My best friend

I never had kids but having a dog must be like having a 2 year old running around the house.  

I have a Boston Terrier, and she does things I expect her to do like get out of bed in the morning and run into the kitchen when I shake the treat box.....and she does things I don't expect her to do like bark at the neighbors when they get a little loud.  She likes peace and quiet....like I do so she can meditate....like I do :)

She always goes to bed before I do and while she lays on top of the bed, I will often grab my guitar and begin playing a song and she will burrow under the blankets and hide.  I don't think she likes my playing!  So funny!

A few weeks ago, she began throwing up all over the house and not eating.  I was alarmed because normally she has a voracious appetite.  I took her to the vet for an exam and the news was not good.  Pyometra which is an aggressive uterine infection in female dogs. The vet told me that even with an immediate histeromy, her chances of survival after surgery are only 50%.  I reminded the vet, when he made the first attempt to spay her 6 years ago, she had a very bad reaction to the anesthesia so the procedure was stopped before it ever started and at that time, I was told she would never be able to be anestitised.  So the vet gave me a prescription for antibiotics hoping they would help.

They didn't. In the next few days, she went from bad to worse. During the evening hours, I called the vet at his house and he told me to immediately take her to the all night emergency animal hospital about an hours drive away. He said he would call ahead and let them know I was coming.  

When I got there with my very sick dog in my arms, I didn't have to wait very long, they took us right in.  She was given a thorough exam, blood tests, ultrasound and I was told my options and given a price for the whole thing.  It was expensive and with no guarantee for a positive outcome, but I thought it was a chance worth taking.  I was instructed to go home and pick her up in the morning.  

When I saw her the following morning, I couldn't believe how thin she was.  I was shocked in fact.  The doctor told me she had no problem with the anesthesia they used and that the iv was left in her leg. I was instructed to take her to my regular vet to be monitored for the remainder of the day and I was given a bag of antibiotic iv fluids to give to my vet along with the records of everything that was done on her, which was alot.  At her heaviest, she weighed 28 pounds but when I picked her up, the morning after the surgery, she only weighed 19 pounds.

Fast forward 3 days and it was a miraculous recovery!.  she is back to her old self....eating like a pig,  raising hell and driving me nuts. Today marks 2 weeks post surgery. She has gained a few pounds and looks amazing!

Tonight she ate a big supper because I had company who gave her a few treats so she went to bed early. I went in the bedroom, grabbed my guitar and began picking a slow song.  Instead of running under the blankets as fast as possible, she just layed there on my pillow, and listened to me play while her eyelids slowly closed, then opened and then slowly closed again repeatedly!   Like she was saying,  "Thankyou for saving my life!"

I get addicted to things that give me lots of attention....even when I don't want it!

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In retrospect, I feel fortunate to have had the financial means to provide this life saving surgery for my dog. These emergency animal medical clinics want their money up front.  There is no saying, put me on a payment plan, although they will accept pet insurance if you have any. My only consolation is that I would never find better pet care anywhere in the state...my own vet told me this.  He said they have the latest and most advanced equipment that even he can't afford.

There are many people who give their pet all the Love and care that I give to mine but simply cannot afford high vet bills.  When I went back for my dog's 10 day checkup to my regular vet, he shared a story with me about a couple who had a dog with the same problem, mine had but they couldn't afford the surgery and their dog died in the parking lot as they were leaving. The vet said he felt terrible about that.  

So to all those who have lost a pet, I offer this which I really believe to be true:

The Rainbow Bridge
— Author unknown
There is a bridge connecting Heaven and Earth. It is called the rainbow bridge because of its many colors. Just this side of the rainbow bridge there is a land of meadows, hills and valleys with lush green grass.

When a beloved pet dies, the pet goes to this place. There is always food and water and warm spring weather. The old and frail animals are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. They frolic and romp all day with one another.

The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing. They each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.

They run and play together until the day comes when one of them suddenly stops playing and looks off into the distance. The nose twitches. The ears are up. The bright eyes are intent. The eager body quivers. Suddenly this one runs from the group, faster and faster, leaping and flying over the tall green grass.

You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you take him or her in your arms and embrace, clinging together in joyous reunion. Happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your cherished pet, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart.

And with your pet beside you once again, you cross the rainbow bridge together. 

God Bless!