Comfort for when our best friend departs…

 

Dog’s Purpose, (from a 6-year-old)

Being a veterinarian, I had been called
to examine a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named
Belker. The dog’s owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their
little boy,Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and they were
hoping for a miracle. I examined Belker and found he was dying
of cancer. I told the family we couldn’t do anything
for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia
procedure for the old dog in their home.

As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they
thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to
observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something
from the experience

The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat
as Belker’s family surrounded him. Shane seemed so
calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I
wondered if he understood what was going on.
Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away.

The little boy seemed to accept Belker’s transition
without any difficulty or confusion. We sat together
for a while after Belker’s death, wondering aloud
about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than
human lives.

 Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, ‘I know why.’

 

Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his
mouth next stunned me. I’d never heard a more comforting explanation.    

He said, ‘People are born so that they can learn how
to live a good life — like loving everybody all the
time and being nice, right?’ The six-year-old continued, ‘Well, dogs already know how
to do that, so they don’t have to stay as long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jacobsburg Experience

Sunday Stroll

A couple of weeks ago, my daughter Heidi, Blu  and I took our first springtime walk at our favorite trail at the Jacobsburg Historical park which is the site of the old Henry Homestead.  This is former site of the Henry gun works and forge.  It is a beautiful park especially in the springtime. 

We chose the Green trail to walk which is located at the western side of he park.  It is the more quiet and less traveled part of the park. Most of time, you can walk the trail circuit without seeing more than two or three hikers, a couple of cyclers and an occasional horse back rider or two.  The natural beauty of this area is well worth the 25 minute ride from the house even with the price of gasoline so high. 

The Bushkill creek is the main attraction of the trail and meanders quietly through the rural woodland and farm fields under the watchful eyes of the Blue Mountain Ridge in North Eastern Pennsylvania.  Blu loves to visit the creek and it is one of the main ways we have of taking a dent out of her endless energy levels.  A Siberian Husky, as you may know, is a nuclear power plant on four paws.  So we have to do as much as we can to wear her out.  The creek is just the thing to drain a husky of that energy. We love to watch her pace up and down the creek plowing through the water and swimming here and there.  She loves to experience the cool splash of the clear icy water as she frolics through it and explores the world.  She is like a kid in a toy store with all the smells and natural beauty of the wild which take over all her senses.  It is really a delightful thing to witness.

Maggie’s progress report

Maggie is feeling somewhat better today.  She is still a bit unstable and requires help up and down off of the couch or even the steps to the back yard, but at least we don’t have to carry her everywhere. I think she is going to be alright…<big sigh>.   

Today, I got up and took Blu for a walk. She sure was frisky too. I think she is eating up all this extra attention she is getting on these walks without the mags.  She almost tore my shirt sleave off today as she played her favorite game of “big game hunter”.  And she is really sneaky.  Just when you are not expecting an attack, there she is with her mouth around your wrist attempting to wrestle you down to the ground.  OH lord…Heidi has school tonight too.  So Blu will be ready for a walk after work.  Having a Husky is never having a steady bed time…everything is on the dogs terms.

A bad weekend for Maggie

Maggie is the white samoyed/husky mix

Maggie had a really bad weekend.  The poor dog woke us all up at 3 AM when she stumbled into some furniture trying to get to her water dish.  She is an old dog now at 14 years old which makes her about 72 in dog years.  My wife woke me up out of a sound sleep to let me know that she just threw up and was stumbling around. So I got up to check on poor Maggie.  When I looked into her eyes, I saw them going side to side like a pendulum.  She was very weak in the rear legs and kept stumbling around unable to keep her balance.  I stayed up with her the rest of the night and called the Vet the next morning as soon as they opened.

The Vet was booked until Monday, so we made the appointment and prayed that it was just some virus that was kicking her butt and not something serious.  The whole day Saturday and Sunday, we had to help our daughter move from their appartment to their new home, so there was not much time to baby poor Maggie. She stayed under my computer desk which is her haven or out on the porch up on the lawn furniture both days with little change in her condition. She did stop vomiting however.

So today we finally got to the Vet.  Dr Leck is a wonderful Vet.  He gave Maggie a very good physical examination, took some blood tests, checked her blood pressure, and then came up with his diagnosis.  We were ready for the very bad news that she would have to be put down and were on the verge of tears.  But the doctor told us that he believes she has a simple case of an inner ear infection.  He said it was common in older dogs. And it is like a severe case of vertigo in humans.  It makes you dizzy and stumble.  It makes you nauseous and causes you to lean and fall to one side or the other.  Just in case, he also wanted to do a couple of blood tests to be sure there were on other problems and to double check his diagnosis.  So the vet drew some blood and took her pressure. We got some anti-biotics and some anti-inflammatory pills and took her home. 

The most wonderful thing that happened to me was when I was about to leave for work.  Maggie who did not want to leave her den under my computer desk for the entire weekend, came out to the door to see me off to work which is her usual ritual when she is healthy.  I nearly lost it. I was so happy that tears started to gather in my eyes. The vet cost me a sum total of $387, but to have my special girl see me off to work for another day and to know that she would be around for yet another made it worth every penny.

Mornings go too fast

It Sure was a fast morning.  I slept in until nearly 9 AM with Blu scratching at my door informing me that I had quit enough time to sleep thank you.   But how could you be mad at that face?  So I shook off the cobwebs and rolled out of bed after a really bad night of sleep having come home from work very late. 

My granddaughter Kyana was also waiting for me to wake up.  The Husky’s and her were ready to go for a walk, but the wife had other plans.  A trip to the grocery store was to be the first priority of the day.  This is never much fun especially with my wife Cindy doing the shopping. She is a stickly by the list shopper.  No extras, no humor, no fun, no fooling around, because we are here to resupply and that is that.

Eventually, we get that ordeal over with and it is back to the waiting pack. With tails wagging and tongues hanging with excitement, we are off on our daily adventure.  

As any Siberian Husky owner knows, the first priority is to satisfy a Husky’s social needs.  So the first stop on our walk is to the neighbors house to visit their best friend Angelo. He spoils the girls more than anyone in the community and that is saying a lot.  So after about 2 minutes of howling and barking at the bottom of his back porch steps, he comes out bearing treats in his fisted hand.  The dogs of course, play it for all it is worth carefully preparing their victim for the next encounter, by fussing over the man and making him feel god like.  No, the next time they come over he will be ready to spoil them again.   

Now it is time to do some four pawing as we call it. The girls hit the forest with vim and vigor sniffing every tree, bush and branch.  Kyana was with us today, so she held Maggies leash and I had Blu.  Kyana asks me every day whether she could hold Blu’s leash, but the kid would not stand a chance if Blu saw a wild animal or another dog.  Blu is just too powerful for a 10 year old girl, even if she is only a test away from getting her Black Belt in Karate.

Today’s walk took us through the woods near a creek where both dogs enjoyed a short dip in the stream.  This always further invigorates Blu and soon she is a wild beast wanting to run run run.  To satisfy this craving, we headed to the small path by the baseball field.  Kyana played fetch with Maggie, which is her favorite game and I played chase and dig up the dirt with Blu.  

Soon we were all exhausted (well not Blu, she never runs out of energy). So we all headed back home so that I could get ready for work.  It was a nice warm day so it was not as difficult to get the two girls inside where there was a shady place to rest on the couch. 

But it was a short lived rest, as lunch was done and the mooching began in earnest.  Kyana was completely surrounded by hopeful Husky’s wagging tails and getting ever closer to her lunch plate. In the end, the human weakness prevails as always and they are satisfied with a small taste of each of our lunch fare.