the process, I actually just burst into tears . . then he recovered brilliantly and was back to his old self for a few weeks and then he started acting like an old man again. . . but was eating and drinking, then his breathing got bad and within the space of a day he went off his food and drink and just slept. . . it was a weekend so we were debating to go to the emergency vets but it would have meant taking him a long way and he got so excited in cars it would have finished him off anyway  so we just kept him comfortable and at about 4am the next morning (Valentine's day) my dad found him curled up like he was asleep looking very comfortable and snug and he had passed away. My other dog was just staring at him like she didn't understand. We buried him later that day in a nice patch of the garden and even my dad cried and he used to *pretend* he hated him.

he's a little bugger though, can't be forgotten, he was born on the same date but years before me and my boyfriend got together and he died on valentine's day!

I'm really sorry to hear about your little one and I know I'm replying to this quite late but soon you'll only be sad when you think about their death but will be filled with joy when you think about their life!


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## Poppy2011 (Apr 26, 2011)

RIP Flint. Sound sso deeply loved and treasured.


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## Kev-V (Apr 19, 2011)

Rolosmum said:


> I am sitting here with tears in my eyes, thank you for sharing the great love that you shared with your dog, i am new to dog ownership and hope to have a story like yours to tell of a lifetime of love that i can give to my dogs and receive in return.
> 
> And have the strength to do the right thing if the time comes.
> 
> RIP Flint. x


My only advice is to Just treat your dogs like you would a child, they depend on you for survival. Just give them lots of love and attention, have patience, have fun and never ever give up on them. To my knowledge dogs\cats\any animal don't think of tomorrow and live only in the now, it's a gift we could all do with learning, share each day with your dogs as if it's your last and you won't go far wrong.


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## Nico0laGouldsmith (Apr 23, 2011)

Kev-V said:


> My only advice is to Just treat your dogs like you would a child, they depend on you for survival. Just give them lots of love and attention, have patience, have fun and never ever give up on them. To my knowledge dogs\cats\any animal don't think of tomorrow and live only in the now, it's a gift we could all do with learning, share each day with your dogs as if it's your last and you won't go far wrong.


that's very good advice


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