Two years ago I had to make a gut wrenching phone call to our vet to make arrangements to have our old dog put down. Zippy was 19 years old and had had a good life, but that did not to make it any easier to make that call.
She was the first dog me and my husband had owned together and we had rescued her from a sanctuary in South Africa. She had been with us since before we had even thought about getting married, she had played a big part in the bar we owned – she was customer relations – and she had put up with being sidelined when we had our two children. She was Zips, our little bischon frise.
Sadly I feel that situation creeping up on us again as Beanie’s – a 13 year old mongrel that we rescued as a puppy – health seems to be failing her. She is getting on a bit now and her legs are a bit shaky and her health isn’t what it should be, as she was diagnosed with kalazar , a few years back. Kalazar is a nasty disease found in Mediterranean countries that is transmitted through the bite of an infected sand fly. I would be lying if I said that it hadn’t affected her health as it has, even though we have been able to control the disease with daily medication.
She is a tough dog that we got off the streets at about nine weeks old, she has managed to survive getting hit by a car whilst chasing a cat, somehow managing to eat poison – not such a surprise if you know her, as she normally will eat anything – and she survived parvo virus which she contracted when we were late getting her jabs, which was totally stupid on our part as we could have lost her and our other dogs. if they had got infected. Our vet now contacts us near the time.
BeanieSadly now, at the not so old age of 13, her health seems to be really failing her, a couple of weeks ago she went off her food, a sure thing that things weren’t right as she eats absolutely anything and doesn’t even bother to chew – her teeth are almost unused! After a visit to our vet, it appeared she had picked up an infection that was affecting her heart and lungs, a week of antibiotics and tablets to clear her lungs and she seemed back to her old self.
Unfortunately, her symptoms have returned and the vet has now diagnosed her with the beginnings of heart failure, which she says can be managed with the right medication. Beanie still looks bright and is as bouncy as can be expected, but my heart is heavy as I know that if the medication doesn’t work for her then her days are numbered. The next few days will be crucial, fingers crossed that the medication starts to work and she starts eating again; watching her waste away isn’t an option in my mind.
Anyone who has an old dog that is sick or has been sick will appreciate how difficult it is to come to terms with the fact that their loyal pets life maybe coming to an end. It is sooooo hard. I know that the next few days are important and I hope with all my heart that Beanie responds to the medication she is on and her lungs clear and her heart starts to beat strongly again, even if only for a couple more years. I am not ready to lose her yet, but when the time comes I will not let her suffer, I love her too much for that.
But it has got me thinking about how special that bond is between dog and owner and I know that if something happened to me she would feel as lost I will when her time comes to an end. Which takes me to another thought of why there are so many mistreated, neglected and abandoned dogs around, how is it that some people cannot see the loyalty and trust that dogs give to the people that care for them?
Why is it that some people cannot give that loyalty back? A caring dog owner knows that the rewards of loving and caring for a dog far outnumber the difficult times, like house training or walking them in the cold and rain. They love us conditionally.
We have four dogs and sometimes looking after them does feel like hard work, especially when they are sick and need extra attention, but the love they give back makes it all worth while, and as much as it will break my heart to say goodbye to each and every one of them, I wouldn’t swap one moment of the time we have had with them.
Copyright © 2014 Debbie Roberts
Related post: It Wasn’t Her Time Just Yet!
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