They punish us by dying before we do, he said, explaining the anguish he and his wife endured when they had to put their dog of 15 years to sleep.
Two weekends ago, my beloved 10-year-old basset hound, Barney, couldn’t use his back legs. He got around by dragging them. He looked very much like a seal and I had to carry him in my arms to take him outside.
I took him to his vet, Dr. Nasir Shah, Lincoln Highway Veterinary Clinic; he was very kind and diligent about getting Barney back on all fours.
Barney had a couple of bad discs, an ailment bassets are prone to have. Dr. Shah said he would try steroids and a joint-lubricating drug, but warned me that they might not work. The only other option would be a $5,000 surgery and a long recuperation. Given Barney’s age, as he delicately explained, that probably wasn’t a great option.
The good doctor admitted my fur ball on a Monday and immediately administered the drugs via injections. The next day, Tuesday, there was no change and I began to get a tad hysterical. Would I have to put him down? Could I put him down? I just couldn’t imagine it. I cried all day and my friends and family rallied around me.
I was convinced I was going to have to euthanize.
Leaving him behind at the vet’s was miserable. My neighbor Joanne visited him one night and we both sobbed to the sounds of him crying pitifully for us to take him with us.
On Wednesday morning, I called for an update and the doc told me he was making a tiny bit of progress. There was a glimmer of hope.
My colleague Steve, whose beloved 9-year-old cocker spaniel, Chota Peg, passed away suddenly last winter, reassured me and said he was sure Barney would rally. He seemed so confident. Well, wonderful Steve’s prediction came true. Each day, Barney got a little better.
On Friday morning, Dr. Shah allowed me to bust Barney out as he was able to use his back legs, though he was still wobbly. The following Monday, veterinarian Dr. Stephen Young started him on acupuncture treatment, which many experts swear by.
I feel like I have been given a second chance with my little guy. Still, I know the time is getting closer as his breed’s life span is between 10 and 12 years, and that he can relapse any day.
In the meantime, I will cherish him and give him that roast beef, take him to the family picnic and let him roll in the mud to his heart’s delight.
Patricia Poist is a staff writer for the Living section. Write to her at: ppoist@lnpnews.com.
Talkback on LancasterOnline
Welcome to the new TalkBack on LancasterOnline. Please use the comment box below to share your opinion on this
article. If you would prefer to use the previous TalkBack forums instead, please use this link.
