Suki

One of Lucy's buddies (I mentioned her here) isn't doing well. She looks good, but her owner said life is really limited. (This old picture from 2004 of the two buddies makes them look possessed. I think they were; I must have been holding a treat for them.) Suki can only walk about a 3-house distance and then it's tough to return. Sometimes she gets "stuck" in corners and can't figure out how to get out. She has had arthritis for years and it has gotten worse and is certainly affecting her abilities, but more likely we think it's her brain tumor. She taking phenobarbital for her seizures and the amount has been upped. Her owner asked me how we knew when to put Suzy (our first dog) to sleep. What a tough situation to be in!

With Suzy, we knew. Her back end became paralyzed and at that time we weren't aware (or they may not have existed then) of carts. Plus at 18, she was deaf and nearly blind; she slept most of the day. When she lost her ability to walk, at that age, what are the choices? The vet said he could give her steroids, but they'd only work for a couple of days. That wasn't a life. I will forever second guess my decision, but deep down, I know it was kindest thing to do for my beloved dog.

So that was what I told my friend. "You will know." We dog owners are all blessed with a period of time where we can prep ourselves for the inevitable, but of course, we're never prepared enough. The loss is devastating because there is no love like the love from a dog. My heart breaks for them as the deal with their pup's decline...