March 19 – “So long, Old Man”

Well, we had a sad start to our day yesterday.  Our 13-year-old dog Fritz stopped eating and didn’t really move from his bed for a few days.  His belly started to really swell up, too.  He would look up at us when we came into the room, but he just couldn’t bring himself to get out of bed. 

Chris called the vet for an appointment, and they said to bring him on in and they would work us in.  I just picked up the bed and all and we headed on. 

We didn’t have to wait long at all before we were shown back to a room.  Regular room this time … not the “Death Room” they have set aside.  After the tech completed his initial assessment, the vet came in and did her exam.  Ol’ Fritz was a real trooper.  Never complained.  Never even yipped.  The diagnosis was not a good one.  Of course nothing was for sure unless they did a battery of invasive tests, but the possibilities came out as a litany of … well, bad stuff.  He was probably in congestive heart failure.  It was possible his liver and kidneys were also failing.  And cancer could also be involved as well.  The prognosis was pretty much what we expected, but of course dreaded.  There was really nothing they could do for him.  It was a tough decision, but certainly best that we let him go.  They had a very difficult time getting an IV in because his blood pressure was so low, but once that was accomplished, the doc did the injection.  Fritz was already asleep from the first shot designed to relax him, so it didn’t take him but a few seconds to stop breathing. 

So now Freddy has the run of the house.  We took down the child gates that kept Fritz from marking territory in the main part of the house.  She now has food and water bowls near the back door and in the kitchen.  We’re wondering which bed she will choose to sleep in.  That would be - which DOG bed.  There are no plans for her to join us.  So far she is still the same wacky, weird dog that Chris almost ran over.  Now her life as an only child begins.  Here we go.

Hebrews 13:16 says, “And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Father, thank you for the compassion of the vet yesterday.  She made a tough day a little bit easier.  Amen.