Learning To Live Without Luther

Hello everyone

This blog is written with a heavy heart as I try to adjust to a life without my little brother Luther who was sent up to the kennel in the sky on the 9th of March.

I'm pretty sure that Luther didn't know how ill he was and if he did he never let on. 

He started going off his food (not a good sign for a Lab) and towards the end of his life was struggling to eat even half of his grub, I obviously helped him out finishing it up, unless mum or dad got to take his bowl away first, they were trying to monitor how much he was eating.

Mum had started making him rice with chicken, thinking perhaps he was just a little bit poorly and turning into a princess - remember he was often called ‘Luther the Spoofer’!

The alarm bells sounded when he started to get a slightly swollen belly and his wee was a really dark colour. We were both due a health check so we arranged a trip to the vets. 

I went first and was deemed okay - just a normal old dog, but they were very concerned when they saw Luther, they noticed that he was slightly jaundiced and decided straight away to book him in for a scan in Framlingham that afternoon.

The results were not good as they detected a tumour on his liver and we were told that it was inoperable and that time was not on his side.

Poor ol’ mum had to deal with the news just a couple of weeks after her mum had died.

 

The castle on the hill

We went for a walk while Luth was having his scan and then dad got that dreaded phone call...

When we got up on Friday morning Luth's tummy had swollen even more and we kind off knew that this would be his last weekend with us, so we tried to make it a great one for him

Enz came round in the afternoon and we went for a walk to Blacktiles

He laid under the table out of the way but surfaced when they brought us treats over

Saturday was Enzo's 5th birthday so we went swimming at Shingle Street in the morning

He never gave up wanting to chase sticks, balls, or in this case seaweed!

Afterwards mum made us egg and bacon birthday rolls - Luther managed to have an appetite for those lol

On Sunday morning dad thought that it would be a good idea to take Luth swimming at the viewpoint in Felixstowe, another one of our happy haunts, but the beach was all fenced off dredging ffs!

We had a run around the Fort 

Before getting back in the car and going to the Manor End

Me an' Enz had a great last swim with Luth

He was in his element

Not a care in the world apart from that tennis ball

It's a dog's life

Some like it hot

Monday morning in my woods

And it was to be Luther's last walk

Bless him he carried that stick all the way home

Following our walk dad made the difficult decision to book Luther’s final appointment at Saxon Vets in Wickham Market for 12pm later that day. 

The final team photo

Mum, dad, Max, me and Enzo were all there as Luth took his final breath and left us.

He had had ten and a bit great years of life, did you know that he never ever slept on his own in all of that time? He left our mum Misty’s care and came straight under my supervision!

Luthie was at times a pain in the arse, very needy, great fun, always happy and my best friend - oh the stories we could tell about you lot! 

I know that It’s been a very sad house for everyone, I really miss my little brother, I’ve got no one to annoy me and I miss his company especially at night when I’m all alone without him to lay on or him to lay on me.

Enzo has been a great mate to me over the last few weeks, he’s had a couple of play days with me and has even stayed the odd night

Luther's ashes are now at home and one day when I'm not around anymore we're both going to be released together into the sea at Shingle Street

He's even allowed on the settee now lol

So now that Luther is not with us anymore mum and dad are going to find out the truth about who was sick in the night on those various times that they came down in the morning and had to clean it up. Also who really had the worst farts when we were watching tele? I always got the blame because of my age. Perhaps it was me? I’ve got nowhere to hide anymore and no one to blame unless Enzo comes to stay…

They say that time is a great healer - not that I’ve got much of it left (f**k me I do sound like a miserable ol’ Bono!) I have to admit that I'm slowing down a bit nowadays and two miles is a long walk for me, but I’m vowing to carry on enjoying my life and to eat as much food as possible in the process lol. 

Sorry that it’s been a bit of a tough read, I’ll try my best to come up with a happier blog soon. 

Until then make sure that you look after yourselves and live your best life. 

Lots of love from 

Rudie THE Dog xx

In memory of 

Rootin’Tootin’Shootin’

19 11 2015 - 09 03 2026

Who’s gone to chase another ball in the sky.