The Rascal's last stand

[spikedsunshine]

My Annie dog died last night. She was almost 15! She had a long run and really was only showing her age these past 2 years, but it still feels too soon and too sudden. She had been having trouble with her back legs for a while now,but always was happy to go for walks and putter around the house keeping the parents in line and on time (she was a wristwatch dog). She refused to change her pattern in anyway despite her mobility problems, and really it would have broken her heart and spirit to force her to stay on one story for the rest of her life, she needed to follow her humans and protect them (who knows what from???). She learned to take her time on the stairs and do lots of stretches in the morning. I was away at my EMS placement in Milton when she collasped, my Mom said she just fell to the ground and started to whimper, recovered after some petting and got up, so my mom thought it was just an old lady episode of weakness, which had been happening more and more. Annie puttered around a bit more, seemed very out of sorts, but since she was mobile, so my mom let her be. Later the dog collasped again, this time struggling to get up and distressed. My mom comforted her and tried to keep her from moving till i got home. I thought at first she had torn a muscle or broke her hip, but after doing my neurological tests it was obvious she had had a stroke and was quickly shutting down. I told mom to call the vet to say we were coming down for euthanasia, but she died in my arms while my mom called. We went down anyway to confirm that she was dead and to arrange a cremation (the ground is just too frozen for a burial). The vet  said all the right things of she was old and we did the right thing in keeping  her quiet and with her humans, and that one couldn't ask for a faster passing. But why right before Christmas?? Right before my sister gets back?  And why wait for me to get home??? She could have given up as soon as she hit the floor, but she held on long enough to see me and then it was over, just some gasps for air and then stillness. Couldn't really cope with doing all the clinical things when all I wanted was for her to jump up and give me that just kidding grin. But she is gone and I am sad.  It is weird to not have her there to lick the plates and to shuffle around the house in her fuzzy headed way.
But she had the lifestyle she wanted in the end, walks off the leash, not being put in the kennel when we were away, so she died happy i think.