My boy Charlie didn't make it yesterday, it was time. Got him to the vet in a blanket but he couldn't stand up. Vet came in, felt his belly and let us know it was probably Hemangiosarcoma which had swollen his spleen to softball size and it had probably ruptured and he was bleeding internally. We have experienced this before with another Golden (FML) and she had he spleen removed before it ruptured but the cancer took her too. He went peacefully with me and my wife rubbing his belly.
He was 12, had his 12th birthday last saturday. We actually got him when my daughter was about 9 months old. My kids have always had Charlie around. He was a great dog! He didn't cuddle, he didn't give you kisses, but he LOVED to chase a tennis ball and go for rides. Problem was, he had terrible balance and couldn't stand up in the truck with his head out the window, fell all over the back seat.
Charlie's breath stank. Always, even after cleanings. My kids HATED that he would breathe on them in the car with some stank breath. I'll miss that stinky breath. Charlie loved to swim, too. When we moved here, he was starting to be unstable in his back hips. First time we went to the beach, he took off into the water, mid-January in the cold, and I was scared I would have to rescue him but he got his back legs going and was fine.
Charlie loved the kids. Like I said, he wasn't affectionate, but he made sure he was always near the kids. He was always checking on them and making sure they were OK.
Anyways, I could go on and on about this dog, but I needed to get this off my chest. Charlie was named for Charles Hatfield, the "rainmaker" who San Diego hired to bring rain to their area and get rid of the drought. Widespread Panic wrote a great song about it, hence where we get it from. Also, named partly after the Grateful Dead song Cosmic Charlie.