A good dog
Category Family
Our Newfoundland, Molly, died unexpectedly Wednesday evening.
Sometime on Tuesday we think that Molly suffered from a mild heart attack that left her ambulatory but in bad shape. She was panting heavily, didn't want to eat, was pacing around non stop, didn't want to sit or lie down. S and I both thought that she had a cold or that she may had eaten something that she shouldn't have.
By Wednesday afternoon, she hadn't gotten better, but she also didn't seem to have gotten any worse.
E had the first game of her volleyball tourney at 6:30 and we left Molly at home, inside during that game. S had made an appointment with our regular vet for Molly on Thursday afternoon.
When we got home from the game, it was obvious that Molly was declining, but not so rapidly as to cause a tremendous alarm. However, S was getting worried. I told her that if she wanted I would take Molly to the 24 hour vet in Castleton, if they weren't to busy and that she should call them. She did and they weren't busy so off we headed. As Molly and I got prepared to leave E and Z came and gave Molly hugs. I think that E may have been crying, at least it was pretty evident that she was scared for Molly as it is not often we head to the vet's in the middle of the night. I quipped to E that she shouldn't be so upset, that WE would be back shortly after the vet gave Molly a clean bill of health. Never say that to your child...the results are nearly guaranteed.
Over the past 18 months or two years, Molly has been experiencing what our vet called over-stimulus seizures. Basically if Molly ventured into an area where many dogs had passed, Molly would freak out, literally do a summersault, and go into a grand mal seizure...it was very scary the first time it happened, but over time S get pretty good at dealing with the problem.
Unfortunately, S and I were both scared that if something was truly wrong with M, the trip to the vet might trigger a seizure and compound whatever was going on. And of course that is exactly what happened. Molly was dead within 5 minutes of walking in the vet's door.
Molly had a very troubled beginning...she started her life in a St Louis, MO puppy mill that got shutdown by the authorities. Molly was rescued from the mill by the River King Newfoundland rescue. She came to live with us when she was probably 8-12 weeks old. She was always small for a Newfy and quite a few Newfy owners suggested that she might have been a Newfador (Newfy/Lab mix.) We didn't care what she was...all we knew is that she loved us unconditionally and would always be waiting by the front door when we came home. She would stand there at the door, looking out the side windows at us as we drove down the street towards home...her big black presence taking up most of the lower half of the floor the ceiling window...I will always remember her just like that.
Our Newfoundland, Molly, died unexpectedly Wednesday evening.
Sometime on Tuesday we think that Molly suffered from a mild heart attack that left her ambulatory but in bad shape. She was panting heavily, didn't want to eat, was pacing around non stop, didn't want to sit or lie down. S and I both thought that she had a cold or that she may had eaten something that she shouldn't have.
By Wednesday afternoon, she hadn't gotten better, but she also didn't seem to have gotten any worse.
E had the first game of her volleyball tourney at 6:30 and we left Molly at home, inside during that game. S had made an appointment with our regular vet for Molly on Thursday afternoon.
When we got home from the game, it was obvious that Molly was declining, but not so rapidly as to cause a tremendous alarm. However, S was getting worried. I told her that if she wanted I would take Molly to the 24 hour vet in Castleton, if they weren't to busy and that she should call them. She did and they weren't busy so off we headed. As Molly and I got prepared to leave E and Z came and gave Molly hugs. I think that E may have been crying, at least it was pretty evident that she was scared for Molly as it is not often we head to the vet's in the middle of the night. I quipped to E that she shouldn't be so upset, that WE would be back shortly after the vet gave Molly a clean bill of health. Never say that to your child...the results are nearly guaranteed.
Over the past 18 months or two years, Molly has been experiencing what our vet called over-stimulus seizures. Basically if Molly ventured into an area where many dogs had passed, Molly would freak out, literally do a summersault, and go into a grand mal seizure...it was very scary the first time it happened, but over time S get pretty good at dealing with the problem.
Unfortunately, S and I were both scared that if something was truly wrong with M, the trip to the vet might trigger a seizure and compound whatever was going on. And of course that is exactly what happened. Molly was dead within 5 minutes of walking in the vet's door.
Molly had a very troubled beginning...she started her life in a St Louis, MO puppy mill that got shutdown by the authorities. Molly was rescued from the mill by the River King Newfoundland rescue. She came to live with us when she was probably 8-12 weeks old. She was always small for a Newfy and quite a few Newfy owners suggested that she might have been a Newfador (Newfy/Lab mix.) We didn't care what she was...all we knew is that she loved us unconditionally and would always be waiting by the front door when we came home. She would stand there at the door, looking out the side windows at us as we drove down the street towards home...her big black presence taking up most of the lower half of the floor the ceiling window...I will always remember her just like that.
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Posted by Richard Schwartz at 11:56:49 PM on 11/10/2006 | - Website - |
She and Sparky shared the same birthday . I'll never forget the bright idea S and I had to introduce them that first summer. They were the same age, what harm could ever come of it. Sparky and I arrived and I believe S was covered in bruises and probably had a few pulled muscles in her arms by the time we left. Probably not more than a half hour later. The difference in their sizes never occured to us until the 2 actually met face to face.
We'll remember her with fondness every February.
Peace be with you all.
Posted by KTfromLV at 08:02:03 PM on 11/11/2006 | - Website - |
Our dog, a lab, almost died recently, and while he was at the clinic those several nights I noticed how much of his presence used to fill the house, even when he was just sleeping on the couch (okay, the snoring was probably a big reminder of his presence).
Our pets never live long enough for us to repay them for their unconditional love.
All the best to you and your family.
Posted by Karen Demerly at 06:44:21 PM on 11/12/2006 | - Website - |
Posted by JAL at 08:48:17 PM on 11/12/2006 | - Website - |
Posted by Jaq at 07:55:20 PM on 11/14/2006 | - Website - |
Posted by Rebecca at 10:23:15 AM on 12/03/2006 | - Website - |