RIP: Kosmo — Our Larger than Life Beagle

Tough day today — we had to have Kosmo (one of our beagles) euthanized this morning.

We stayed with him while the vet very kindly and gently administered the shot, and my wife held his head in her hands until he took his last breath. It was very peaceful, and I don’t think he ever felt any pain or suffering.

Kosmo was perhaps the world’s largest Beagle. He had a thyroid condition that never responded to treatment, and over the last two years, his weight and size kept growing while his health kept deteriorating.

We knew he didn’t have much longer, but he was always able to get up and down the stairs to our bedroom on his own, and was still able to get up and go outside on his own, and enjoyed our short daily walk to the end of the property.

But on Saturday night, he didn’t come upstairs with us. When I went down to check on him, he couldn’t put any weight on his back right leg. He couldn’t stand and he couldn’t walk. I think his hip had gone out.

With his weight, any treatment for the leg would have been useless.

So we spent all day yesterday pampering him (he enjoyed a half pound of rare roast beef for dinner) and showering him with affection. I think he finally knew his time was up, and was ready to be put to rest.

I think our other dogs knew it, too. Otis, our big Lab/Mastiff mix spent most of the day with his head resting on Kosmo’s bed, occasionally licking his face.

This picture was taken last night:

He was a great dog; exceptionally loyal and loving, he really enjoyed being a part of our pack, even when he couldn’t do much more than lay on his bed in the living room.

This is my favorite picture of the two of us together, taken in March of 2004 at his favorite dog park: