He had slept much of the time, but when I came in the door, he scooted out from under the desk in the reception area (Woofdorf often keeps senior dogs within view). We enjoyed an evening at a hotel in Madison, and drove back to Chicago on Saturday morning. Overnight, he started barking/coughing and chasing his tail. It was unlike his usual wheezing, so I waited to see what happened. An hour later, he repeated this sequence, so I called the animal ER center. They recommended a dose of Lasix and also of Hycodan. The next morning, I took him to the car to drive him up to the center in Northbrook. He came out with the most horrible coughing, and just minutes later, he was limp in my arms. I took him to a nearby ER center, where Alice very kindly let me say my good-byes and took a paw print for me to keep.
Losing Scamp is something that I was not fully prepared for. For the last few days, I have felt his absence in every corner of the house. My husband Steve put away all of the crates, gates, blankets, feeding bowls, toys, etc., so I am even more conscious of the emptiness. How hard it is to go into my small study and not see Scamp resting on the couch...or sleeping next to my side of the bed, and perching himself at the edge of the mattress each morning...or begging for treats in the kitchen.
After talking to the vets, I realized that this was the time for Scamp to leave. His disease had severely weakened his heart, and he could not continue. I can only be grateful to Scamp's loyal and spirited companionship, and hope that I was a good caretaker. My 5 1/2 years with Scamp has made me marvel at the special relationship and communication possible between people and their pets; it is a wonderful gift, and one I hope to enjoy at some point in the future.
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