Anyone who knows me, or follows this blog, knows how much I love my dogs. Especially Beth. She is the oldest (she turned 10 on July 4th) as well as the most devoted. She is by far the best dog I could ever have - and those reasons are so many I can not begin to name them all. The 'average expected life span' for White German Shepherds is 10 to 12 years. And that is for healthy dogs. Beth has never be the healthiest of the breed. She is allergic to grass (yes GRASS!), fleas, and her whole life she has be plagued with various kidney infections.
This past Sunday, Beth had a couple of strokes. She was unable to stand on her own legs. John had to carry her down stairs, and outside. When she attempted to stand, she would not be able to hold her own weight. Needless to say - it was heart breaking to witness. She would not even attempt to climb the stairs. She just laid on her rug and watched every move I made. And when she was strong enough to stand - she leaned drastically to her right side. A couple of times, she simply fell over. I stayed by her side all day, and did what I could to keep her comfortable. She appeared to be in no pain - just disoriented, and weak. I feared the worst when I went to bed Sunday evening.
The following day, she was back to her old self - she even jumped up on the bed with her Papa (John). And greeted me in her normal loving way, as she has done daily for the past 9 1/2 years. I hoped she had recovered fully.
On Tuesday morning it took her about and hour and a half to gather the strength to go outside. She remained docile throughout most of the day, and rarely ventured off of 'her' rug. Once again I was dismayed at the thoughts of her being less than her perfect self. She seemed just so tired. The same was the case on Wednesday. I feared the worst once again when I went to bed last night.
This morning when I awoke at 5:15, she was up and ready to go. Back was the playful puppy I loved. She wanted her morning ritual of going outside and once finished coming in and playing with the Momma. Then spending the rest of the morning by my side as I prepared to go to work. And - this evening she has seemed full of playful energy.
Tomorrow, is another day, and I will cross that bridge then - and at least try not to worry about how she will feel until it gets here. Trying just to stay positive and loving and above all show her she is loved and comfortable.
To some of you, she is just a dog. To me, she is a part of my family, who has never betrayed me, never hurt my feelings, and never stopped showering me with the love and devotion that only a dog can give. The unconditional love that many feel - but few appreciate. And this is to honor her. She is in the truest sense - my best friend. For more info about Beth, see a previous post entitled Sunday Morning Solitude.
