We have a house full of pets, two dogs, a male and female Yorkshire Terrier and two Ragdoll cats.
Our oldest Yorkie, Morgan, began experiencing great difficulty breathing last night, to the point that I was concerned that he m
ight suffocate. I had Morgan at our veterinarian, Dominique Rouvet, DVM, at North Hills Animal Hospital first thing this morning and she deduced that he may have an airway blockage but wanted him further examined at Georgia Veterinary Specialists and Emergency Care. After several X-Rays, Morgan was diagnosed with a collapsed trachea, a not uncommon malady in small dogs.The good news is the problem can be remedied by surgery and the insertion of a stent to keep the collapsed airway open.
The surgery is scheduled for next week and the vet does not expect any complications.
To that end, I wanted to share a story that was forwarded to Dale and I from Mel, our long time good friend from Charlotte.
If you have or ever had a dog, you will truly enjoy this:
A Dog's Purpose
Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine
a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The
dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little
boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and
they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of
cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything
for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my
throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane
seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last
time, that I wondered if he understood what was
going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped
peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's
transition without any difficulty or confusion. We
sat together for a while after Belker's death,
wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of
his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more
comforting explanation.
He said, 'People are born so that they can learn
how to live a good life - - like loving everybody
all the time and being nice, right?' The
six-year old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long .'
a ten-year-old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The
dog's owners, Ron, his wife Lisa, and their little
boy Shane, were all very attached to Belker, and
they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of
cancer. I told the family we couldn't do anything
for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home. As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for six-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my
throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane
seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last
time, that I wondered if he understood what was
going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped
peacefully away.
The little boy seemed to accept Belker's
transition without any difficulty or confusion. We
sat together for a while after Belker's death,
wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, 'I know why.'
Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of
his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more
comforting explanation.
He said, 'People are born so that they can learn
how to live a good life - - like loving everybody
all the time and being nice, right?' The
six-year old continued, 'Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long .'
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