Hi Dear Friends,

I've been remiss in not posting this sad news earlier - 2 1/2 weeks ago, I had to help my dear Tilla over the rainbow bridge. The last couple of months have been intense - I was taking her to a holistic vet for accupuncture and massage sessions and it did seem to help her ability to get around. However, her MVD began to suddenly worsen - her heart was beating so hard she sometimes couldn't catch her breath.

She wagged her tail, stayed by my side and even ate breakfast up to her last day. But both vets agreed that there probably wasn't any kind of tweaking to be done to her meds that would have any kind of impact. I was told that she might die in her sleep but there was the chance that she could choke and I couldn't bear to think of her passing in such a horrible way. So I opted to give her a peaceful passing in my arms.

I know I did the right thing - but as we all know - it's gut wrenching to watch them deteriorate and to have to make decisions like this. I felt like I had a very special heart bond with Tilla but I know she is at peace and reunited with her sister Queenie.

Thank you for being here and allowing me to share my feelings.

Carol Chandler
Omaha, NE

--- In MVDincavaliers@..., Terri Davis <tiarawolf@...> wrote:
>
> Carol, I am so sorry for what's going on with Quintilla now.  When our Peke was ill several years ago, he got very weak and at the end couldn't get up.  It was so terribly heartbreaking.  We took him to the vet and he ended up passing that morning on his own which was very hard because we loved him so much but we were glad that we had not had to make that very difficult decision.
>  
> I don't know about the quality of life thing.  It sounds like a hard choice with Quintilla being happy yet not being able to walk.  I had a friend once whose cat had a stroke or something and was paralyzed.  My friend carried him everywhere and loved that cat so much.  I can't remember about the pottying.  I'm thinking he wore a diaper and   I remember thinking it was really unbelievable - her devotion to that cat - he had the use of his front paws, not his back ones.  Anyway, of course this was a cat and he was on the small side, not a 20 pound dog which would be much more difficult to carry around.  And she was around 50 and in good health, with no other pets or family living at home.
>  
> I wrote this long passage just to say I don't know what I think except I that it's a decision that you are the only one who can make based on your daily observations and limitations of health and ability to carry Quintilla around.  I seem to remember that you'd had health problems of some kind.  Is that right?  The main thing is that you are doing your best.   Do NOT beat yourself up about anything.  That's what my vet told me Friday.  He said I am not going to let you beat yourself up after all this is over.  You have done everything possible and gone far above and beyond for this dog.  And I have.  And you have.  And everybody on this list falls in that category.  You just have to make the best decision that you can make for yourself, Quintilla, and your family.
>  
> Take care of yourself, Carol.  Love, Terri
>  
> I just thought of this though.  When we go to friend's and relative's houses, sometimes I have to take Roxie if it interferes with her medicine schedule.  When we do that, we put her in a dog stroller.  She stays in there for 2-3 hours at a time, sometimes longer if we visit for a while.  We just take her out to potty and eat.  Of course, once again she weighs only a little over 6 pounds which makes it much easier.  Our Peke was 19 pounds at his biggest and I messed up my shoulder carrying him around and I was much younger then -
>
> --- On Sun, 12/21/08, Carol <tocarol@...> wrote:
>
> From: Carol <tocarol@...>
> Subject: [MVDincavaliers] Quintilla
> To: MVDincavaliers@...
> Date: Sunday, December 21, 2008, 8:45 PM
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Hello all...
>
> I'm catching up after being away on a cruise with my family for a
> niece's wedding. I've traveled a fair amount but never on a cruise
> and I'm not so sure I'd do it again.
>
> Although we were a group of over 30, I spent a lot of the week
> missing my beloved dogs and cats- I'm really a homebody at heart. I
> was also worrying about Tilla.
>
> Before I left, I took the excellent advice to purchase carpet runners
> in order for Tilla to walk comfortably. I had my very petsitter
> informed about her more and more frequent inability to keep herself
> upright.
>
> Well, I arrived home late last evening and was told and can see that
> she is not improved much at all from the Deramaxx. In fact, she seems
> to have deteriorated and her hind legs collapse even on the
> carpeting. I'm going to call the vet tomorrow but suspect he's going
> to tell me to take her off of it. He has disagreed that this is
> related to her enlarged heart and still thinks it's neurological.
>
> I really don't know what else to do and my heart is breaking. Yes,
> she's eating and happy and wants to constantly be everywhere I am,
> but now looks very confused everytime she falls. She doesn't seem to
> be in any pain but I suspect that in the not too distant future, she
> will not be able to walk at all - it's gotten that bad. The reality
> is that I do have carpeted stairs that the dogs use to go outside. I
> am carrying her or sometimes she just slides down but is this quality
> of life for her?
>
> I want to keep her around as long as I can but I can't make the call
> as to whether an otherwise happy dog that cannot walk, is enjoying
> life.
>
> Every moment is precious now.
>
> Carol Chandler
> Omaha, NE
>
> Cobblestone Quintilla, Cobblestone Willow & Jasper
>