As my vet said, all diets are off now; he can have anything he wants.

OM --

So sad to read this all. There have been a few "group hikes" on this forum over the years, although I haven't been able to attend one. And I always imagined that if I had been able to go that you and Hysson would be there. You two, together.

What a great dog you have had that has logged so many miles with u. But when Hysson has gone, you have to consider getting another, to continue the tradition. U know he'd want that.

A few years ago, I had a most unusual woman come into the store (I work at Whole Foods), and for several weeks buy carne asada. One day she off-handedly said not to worry about the cut, it was for her dog (at $24/pd.!) I thought, 'how strange,' til I pried and she told me that it was for one of her Bernese Mountain dogs. That breed has a short life span due to cancer and other problems.

I befriended her, as much as one can while serving her in a natural food store, and vicariously came to love her dogs (six then), and realized that the carne asada was only for the current dog of hers that had been diagnosed as terminally ill. (By then I had learned that her husband had driven from Denver to North Carolina to rescue an abused BMD puppy and spend a fortune on several operations once here.)

And I thought to myself, why not?

I actually packed a quart of gelato for her recently for another of her BMDs also diagonosed as terminally ill.

Point is, whatever feelings we express as we grieve the coming loss of a canine companion is deserved, for they have devoted so much of their lives to us, to make us happy being with them.

A little carne asada for Hysson might be in order.

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