This article is different from the others as we haven’t lost our pet yet,
but the time has come.
Chelsea our chocolate lab has been showing her eleven years for a while now.
She has arthritis very badly and has been on prednisone for a long time.
She did not respond to anti-inflamitory drugs so had to be on the steroids.
The long-time steroid use has damaged muscles hair follicles and other things.
Chelsea has been my devoted companion since she was six weeks old.
She and I have a lot in common. We are both showing our age
stiff in the joints turning gray and love to swim.
We both used to be overweight until the vet put her on a diet
and she lost all her extra weight.
Chelsea knows a lot of tricks but her best one is diving.
She loves to swim and dive. I don’t mean just diving off the side of the pool.
I mean diving to the bottom of the pool to retrieve her hard ball.
Five years ago when she discovered this trick I began tossing the
ball into deeper water until she was diving to the drain in eight foot water.
It was definitely a sight to see. She still loves to dive though now I only
toss it in the three and four foot water. I have never seen a dog who
enjoyed anything more. This was her favorite activity.
She would not get out of the pool for a T-bone steak.
We now live in Florida but used to live in North Carolina.
When we lived there neighborhood children would knock on our door
and ask if she could come out to play. She excelled at Hide and Seek.
Chelsea has never met a person who didn’t love her and comment on
her wonderful nature. She has always been very well-mannered and loving.
It is now time for us to help her out of this life into a better existence.
I kept thinking she would show us when the time came
but her mind and spirit have stayed alert.
It has come to the point where here favorite thing hurts her.
After a too-long swim she can barely make it even in our solar-heated water.
The vet said this is very painful but Chelsea has never complained.
I have spoken to her doctor and will be taking her next week for her last visit.
This is too hard. I anticipated having her for many more years to come.
I don’t know what else to say. It was easy at the beginning of
this article to tell you about her. Now it is just disjointed thoughts.
| Chelsea |