You can see in the pic that his muzzle was pretty pink. He'd been salivating more than usual for several days, which can be a sign of kidney failure. Friday and yesterday morning I had to feed him his kibble out of my hand. He ate it readily from my hand, but wouldn't eat from his dish. Nausea and lack of appetite are signs of kidney failure.
Last night he was panting, and it was a cool night.
This morning he got up at 5:00, and was panting and trembling. I've read that trembling is a sign of pain......
We went in to emergency.
I was determined that we would not go through any "extreme treatment." The vet could not tell me that it was likely that even this immediate problem was something we could fix.
Let them keep him there, on pain meds, until his regular doc could see him tomorrow? I don't think so.
He got more and more agitated while we were there, and began to cry on top of the panting and trembling. His abdomen was painful. He cried, and licked my face, a sure sign that he wanted me to do something for him.
I only knew of one thing I could do.
I decided he'd been through enough.
Good bye, sweetie. You were a good, good boy.
.
19 comments:
(Tears welling from eyes and running down cheeks.)
I'm so sorry.
Thanks.
:-(
Oh, Vicki, what a sad way to start the day. Hugs to you. You know your boy had the best life you could share with him.
Thanks.
It's hard being in the role which assumes you will take good care of them, and not be able to protect them from cancer, DM, kidney disease....
THANK YOU, and everyone like you, who is working to help corgis be as healthy as they can possibly be.
I'm so sorry for your loss.
Oh Vicki, I'm so so sorry. What a wonderful boy he was and how lucky you both were to have each other. From our hearts to yours, much love.
Cindy, Nancy, and Betony
Thank you.
:-(
Today I took his leftover k/d and all his pills and supplements to the vet. They will be donated and be of some use to someone.
Everyone at the vet loved him, and they were sad, too.
This is just the saddest thing.
I am wrapped around you.
Thank you.
:-(
I'm SO saddened and sorry about your loss. Poor Buzz. He was such a good dog. I've followed your blogs about him since we lost our sweet Corgi over a year and a half ago to Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, and yours was the only blog I found that had a wonderful dog still living through Leukemia, albeit a different type. I knew this would come eventually, but that doesn't make it any easier, just as I'm sure it doesn't make it any easier for you.
Our vet is also a Corgi dad, and was so sympathetic and caring when we had to put Tootie down when her kidneys failed due to the A.L.L. He and his staff cried right along with us. I know your vet must be an excellent doctor and must care very much for his patients & their families.
My heart breaks for you. But I know in my heart that Buzz is playing with Tootie at the Rainbow Bridge and that she's showing him where all the good treats are!
Sue
Thank you.
I do wonder what it was that damaged his kidneys. He was hospitalized in the fall of '06 (vomiting and diarrhea), and despite testing him for everything under the sun, they never did figure out what it was.
He had a blood chem then, and his kidneys were fine.
The following May he was diagnosed with leukemia, and his kidney values were off. So I wonder if it was the leukemia............. Or maybe something else. Just because they have one life-threatening condition doesn't mean they can't have others.....
:-(
I feel very lucky to have Ann Arbor Animal Hospital so near. It is a very large practice, and the vets specialize in different things, so they take care of a lot of different problems right there.
Buzz was able to get his IV chemo (even the adriamyacin, which requires very special handling), and they also do accupuncture and other things that often require a trip to a specialist.
Plus emergency.
Both our "regular vet" and the vet who specializes in cancer are women. They have been really supportive of me as well as Buzz, and I am sorry that it was strangers there when I took him in.
But I couldn't make him wait. He was just too unhappy.
It is nice to imagine him able to RUN without falling, and walk instead of dragging himself.
He's the one who chased all the "varmints" (his definition, including all birds!) out of the yard -- maybe now he can catch one of those darned squirrels!
Oh, you KNOW he's catching those squirrels!! And loving every minute of it. I just know that Tootie is watching him and smiling her sweet little smile, all while chasing her favorite "varmint" - cats. (Especially those belonging to our former crazy-mean cat lady neighbor!)
On the kidney failure, our vet said that Tootie's kidney failure was secondary to the leukemia - that it was caused by it. Her A.L.L. moved so fast that when we took her in 2 weeks before, she was diagnosed with a virus - she had to become VERY ill before the leukemia showed up in her blood tests.
You know, I'm only a couple hours north of Ann Arbor (assuming it's Ann Arbor, MI?) - if you ever want to get together, just give a shout!
Sue
*hugs*
That's all I can say.
Sue, it is definitely scary how fast they can go from "apparently ok" to "very very ill indeed."
:-(
Yes, it's Ann Arbor, MI. Where do you live?
Thank you, Mandy.
Hi again!
I'm in Blanchard, MI - about 2 or 2-1/2 hours north of you.
I always wondered - did you get Buzz from a rescue or a breeder? We found Tootie through a rescue in Ohio. I've seen only one Corgi at our local shelter in all the years I've looked, and he got snapped up before I could even call about him.
From a breeder.
She had thought to show him, but his structure was really pretty bad.
He dragged his front toes, from side to center, his whole life. To the extent that too much sidewalk-walking would wear them down to nubs.....
That did not progress; it was just how he was (badly!) built.
Anyway, I got him when he was two weeks shy of one year old.
Oh, you gave Buzz such a nice long life, and he was loved so much! I didn't realize you'd had him since he was a pup. I wish we'd been able to get Tootie when she was younger. We only had her 18 months before the A.L.L. took her - but we sure enjoyed her brief stay with us.
I hope you are finding ways to keep busy and I know you're lavishing all your love on Wilbur to help him get through this as well!
He was sort of a "teenager" puppy when we got him. Not a puppy-puppy, but not an adult, either. Both my girls were little puppies, so he seemed quite big.
He had lived in a kennel his whole life. A very nice, airconditioned one, but not in a house. So he had a lot of learning to do about people....
Wow, that's hard -- to have only had her for such a short time! :-(
Wilbur is getting tons of walks. And I think he likes that he doesn't have to share any goodies the people are handing out......
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