My basset hound is ill and it may be cancer. We will find out tomorrow and, as he has spine problems, if it is cancer it is incurable and he is in pain. He has been my loyal guy for nine years. My life has gone through several stages and he has been with me through it all.
He came as a Christmas puppy when Annie was 15.
He and I have been a pair for nearly ten years.
He went to Arrowhead with me.
He wasn’t always happy about it.
He explored the mountains.
He met my friends.
We’ll know tomorrow but if it is bad, he won’t die alone.
Well, the biopsy was bad and Winston has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. His passing was easy. They had him heavily sedated as he was in pain with increasing neurological deficit. We were with him in the end and I rubbed his ears and scratched his chest, which he loved. When the folks at the vet hospital wheeled him into the room, as sick as he was, he wagged his tail when he saw me. It just breaks my heart.
It went quickly and we are home. So sad. He was sick only two weeks. About six weeks ago he had the first sign, which was that he could not jump onto the bed. I ordered pet steps thinking he was just getting old. Then a few days later, he was jumping on the bed again until a week ago Tuesday. Then he looked sick and we took him to the vet where we found the first sign of any neurological problem in his right hind leg. By Saturday he was worse and we made an appointment with the vet neurologist for Tuesday, still thinking it was probably a disc.
And here we are.
Goodbye big guy.
Ed says when we get to Heaven all the dogs that loved us will be there. I don’t know if I’ll get there or even if there is a Heaven but I’ll settle for a hallucination as I am dying that all my dogs have come to see me. I miss them all.
Today, we drove up to the Basset Rescue Ranch in Acton, near Palmdale north of Los Angeles. I adopted Charlie there about 12 years ago.
Today, we found Juliette and brought her home.
Juliette is a demure female about 6 or 7 years old whose owner had broken her hip and had to surrender Juliette to the shelter. She had only been there a week or so and is used to a nice home. She is not Winston and will never totally replace him in my heart.
Still broken hearts heal.
She is making a good start.
I miss Winston but he is gone and nothing will bring him back. I don’t know if she will have his personality but we are hopeful.
