A TOUGH WEEK FOR FAMILY PETS

It seems to be over now, although for awhile it seemed like it was never going to end. Started when my sister-in-law K found her daughter's long time pet guinea pig dead in the cage. Chili had been a cute little guy who brought my niece some comfort during some trying times. He was pretty old by now, probably at least 8 or ten; still it was unexpected.

One thing you need to understand is that K is an animal person. Always has been since she was a little kid. I think that is at least part of the reason she and her husband Rick live way up in the mountains about 45 minutes from here. They have lots of room for animals, and they have had just about everything legal over the years. Current nonhuman residents were Chili the guinea pig, Grizzly the German Shepard, Reese the Yorkie, Bugsie the pit bull, and Mojo the horse. Some birds, a couple cats, and maybe a fish or two have vacated the premises over the last couple years once Rick "put his foot down" about spending all his spare time and money caring for pets.

Reese is 12 years old, blind and has diabetes; his health requires a couple shots a day and numerous sessions with the vet. (Did I mention K's vet makes house calls? I don't know whether they get a volume discount.) Most reasonable people would have bet Reese would be next to go; either him or Mojo the 29 year old horse. Certainly not Grizzly.

Grizzly was the classic "guy's dog" and Rick loved him dearly. Big and imposing, he would stand watch over the domicile like a sentry. With his big, thick fur coat he seemed more comfortable outside in the mountain air when it was 10 degrees than he was inside the house. When grandkids and other dogs would visit, he would patiently tolerate them, look out for them, and occasionally let everybody know he was the boss and they should get back in line. Getting up in years, he was slowing down some: his teeth were worn from carrying the big branches used for his games of "chase the stick" and chewing on rocks. His eyes had required special drops ever since the big forest fire a few years ago. Still, he seemed to be doing OK even though he had begun to limp a little bit on the daily walks in the forest he took with K.

The day Chili died, Grizzly limped a little more than usual. The next morning, he had lost the use of his hind legs and the ability to control his bladder. Rick and K did what they could, but carrying Grizzly outside to do his business was simply beyond their ability; he was just too big. Always the strong silent type, you could see in his eyes that he was scared and embarrassed. He wanted to move, but couldn't, and he just hated messing in the house and the various bedding arrangements his humans tried. Rick even built a ramp and pulley system to aid in the periodic trip outside, but it was no use. In the end, after many tears and soul searches, they asked the vet to come out and put him to sleep. Nothing else could be done for him.

Ingrid and I went up to the mountains to be with them when the time came. We brought along our two pugs, Frankie and Zoe. Grizzly did his best to greet us like old times, but he was plainly in too much pain to move much. The vet arrived, we said our goodbyes, and then hugged our pugs in the house while the vet did what needed to be done outside. Afterward, I helped Rick carry Grizzly to the vet's truck and it was over. We stayed awhile, talking about what a great dog Grizzly had been and how wonderful it was to have the love of pets in our lives.

The next couple of days were quiet and a little somber. Then, Ingrid's mom called: Teddy her little Yorkie was coughing and acting very sick. Mom lives in a little retirement community and Teddy is her main companion. An emergency trip to the vet was needed.

Pneumonia, maybe influenza was the diagnosis. Antibiotics and oxygen tent. X-rays. At the end of the day, he needed to be transported over to the Emergency Veterinary Hospital to be kept in oxygen over there for the night and then brought back to our vet the next morning. There might be some heart complication; need more tests. More pills, X-rays and shots. Back to the Emergency Hospital that night, then back again to the vet in the morning. Mom lives on social security; vet bills were piling up at the rate of two weeks income per day. There were several frustrating conversations about what to do and how long to keep this up. Finally, after four days he got a little better and we cautiously took him home to Mom. He was very happy to see her, and she him. One more trip back to the vet for a quick checkup and it was over.

I'm in for a quiet comfortable weekend. Looking forward to some nap time on the couch with my pugs. I love the way they snuggle. I know their time will come someday, but I just don't want to think about it right now.