All Dogs Go To Heaven

My baby girl got sick a month ago.  She was lethargic and looking sad, so we took her into the vet. Her liver enzymes were elevated and they found something in her fecal test so she was put on antibiotics and some liver supplements with a recheck scheduled in a month.

Snuggling with My Sweet Little Muse (8/27/18)

She was not jazzed about taking meds so she got her fair share of peanut butter. Her appetite was not what it used to be, so we gave her anything she would eat: boiled chicken, rotisserie chicken, treats, food from the table. She got really used to being hand fed but she still got skinnier.

A Week into Treatment

She seemed to improve a little. Sometimes she wanted to play with her ball and chase with us, but she got tired so quickly. We played for a minute then we showered her with lots of love. We hand fed her to try to get her to recuperate.

Hand Feeding our Little Gracie Guru

We could feel her spine and she seemed depressed often. We were worried about her not getting enough nourishment, so we got her some CBD treats which seemed to help her with anxiety and made her appetite increase, but her breathing got worse.

Loving on Baby Girl 2 weeks into treatment (9/11/18)

Hanging with Aubri (9/15/18)

She needed to be carried out to potty and she hardly moved for 3 weeks, but she still liked to hang with Mommy. I kept her with me as much as possible so she could relax.



We were concerned about her being in pain or dying before her recheck, so I took her in at 3 weeks fully expecting to have to put her down. They didn't seem to think things were so dire because Gracie was still eating and drinking water.

Hanging Out in the Waiting Room with Mom

Her vet wanted to run the same tests again to see where her liver enzymes were. She had lost 0.5 lbs since her last visit, which is quite a bit for her (she only weighed 10 lbs). I asked about her spine protruding and also mentioned that she hadn't responded to back scratches and the vet performed a simple test with her back leg - it took a little longer for Gracie to correct her paw placement and the vet suspected a back injury.  She wanted to get some x-rays and send the films to a specialist. I asked her about the treatment plan for if a back injury was confirmed and opted to just go with the treatment: steroids and pain meds.

Home Again

That night we had a hard time keeping her away from the excitement of a big boy birthday party. We sequestered her in our room but she was feeling so good on the steroids and pain meds, that she wanted to join in on the Nerf Gun fun. We didn't allow that, but she was out for small periods of time to say "hi" to company. I was hopeful for my baby girl. She wagged her at tail at me for the first time in 3 weeks. My heart soared. I was certain she was on the mend.

For a couple of days, she did well with the meds and eating her kibble and some of the wet dog food. Then she started quivering on occasion and having accidents in the house. The night before we took her in for her recheck, she would not even stand up. We took her outside to pee and she would only lay on the lawn.

I had the children say their goodbyes to Gracie on Thursday night, just in case she didn't make it through the night and we made her comfortable.

Friday morning at 2:50, Gracie tapped the seat next to our bed to wake me. I got up and took her out to pee, then I snuggled with her until my alarm went off.  Her breathing was so much worse and she just wanted to be close. The kids were able to say goodbye again and when I left to run my errands, I put the baby gate up for the first time in years to keep her in her bed. I was worried she would be gone when I got back, but she was laying out of her bed with her head inside the bed almost lifeless.

I called the vet in tears again to discuss the plan for when I came in and this time I knew it was the last time. I could barely talk to her about the options available. I spent the next hour holding my baby and telling her how much we loved her and that it was okay if she wanted to go. A few times her breathing seemed to stop, but she didn't die at home.

I gathered her up, limp and breathing hard and drove her to her last appointment. It was a quick one. The vet checked her back legs and said she was not feeling anything in her back legs, and that was why she wasn't standing. She agreed with our decision to put Gracie to sleep and end her suffering. The vet put a catheter in my Gracie girl's front leg and let me spend a few minutes with my favorite girl. She wasn't moving at this point, but she was still alive...a bit like a zombie.

Last talk with my baby girl before the anesthesia....

When she administered the anesthesia, my baby girl was truly relaxed. The next shot stopped her heart. I kissed Gracie and then drove home to mourn my sweet little muse.