will be missed!
She has suffered from arthritis since we first got her, three year ago last Jan. and always walked a little spindly. Over this winter she has had a hard time going up and down the backstep to go out in the yard. The two big dogs, Crockett and Zeuse had a tendency to knock her over as they ran out or came in. She was lame a few times but extra rest and meds got back to normal.
But two weeks ago she began to fall down while eating or drinking.
The sad part was that she hadn't had an epileptic siezure in many months and seemed as if that problem had gone away.
For the last two days she hadn't wanted to stand up at all, except to eat or drink or get a "cookie" (dog biscuit). So last night Barbara took her to the vets to see what was wrong. They found she had a ruptured disk along her spine right at her hips and a torn ACL of her right hind leg. Her arthritis had already caused a loss of muscle mass in her hind quarters, especially on her injured right side. If it had been either the disk or the ACL she could have gotten better but the combination was keeping her in more pain then she should have to suffer.
So today I'm at home thinking about her.
I can still, almost see her, laying on her pillow in the livingroom in her favorite spot.
When I go into the kitchen and go to the box of dog biscuits I still expect to see her there, doing her little "cookie dance" of hopping from one front leg to the other.
She was such a quiet dog. She seemed content just to be with us and never really complained about anything. She only yelped three times that I know and only barked once at Zeuse when he first came to live with us.
She loved taking a walk with Barbara up ad down each side of the street. This last winter when the gate was left open she got out an I found her across the street walking the same route she had with Barbara.
The first time she was given a cookie when we brought her home it was like a surprise to her. Almost as if no one had given her a treat before. It became the greatest delight in her life. Two cookies a day for three years and she still came each time and took away her prized treat.
What I remember the most is when she would put her head on my knee so I could scratch her ears. She would just stay there with her head on my knee until I gave her a good scratching and petting and even a treasured "belly rub" too.
I say a prayer now that there is a place for her with God! That she gets her walks, her cookies and a good petting. Dear God, make sure she gets a nice belly rub too.
Dennis
