Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

On April 11th I lost my almost 8 year old female German Shepherd, Desi, to congestive heart failure. She got really sick mid-February with an infection. She spent 3 days at the vet clinic, had lots of tests, and came home where I attempted to make her better. After a month she had only improved a little, so I went back to the vet and got different antibiotics. The new ones were helping a lot, and I thought she would be fine. All of a sudden the heart failure symptoms became obvious, and my heart broke. I had no idea her heart was failing, and when the vet checked her in February they didn't notice anything. I have done a lot of reading, and now know that there were some symptoms of heart failure in the fall of 2017.

I lost an 8 year old male German Shepherd to congestive heart failure several years ago, only he had not been sick first. His was more gradual.

My male German Shepherd from Sonoma Kennels in Ontario is 8 1/2 years old and it's hard to say what age he will be when I lose him. He is healthy at the moment. The house is really quiet. Desi was very active and very vocal. I thought it over and decided to get a new puppy. Next week this cutie is coming from Timberline Kennels in Ontario. I haven't thought of any names yet.

So sorry for your loss, @Shnookie . I know it's so difficult.
Your new puppy is adorable. I hope that he/she will have a wonderful life with you.
I also hope that you won't forget to cherish the time you have with your 81/2-year-old german shepherd male.

Sad news @Shnookie
It's always so difficult to say goodbye but it seems even harder when you've fought to keep them with you. Your new puppy is adorable!

Shnookie..very sad to lose a devoted friend...i used to breed GSDs and usually had 4-5 adults in my home...each was special and I did the dog show circuit for years and took one special bitch to champion status...Koko....i loved that dog...she died suddenly at 5-1/2 yrs ... I didn't do a pathology but suspect heart failure...it was an incredibly hard thing to overcome and I am not really a mushy guy...and then again I had a male, Kane, who lived to 14...it was his time but still wicked hard to see him go...treasured memories of dear friends now long gone but never forgotten...I am sorry for your loss but that little guy/girl is just waiting to light up your life...

I am so sorry to read this news, I was brought up with GSDs. I know you have a lot of good memories with her. Look forward to making more with the new darling pup. It's always too soon but perhaps your boy will have many more years.
Hugs.

Oh so sad. As you can see from my avatar I love german shepherds, hard when you lose one so young.
The little pup is adorable!

So sorry for your loss. Losing a dog is the worst thing in the world.

Congrats on the new sweetie pie! Take lots of pics and enjoy your life together :).

Linda

Thanks everyone. I have had a lot of pets over the years, and it's never easy to lose one, even if they are old. It's harder when it's unexpected. I had cocker spaniels first, and really liked them, but once I got a German Shepherd I was hooked. This new one will be my 6th one.

The new pup is a female. In the picture above she is about 5 weeks old. She will be 8 weeks old when she comes, so will look a bit different. It will be fun to see what Dillon thinks of her. He was with me when I picked Desi up in Saskatoon as an 8 week old puppy. He stood in the back seat of the truck with his head resting on the console staring at her in the crate on the front seat all the way home to Regina. Love at first sight. Little did he know that she would grow up to be the boss of him. :)

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your Desi, I know how hard it is

Congratulations on the new puppy! She's adorable!

I am so sorry to hear. they lways have a part of our hearts-and our hearts can always fit more somehow.