Author: Greg

JAX

My little man, Jax.

What a happy day it was when we met! You were the last of your brothers and sisters to be adopted from the country breeder. You acquired the nickname “Jungle Boy”, for your kennel was surrounded by country space,
trees and open area.

You were a little timid when we first met and it took you about 10 minutes to really become comfortable with us visiting you.

But, you became a loved and loving little man, full of mischief and playfulness, as a 14-week old puppy is.

Doggy school commenced and you were a studious, but slow learner… Or was it me, as the trainer said, who needed the effort and discipline? Sao thinks the latter… haha.

You were the little man who licked my legs dry after I got out of the shower, the little man who always stole my shoes and clothes and ran away with them, hoping for some puppy fun, which you always achieved.

One day, you seemed quieter than usual and instead of licking my feet after the shower, you rested on our bed… Unusual for an energetic little boy. Only the day before, you were running around the yard, full of energy and turning, ducking and weaving as you always did, to maximise your joy. Your quietness was unusual and noticeable, as was your appetite loss, also unusual and noticeable.

Off to work I went. Alex telephoned me at 2.00pm and informed me you were laying under a bush and not moving much. I rushed home, concerned about your lack of appetite and lethargy that morning. As we coaxed you out from under the bush, you couldn’t stand. We rushed you to Harry, your doctor, who suspected rat poisoning and immediately referred us to Animal Emergency Clinic.

AEC did tests and it wasn’t poisoning. X-rays and other scans did not indicate any obstruction in your stomach, intestine or bowel, but rather, a twist in your intestinal tract. Surgery was recommended and proceeded. During surgery, it became apparent your intestine had twisted, cutting off vital blood supply to your intestine, leaving 90% to 95% withered and dead. It was suggested the dead tissue be removed but given the remaining 5% to 10% could not sustain a normal life, nor normal diet, nor your continued growth as you became an adult, nor the special diet you would require for the remainder of your life, nor the problematic diahorrea you would have for your life, the other option presented to me was decided upon, and you gently went into a deeper and deeper sleep until you were gone…

Your pain was removed and my heart was once again shattered. If only the amazing amount of love I had for you could have made you better.

Rest peacefully, my little man, Jax. Please always remember you were loved, cared for and will always hold a special place in my heart and dear, loving memories.

 

My dear boy, Ziggy.

I first met you in July 2009. You were the last of your brothers and sisters to be collected. Why no-one selected you first, I will never know. But, I am happy they didn’t, because that meant you and I became father and son.

You were the cheeky boy who grew up in a house full of love with mum and me looking after you. Your life was full of walks, cuddles, and adventures in our large yard.

At dog training, you are always the boy who would pull on the lead, irrespective of how many times I corrected you and encouraged you to walk by my side. I continued to get in trouble from the trainer because you would not walk in the correct position next to me, but I did not care because you were happy where you were and it was comfortable for you and I.

You were the boy who would laze around all day on the decking at home and chase the birds away from your dinner bowl when they had the cheek to come and try and eat the food you did not care to eat. How dare those birds come and try and eat your food! What an outrage you thought that was; you would run across the decking, barking and scaring them away. Your decking and your food bowl were your sanctuary.

You were a wonderful, but somewhat boisterous companion for my mum in her latter years. Your love towards her was so evident, but somewhat a little too powerful for her as she became frail, at 80+ years.

When mum passed away, you were my faithful companion and I sought comfort and held you close and when remembering mum. You were indeed my closest companion in my time of need. The one thing I will remember about you, Ziggy, is your faithfulness and you always being there during happy times and sad times. I thank you immensely for your ongoing love towards me. I think you knew in your heart, you recognised and valued the love I had for you, also.

Some four months later, another tragedy was experienced and again, you were there for me to hug and hold close and bring comfort to me in a very sad period in my life.

In time, my life fortunes turned upwards and I met a wonderful new partner and her son and we became a family of four. You fitted into this new family structure wonderfully.

In our new home, you quickly settled down and became the king of the castle guarding the property in my absence and leaving me to guard the property when I was home. You had a very good sense of what was appropriate at the time in terms of your behaviour and the role you needed to play at any given time. You simply fitted in to whatever circumstance prevailed.

You loved your Oinkers and dry doggy biscuits immensely and they became your treat on a daily basis, one in the morning before I left for work, one immediately upon my return home and finally, one more when I tucked you into bed at night under your blankets. I think many people thought you were spoiled, but I disagree. You received the comfort and care my love for you compelled me to do. I did not pamper you, I just loved you and cared for you. Pretty simple, really…

I did note after our walks again after the winter period, you seemed quite tired after the walks. Afterwardes you used to flop on the floor, and I put it down to the weather be warmer and you just been hot and tired.

On Saturday, you were not lying down or sitting like you normally do, you were standing. This was quite unusual and seemed odd behaviour for you. We took you for walk later that evening and you were not pulling on your lead, but walking next to us, just like the dog trainer was always encouraging you to do. After 100 metres, you stopped and coughed and looked very tired. Out of concern and worry, our walk concluded and we decided to take you to the Animal Emergency Centre to make sure you were okay.

Your initial diagnosis was not promising and we agreed you stay for observations and tests. The test results from x-rays, ECG and blood tests indicated you had a genetic disease called dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart.

Clinical description:
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a disease of the heart muscle that is characterized by an enlarged heart that does not function properly. With DCM, both the upper and lower chambers of the heart become enlarged, with one side being more severely affected than the other. When the ventricle, or lower chamber, becomes enlarged, its ability to pump blood out into the lungs and body deteriorates. When the heart’s ventricle does not pump enough blood into the lungs, fluid begins to accumulate in the lungs. An enlarged heart soon becomes overloaded, and this often leads to congestive heart failure (CHF).

The vet’s prognosis for your recovery was bleak and I was telephoned at 3 AM on Sunday morning to inform me you were not responding to medication and all the tests indicated you were failing rapidly. I was encouraged to come to you and be with you whilst you were put to sleep, which I did, of course.

We entered the treatment room, you were in your enclosure looking quite tired, forlorn and still. Upon me calling out your name, you quickly turned your head towards me and gently raised yourself to come to me with your tail wagging. A wonderful sign, if only for a moment, but it showed me you were happy in these, your final moments. You stood facing me for a few moments, then gently lowered yourself to lay on the floor, resting your head on my hand. I constantly patted you, rubbed your ears and told you that you were a good boy and that I loved you, as I had done countless times before over the past six years. I genuinely feel you felt comforted by me doing this for you.

The vet gently injected the medication to relieve your suffering and your breathing slowly dissipated to silence…

Ziggy, you were an amazing and loving boy and a faithful and loyal mate, who I shall reserve a place in my heart for evermore.

Love you, my boisterous, lovable and faithful little man.

 

For my Little Man, Zac…

Zaccy-Boy, what a clever and beautiful boy you were…

You were the little boy wearing the green ribbon in the pen. I recall sitting on the ground and you and all your brothers and sisters were climbing all over me and licking me. We picked the little man with the green ribbon, not the liveliest, but not the quietest, either.

I remember you walking around the pool are your back left leg got a bit too close to the waters edge and… in you went! What a great swimmer you were, even at 9 weeks old. I quickly rescued you, took you inside and dried you off with a towel because you were shivering from the cold water.

Doggy school started and how everyone thought you were a dear little boy. You were quiet, but very clever. You advanced through doggy school classes at a great rate of knots, you were in Level 3, when others were still in Level 1; everyone was impressed with how aware and
how quickly you picked things up

You appetite was normal, you were eating like a puppy should, ravenous and with great gusto (but not really great table manners!) At about 4.5 months of age, your appetite stared to decline, you were not eating that well; even a hot roast chicken I got you for Sunday night dinner you just sniffed at and went back to bed. That worried me because that’s not what you were like towards food, normally… I bought you many doggy treats, liver bits, doggy biscuits and doggy chocolates, fresh chicken carcases and lamb necks, but your appetite slowly declined and you started losing weight. I began to really worry, especially when your gums became very, very white, no colour in them at all.

Off we went to Harry, our vet. Harry did many tests and spoke to many colleagues and it was diagnosed after a biopsy and blood tests you had a major liver problem – it wasn’t growing like the rest of you. Harry explained your liver was, for example, the size of a golf ball, but because of a genetic fault, it was not getting sufficient nutrients and at your current age, it should have been the size of an orange, and a baseball when fully grown (as comparative examples).

You stayed with Harry overnight and more tests and diagnoses were done, but you continued to lose weight, not eat, nor drink… your diarrhea was like water and Harry advised your condition was irretrievable. How that broke my heart, especially after Max only a few months earlier.

Zaccy, you were a wonderful Little Man who has a special place in my heart and memories. Thank you for being such a great dog and for giving me your love and giving me such happiness. I will remember you always.

 

Max

My Little Man Max

What a sweet and adorable puppy you were. You were the quiet one of the litter, and a little reserved when we went to visit you and your brothers and sisters. You stayed back a bit, watching, but still wanting to play. Eventually you came over to me, and we had a little cuddle and a pat.

On the way home in the car, you just slept.

Harry, our vet, inspected you and said you were healthy, but that we should give you lots and lots of exercise to strengthen your stumpy little legs: perhaps he knew something, or suspected something…

In the first few weeks, you were becoming a loving and adorable little boy, cheeky, inquisitive and mischievous, as all puppies are. You had a trait of growling when you didn’t get your own way and again, this is typical of how all puppies are – testing the boundaries and learning.

You certainly knew ‘come on’, ‘dinner’ and of course ‘Max’. How happy I was when I came home that day and your face lit up, and you came running to greet me at the front door as fast as you could; I thought this was the start of a daily routine for both you and me and I was so very happy.

You seemed to like walks up to the corner of our street, but you were also happy to stay on your bed – quite unusual for a Doberman puppy, I thought…

In the fourth week, you appeared quite quiet, not the bounding bundle of mischief you were. I took you to Harry again because I noticed your back right foot was pointing outwards at an odd angle – about 30 degrees from straight/usual. Harry was concerned and referred us to a colleague who specializes in motion, muscles and general mobility.

That night, you were very averse to moving and cried when you moved. That next morning, you didn’t really move at all, and cried when you did. That day, you moved no more than 12 inches all day. Harry said you had a bone growth disorder, most likely caused by malnutrition as a baby puppy – this caused a calcium deficiency and caused what the layperson calls Ricketts.

Harry advised me that you would have a life of pain and misery because of your bone growth disorder. Maxxy boy, as sad and heartbreaking as it was, it was decided, for your own wellbeing, that it was best for you to go to sleep. What a terrible thing to have to decide for a 10-week-old puppy!

Maxxy, we were with you and as we lifted you onto Harry’s table, you cried in pain, yet again.

You were cremated and now have a special place on the mantle, along with Samson, Jessie and Rex. You will hold a special place in my heart for you were part of this family, if only for a short while. I will remember you as a loving and happy puppy until you bones started playing up. I will always remember you sitting on my lap and suckling into my forearm. I will always remember what a loving little boy you were. My biggest sadness is I won’t get to experience so many things with you, and these won’t form deep memories: but I will remember you were loved, you loved us, and we only wanted to give you love
and a loving home, safety and comfort.

For my Little Man Max – thank you for being part of our lives, if only for a precious four weeks.

 

Rex, my wonderful and amazing Little Man.

Rexxyboy, remember when we visited you and your brothers and sisters when we first met you? You were the cuddly boy who wandered on over to me as I was sitting on the ground; you said hello, sniffed me and proceeded to curl up on my lap and snooze. I went looking for a puppy to select, where in fact you selected me – how lucky I was, for you and I went on to become so very close and loving.

When we got home, my other Doberman, Jessie, was of course a little apprehensive and typically of her, aloof towards you. That soon changed and you both became the best of friends.

You both went to doggy school and how proud I was when you were promoted to advanced obedience class when you were six months old, to the day. You certainly were a fast learner, hey?

Your life was one of never being too hot, never being too cold and always loved and communicated with. You were such a clever boy, weren’t you? You knew about 20 words, one of which was ‘Speak’. I remember how your tailed wagged to the point your whole bum wagged and how you used to speak to everyone, showing them all how you could really hold a conversation and become the centre of attention, which you always were.

25 October 2008 was a sad day for you, because Jessie, as she grew older, grew weaker and slower. Her heart was failing her and on her last day, you were snuggled next to her, but she didn’t really react to you. So, you said goodbye to her and watched us through the front window go out in the car with her to the vet…

So, it became only you, Mum and I in the house. Your days consisted of walking around the back yard, snoozing, talking to us and being a wonderfully happy boy. Your life was simply great for you and every day you showed everyone how happy and contented you were. You simply loved visitors (as of course they were visiting only you!) and you always managed to get treats from the table and generally become the star of the show.

February 2009 came and we noticed a lump on your neck. It seemed to come up overnight. Off to the vet we went on Saturday; how you loved your car rides! The vet was concerned with both the size of the lump and the quickness with which it arose. Monday morning was biopsy time and the news was not good. Harry, our vet, sent a sample for pathology testing. The best thing about all this was you did not know what all the fuss was about, you were simply happy to hop back in the car and go home with a bandaged neck. Tuesday I was the worried father, calling Harry frequently and asking if the pathology tests were back yet. Harry called Wednesday afternoon and the news turned to become more serious. What we initially thought was a hematoma was shaping up to be a cancer and mores tests were done on the tissue sample.

I took you back to Harry on Thursday morning to have you bandage removed and your sutures checked. How shocked and scared I was to see the huge swelling on the side of your neck. How concerned Harry was in seeing the swelling. Harry planned to drain the lump, hoping it was simply blood from the surgery.

Thursday afternoon, the news simply got a great deal worse. Pathology results indicated the tissue was positive for hemangiosarcoma, a nasty, aggressive and invasive cancer. I asked Harry about treatment options and how it simply broke my heart when Harry said there weren’t any that would give you long-term life, let alone quality of life. Harry said you have weeks to live, at most. How that news utterly broke my heart. I asked Harry if I could bring you home for one last night, but I was told you had been haemorrhaging all day and tonight you would need to go. So, instead of picking you up and taking you home, Mum and I came to hold you, love you and be with you as you were put to sleep. Rexxy, remember I was with you, lying next to you on the floor in the vet’s, telling you how I loved you and that you were a good boy. Harry came in, and put the syringe into your leg. I held you as tight as I could and told you I love you, as you slowly and gently lowered your head onto my arm. How a part of me died with you also, that saddest of moments in my life. I cuddled you, Mum patted you and said goodbye to you.

It is so lonely here at home without you, without Jessie, also. We constantly look for you and expect to see you on the bed, on the couch, sitting next to us outside, running around the back yard, chasing the birds away from your food and talking to us.

Rex, always remember we loved you, we continue to love you and will forever be with us in our hearts. You are indeed a special boy and we miss you terribly. Thank you for making our lives so fulfilled by being such a wonderful and happy boy. I love you Rex. I miss you and wish I could have just one more cuddle. You will have to wait for me in Heaven. We will all be together again one day and then the happiest of times will be ours forever.

 

For Jessie, my beautiful Girl

Jessie, you started life as an orphan, because your mother died shortly after giving birth to you and your brothers and sisters. When we picked you up, you were skinny and in need of some TLC. Your father was a very happy chap and greeted us warmly from his little pen.

Harry, our vet inspected you and told you would soon be OK because you were in safe hands,
and that indeed was the case.

You taunted, loved and played with Samson, but you will remember at first he was quite averse to you snuggling up to him but in the end you two were very close and played together, went to doggy school
together and snored together.

Over the last 12 months, your agility began to decline and it showed in your gait; you used to be able to run like the wind, faster than Samson, much to his chagrin!

The last week was particularly difficult for you; but you continued to live and love, and give us kisses and run to the door when we came home. The last day, you were quite lethargic and we all knew your time to join Samson was upon you.

Jessie, how sad I am to be writing this, but I get a lot of comfort from the knowledge you were loved, you loved in return, always, and that you are now at peace and playing with Samson, once again.

Rex is missing you a lot, but we are giving him lots of cuddles and comfort.

Love you always Jessie, you are now in your own cremation box next to Samson on the bookcase, you two are reunited.

Jessie, we love you, and will never forget what a wonderful and loving girl you were.