loss of a dear friend (my dog)
if you are not a dog lover, this may make no sense at all.
if you are...well...here we go.
this past sunday, I was getting ready for the activities of the day. sunday is a very busy day for my family and I. I had just finished my shower when my wife popped into the bathroom and said "the dog can't walk". madness and hysteria followed.
after we both calmed down, then was the big question. what now? we called her regular vet and they said to take her to the emergency 24 hour vet. I didn't even know there was a thing. she couldn't move her back legs at all. almost like she was paralyzed.
we got to the emergency vet and they took her back for the exam. the doctor came back and said that she had damaged her back. the only option was to operate and to operate fast. she told us that there was a bit of risk in the surjery and that there was a moderate success rate. she also said that there would be rehab as well along with a heightened likeliness that this would happen again.
we ask how it happened in the first place. our dog is a miniature dachshund (better know as a weenie dog). these dogs are known for back problems. ironically enough none of my family has ever had one with back problems. sucks to be the one that does. she said that it was probably from jumping around or going up and down steps.
my wife and I talked about it from a quality of life stand point. she would be in a level of pain for the rest of her life. like anyone that has had back surjery. the difference is, she couldn't tell us that she needed pain medication and we couldn't tell her to take it easy. that combination means that it would probably happen again.
the hard truth in the matter was that she had to be euthanized. we were there when she passed. we both took it really hard. she was 8 years old.
my wife and I have dealt with infertility and she was our baby before our baby. we recently adopted our first child (still working on the adoption). we have been married for 9 years so we barely remember a time without her. she lived a better life that some people I knew. she ate special food because of a calcium deficiency. she had clothes that she wore from time to time. that was my wife's idea. I called her the crazy cat lady but with a dog instead.
the house was quiet for the first time since I could remember yesterday. no barking, no tapping of her claws on the hard woods. it was a strange calm. we haven't talked much about getting another dog but for now, I guess it will be the 3 of us. my wife even took the day off from work.
it seems like hard times are hitting everyone. I am trying to keep moving and keep my head up. that simple task seems to get harder and harder.
if you pray, keep us in your prayers. if you don't, keep us in your thoughts.
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Be the change you wish to see in the world
--Mahatma Gandhi
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