Farewell, my Loyal Friend

In my previous post, I told my friends and readers that Meeko had collapsed this morning. When hubby took him to the vet, the news wasn't good. Hubby called me and told me that we had two options. Spend money on a series of tests that would be painful for Meeko or euthanize him.

I didn't go with hubby and Meeko to the vet, as I didn't, in my wildest dreams, think that anything this dire would happen. My car isn't running and when hubby phoned me from the vet, I really wanted to go to be with Meeko when he was euthanized. The frigid temperatures killed the battery, so I phoned my neighbour, Marianne to see if I could borrow her car, but she had gone out with a friend to pick up a few things. So, poor hubby had to say goodbye to Meeko on his own...a very hard thing for him to do.

I did talk to the vet and he told me that Meeko's gums were perfectly white, which means he had internal bleeding. He said that Meeko was bleeding into his spleen and that he could do some tests that would be expensive. I asked him if they would cause Meeko a great deal of pain and he said that they would cause pain and discomfort. He could send Meeko home with steroids for the weekend, but he suspected Meeko would pass before Monday. Meeko had gained 7.9 lbs. since he seen him December 1st, and that weight was probably due to a tumor. He had incurable cancer.

When our previous dog passed eight years ago, I told the boys that he had been a loyal companion for 13 years and that it was our duty to ensure he didn't suffer any more than he already had. I thought back to that day when the vet was telling me all of this.

So hubby and I opted to have Meeko euthanized instead of having him go through a great deal of pain. In hindsight, I can see the subtle signs that something was wrong, but nothing to indicate that cancer was raging within his body. Just some whining, a few drops of blood in his stool (diagnosed at the time as colitis) and that was about it, except Meeko continued shedding really bad into the frigid winter. I suspect now that there was no blood getting to the hair folicles and that it wasn't shedding at all, but that his fur was actually falling out. Since his coat was thick, it just seemed like he was still shedding.

I have already left the computer to go and see what he was doing, then realized that he wasn't here. I will truly miss him and hubby is heartbroken.
The above photo was taken of Meeko in December. It's one of the last ones I have of him. He was a beauty, so intelligent. He knew every word we said and we talked to him constantly. He was my handsome prince and though the boys named him Meeko, I often thought he had the regal look of royalty.

Relaxing in the sun in the summer of 2008!This is Meeko on the lawn in the spring of 2008. He loved to be outside and enjoyed laying in the snow. Yesterday he spent a lot of time outside. Today it was frigidly cold and I kept him in most of the day. He did get a last walk with hubby, but it was a slow one and he didn't go nearly as far as usual.

Meeko and I on the trail beside the canal in spring 2008. This was where he loved to go when we took a walk. I will also miss him, as we often walked at night under the stars with the moonbeams reflecting off the snow. I wouldn't walk alone in the park without Meeko, but I knew he would protect me with his life. I always felt safe when he was nearby. Goodbye my loyal friend and companion. You will live forever in my heart. ~Blessings, Mary~