The Toughest Franklin Friday: Helping Our Dachshund Cross Over

   It was the day that every dog parent dreads. On May 8, 2020, we said goodbye to our 16 year old Dachshund, Franklin, to help him move on out of pain.
   Pet parents know that it is gut-wrenching but we need to be vigilant for signs from them.
   Although I'm a medium, it is no different for me than anyone else - It's a painful, hollow feeling. Having lost 2 dogs before, and having written about how they communicate from spirit in my two "Pets and the Afterlife" books, does not make it any easier as we lost another canine kid this past Friday.

Franklin on 5-4-20

HIS DECLINE - We've watched his decline over the last 5 months when he started struggling to walk (He had spinal surgery in 2015 and relearned how to walk) Then the moaning and discomfort followed.  His recent decline started less than 2 months ago when he couldn't walk around the block anymore. By March, he couldn't get out of bed so we would carry him outside in the morning. If we held him up by his tail he could walk only 10-20 feet. Sometimes he'd find brief strength to get up.
  We recognized he wasn't himself when he wouldn't stay outside in the sun (which he loved). We also knew he had dementia. He also stopped playing with toys in March and started moaning on and off throughout the day (and night).
     He was on 2 pain meds and tranquilizers at night just to sleep and he only slept about 3 hours at a time, waking up to pee and then drink a lot of water (we tested for kidney failure and for Cushings disease and they were negative)
     In early April, we took him to the vet and found out another disc slipped on his back so he couldn't stand up on his own. He was too old for surgery again. We noticed his back became arched, hunched.

Daddies Tom and Rob with Franklin 5-8-20

    In the last month after carrying him outside, we held up his back end by the root of his tail and he would walk 10 feet and fall over. Sometimes he peed on himself. Sometimes he pooped on himself. He lost all motivation to do anything other than eat. He was very unhappy. He wasn't chasing squirrels anymore or playing with toys.. He didn't try to find us in the house and just wanted to sit in isolation in his bed in the kitchen. He was distancing himself.

MAKING A DECISION -  On Monday, we talked with the vet, we recognized all of these things and we talked about what was best for Franklin. These decisions are based in unselfish love. Five days later,  on Friday,Franklin passed peacefully after getting the sedative. We looked him in the eye the entire time. Tom held his paw, I stroked Franklin's forehead. We told him we love him.

THE EMPTINESS HURTS - The physical loss of our boy has been traumatic for us. We have the memories... but his bed is empty. We've had to say goodbye to a best friend and a child. We will be hugging our other kids a lot. I know we will hear him bark and moan from the other side now that he's with Buzz and Sprite.