Things Have A Way Of Working Out

On January 18, my 15 year old Keeshond, Kaala, died. I found a great deal of support here, and you helped me through that period of profound grief and hurt. In my story, I had noted that I had lost all 3 of my beloved pups over 18 months. I did not mention that, at the time of Kaala's death, I was boarding another Keesie, named Keesha, for a family who were building a new home. 9 year old Keesha and Kaala were friends, and would engage in their favorite recreational activity (lounging around) together for hours. They slept together, ate together and (of course) lounged around together.

After Kaala died, Keesha refused to enter our bedroom, where Kaala died. Whoever says animals don't understand death is simply wrong.

Anyway, in March of this year, Keesha returned to new home with her family. I was relieved, actually, to see her go... she was almost identical to Kaala, and was a constant reminder of my loss. So, all was happily resolved, right? Wrong. A month ago, my daughter got a call from Keesha's "mom". Seems that since she returned to her family, she had changed... she moped around, her appetite was down, she was loosing weight. Worst of all, she had started urinating in the house... their brand new house with hardwood floors and expensive carpet. They were going to take Keesha to the local animal shelter in a few days.

What was I to do? Of course I called and said that I would take her! Perhaps she had a UTI, or some other medical reason for becoming incontenent. I would take her, run her to the vet, and then we would know what to do. From the moment we got home, however, she perked up. She ate. She explored. AND SHE DID NOT PEE IN THE HOUSE. There has not been a single accident since she came back. It's clear that she had given her family a message... she wanted to come home.

It's also interesting that, while she will now come into my bedroom, to sleep at the side of my bed, she WILL NOT go to the foot of the bed... where she and Kaala used to sleep. Seems that she considers that a sacred spot.

I'm glad she's back...

See? Angels DO exist!

It's Been A Bad 18 Months

Over the lat 18 months, we have lost all 3 of our beloved pups.

In August, 2002, we lost Shannon, our 12 year old mutt. She had come into our lives as a stray, only about 2 months old, and quickly wormed her way into our hearts. She was the biggest of the three, but was always a bit of a puppy... She was also the most "talkative" of the pack (but only when she had someone to talk to). She went to the Rainbow Bridge to wait when she went into kidney failure following surgery to remove a sewing needle which had perforated her intestines. How she swallowed that, we never found out. We don't sew, and have never kept needles.

Last October, Meeko, our 6 year old miniature American Eskimo dog, suddenly developed kidney failure as well. Again, we have no clue about the cause. He had always been relatively healthy, and there's no reason to suspect that he got into something that made him sick. Meeko was an athlete, and was the comedian of the bunch. He had a small collection of stuffed animals which he cared for greatly (Shannon was never allowed to touch Meeko's baby's, cause she was too rough with them). When one of us was sick, or sad, it was Meeko who kept us company.

This past Sunday, however, Kaala, the Matron of the pack, passed to the Rainbow Bridge. Kaala was a Keeshond, and was abolutely the most unperturbable and stoic animal I have ever known. She was also the most beautiful. Kaala had just turned 15, and, despite her age, appeared in good health. Oh, sure, she had a touch of arthritis, and she'd gone deaf, but she could still see, and she could still love. Kaala was fully retired, and cuddled as a hobby. But, all along, she was really sick, at least for the past few months. A liver tumor had snuck up on her, and had choked off many of the vital organs in her abdomen. She may have been in some pain, but she never told us. Saturday, she started vomiting. We made an appointment for her regular vet for Sunday, but by Saturday night, we were seeing signs that she was extremely ill. We ran her to the emergency vet in town, who found the tumor. He thought she had a few days, so he suggested that we might keep the appointment for the next day, and consider euthanization then. I'm so glad we took her... I can imagine the guilt I'd feel right now if I hadn't. We took her home, and I helped her to bed down for the night, at the foot of my bed, where she always slept. I lay awake for quite a while, dreading the decision to be made on the next day, while listening to her breathing. But, Kaala had her own plan. When I awoke Sunday morning, Kaala had moved towards the head of the bed, closer to me, had layed down and moved on to the Rainbow Bridge. I think making the choice on her own was her final gift to me. She looked absolutely at peace.
I feel so sorry for anyone who has never experienced the gift of the love of a dog.
I miss her horribly... I miss them all.

Thank you for this forum.

Finally:
To my wonderful pets... I'll see you at the bridge!