Having a dog in my life changed everything. I will never stop being grateful to my husband for giving me this gift. I never imagined that so much happiness could one day come with so much fear… but my baby is a fighter, and I believe with all my heart she can get through this.
We went to the vet again this week, just to do some tests and see how she’s doing. Oh, how scared she always is when we go there… but this time, something was different. She wasn’t trembling like before. She looked… calm. Maybe even like she was grateful we brought her. I don’t know, maybe it’s just my imagination, but it felt like she knew we’re helping her.
They had to drain the water from her stomach again. And this time, we made a big decision...no more pills. From now on, she’ll be getting Medrol injections. It’s a really aggressive treatment, but we don’t have other options anymore. I can’t be there when they do it. Only my husband goes in. I stay in the waiting room, trying not to cry, trying not to imagine how it looks. I just know they use a big needle to draw the water out of her stomach. I know she feels better right after, like a hundred times better… but it still breaks me.
We tried at first with special dry food. Expensive, healthy, made for dogs with problems. But she didn’t want it. We were losing our minds, feeding her one briquet at a time from our hands, begging her to eat. But it wasn’t working. And watching her lose weight so fast was unbearable. So, I called the vet and asked — can we try cooked food? And they said yes.
Now, every day, she gets freshly cooked chicken. And she loves it. She eats again! And my heart feels so full when I see her eyes waiting for food. She still has energy. She still barks when we come home. She still wants to cuddle. That’s why we bought her stairs (yes, they sell tiny stairs for small dogs who can’t jump on sofas). She used to jump, always. Now she climbs her stairs, comes close, curls beside us, and waits for love.
As long as she still does that, we know...she’s not in pain. That’s also what the vet told us. She’s not suffering. Her organs are working fine. It’s just that damned water in her stomach. So, here’s the plan: she’ll getting the Medrol injections for two months, we’ll keep cooking for her, and if the water builds up again — we’ll drain it. We won’t give up. Not while she’s still happy and wagging her tail and looking at us with those eyes full of love.
Anyone who has a dog knows what I mean.
If the day comes when she’s in pain, when she stops eating, when the sparkle in her eyes is gone...then we’ll know. But that day is not today.
While I waited in the vet’s waiting room, I met a beautiful Great Dane. Oh, they’re just incredible. So big, yes, but so gentle. She came right up to me and didn’t want to leave my side. We cuddled the whole time. Her owner told me she has food allergies — gluten, milk — so she can barely eat anything. I said, "Wow, even our dogs now have so many allergies!"
I told her how we took in a mixed-breed dog thinking she’d be healthier. I thought only purebred dogs had health problems… but oh, how wrong I was. I don’t believe in buying dogs anyway. Rescued dogs deserve love too. She told me she rescued her Great Dane from a shelter too. And I swear, if I had a big house with a big yard, I’d have ten dogs (okay, my husband wouldn’t agree, but if I just bring them home, he’ll have no choice!).
When Baou was done with her procedure, she didn’t come to me right away ...she went straight to that big dog and started sniffing and playing. Can you imagine? A tiny dog like mine trying to play with a Great Dane? It was hilarious and so sweet. That’s the thing… she’s still playful. She still has that sparkle.
I don’t know what to do, really. I just want to give her the best life. That’s all. And hope for the best. How could I not?
We just came back from our walk, I had to cut it short this time, it’s raining again. So now I’ll go cook. Yes, for her. And she’s already waiting by the kitchen like a little queen.
I'm still scared, constantly watching her to see if she is in pain. So yeah. Hoping for the best. With all my heart.
“No matter how little money and how few possessions you own, having a dog makes you rich.” – Louis Sabin
With love, @tinabrezpike ❤️
