Abby Crossed the Rainbow Bridge
It’s been two weeks since we had to say good bye to our Abby girl. I struggle with the emotions of my own family’s loss coupled with the need to forge on and help families other than my own go through the same process. Abby fought a strong battle against her cancer. She was always excited when UPS showed up with a package and never missed an opportunity to play outside or enjoy a stuffed kong treat. She loved being pampered with food treats and a bit of cat food to round off her evening meal. The Canna Biscuits (hemp treats) were a special little extra that she shared with her best bud Sophie.
As the weather got more humid she struggled more with her breathing and cough. We turned on the air conditioning sooner than we might have for our human comfort. It seemed to help her breathe easier and she chose to be inside vs outside the house. We adjusted her pain medicine to achieve a comfort level to help her get through her days and the restless nights. Richard and I took turns sleeping downstairs with Abby. We didn’t want her to be in need or in distress with no one to attend to her. We found ourselves racing home in between appointments or orchestrating our schedule so she never had to be home alone. Trips in the car were off limits, since it only exacerbated her cough.
I arrived home one evening when it was painfully clear that she had taken a turn. She was panting heavily and running a high fever. She seemed to be in distress. I modified her medications but knew it was time for a family meeting. We made the difficult decision we had been dreading for some time. It was time to let Abby rest. We needed to honor her wonderful life by providing her a compassionate death. Through teary eyes I tranquilized her while she indulged in a Costco sized jar of peanut butter. We snuggled with her while the tranquilizer relaxed her, as her tongue was madly enjoying her tasty treat. With an overdose of anesthesia Abby drifted off to peace.
We miss her dreadfully. She was a light in our lives and a time clock to mark the 8AM morning meal and 5PM dinnertime. Amazing how even with the changing of the seasons she always knew it was 5 0’clock somewhere. Abby always made us smile. As much as the humans in this house miss her I believe our dog Sophie is impacted the most. Thank you all for your cards, hugs and well wishes. We were blessed to have had Abby share our life.
