The Family Pet - Our Dear Kisses

It has been a very dramatic holiday season for us. Our family dog, Kisses, started getting sick. On top of that, I was 'taken for a ride' by the American Animal Care Center. First she had bronchitis, then they said she also had congestive heart disease. We received a call a couple days later - per her blood work results - she was in kidney failure and needed to come back for IV fluid therapy. After many tears and talking to a chorus line of vets, technicians, receptionists - I realized that I was getting conflicting information and by New Year's Eve, the vet that originally saw her was asking me why I had brought her back in when he had released her. I went CRAZY and like a Rambo movie - I shot out of the house and kidnapped my dog out of the hospital. She was so happy to see me. Now she is home and we have contacted another vet who has confirmed her kidney failure and said the congestive heart disease was just a made up story to make MORE MONEY off of me. I trusted them. I'm not a vet - it sounded plausible. I spent over $800 and my poor dog had endless crap done to her that she didn't need.

I'm keeping her home and I know that she is slowly fading away. It hurts me every time I look at her. But I've decided to love her and baby her and stay with her as much as possible. I must help her through this process. She follows me every where - just like when she was new puppy and realized that I must be her mama. I get up with her when she is coughing and I walk outside with her when she needs to go outside. I try to take her for little walks because she still nudges me toward the leash and gives me that look.

All we can do is love her now and remind ourselves of all those "Kisses -isms." Here are a few:

Kisses has brought many a dead snake, bird, squirrel, bunny, cat - arrghh..too many to count. It used to make me sick, but at some point, I realized that this dog thinks she is giving me the ultimate gift every time she brings it in the house and lays it at my feet. Oh Kisses! Sigh.

When I was leaving to the hospital in labor ready to have Catalina, Kisses would NOT leave my side. She literally ran out of the house jumped in the car and refused to get out of the car. Mark literally had to DRAG her out and she would not move her feet. She knew. And when I came home, she watched that baby night and day. She would fall asleep by the bassinet and wake up and peek in to make sure that baby didn't get away. I have many a fond memory of Kisses pacing the house because too many visitors were there and she was exhausted from guarding.

I don't know how we will kill a spider when Kisses is gone. We have a routine - her and I. I knock the spider off the wall with a damp wash cloth and she waits for it to fall and eats it. Yeah - it's gross, but at least I know the spider is gone.

Sigh...oh, Kisses - you are such a part of our lives. How will we ever get by without you? I know this is part of life and logically, I knew it was coming at some point. Somehow that doesn't change how devastated you are when you lose your best friend, your loyal companion.

I will keep loving her and caring for her and hope that she is comfortable and knows how loved she is.