We named our first puppy Diego for San Diego because that is where
Bredan and I met and fell in love.
We brought Diego home on February 10 1997.
He was the cutest little pug you could ever see.
He had a fawn colored coat tiny little nose and black face.
We studied up on all the puppy books house trained him he became a
very significant part of our family.
Diego taught us so many things: how to care for another the joy of
being at home spending time together and most of all we learned a
lot about ourselves.
We became true parents. Diego’s only true downfall was that he liked
to chew things; rocks toys you name it.
We did the best we could to stop him but once he became a year old he
was very independent.
One evening he began throwing up we didn’t think too much about it,
maybe he was just a little sick or he ate something that didn’t agree with him.
The next morning Diego still seemed very meloncoly but he was sick
most of the night so I thought nothing of it.
When I put down his morning breakfast he would not go anywhere near it.
Instead he just laid down on the floor. This is when I really began to worry.
I wondered if there was a 24 hour flu bug for dogs and called my vet.
I was told that if Diego is still not feeling better by the afternoon to bring
him in. Well I took him down that afternoon the vet looked him over
he couldn’t feel or see any immediate problems so he sent me home
with some medicine and told me to watch him and if he was still not better
in the morning bring him in. That night he was still sick.
He would drink water and throw it up forget about giving him his
medication he was not interested.
The next morning at the vets we decided to take an X-ray to see if he
ate something that was possibly clogging up his system.
Sure enough the vet spotted a foreign object and we gave the go ahead to
perform surgery.
Looking back on it now a number of questions come to mind.
Should we have asked the vet if this is a standard procedure?
What should we expect after surgery? How many times has he
performed this before? What are some possible outcomes?
Did we ask any of these? NO. I was very naive to the idea of a dog
having surgery in fact I even thought I could take him home that day.
Boy was I in for a rude awaking. We couldn’t believe what the vet
found Diego had 5 tiny pieces of toys and some carpet in his small intestine.
You would think that we never feed him.
We were so relieved that the pieces were removed and thought the problem
was solved and Diego would be coming home soon.
He had surgery on Saturday and I was told by the Vet that he
should be ready to come home Monday or Tuesday.
I checked up with them on Monday and he was not ready on Tuesday
I called and they said that he was still not doing well.
I couldn’t understand what was wrong he had the objects removed,
why was he not better? I had to go see Diego for myself,
maybe he was homesick. When I went to see him it broke my heart
he looked terrible. There he was in a little cage with an IV connected
to his arm lying on a old piece of cloth. Diego looked at me with his big
brown eyes that were all hazed over.
“Hey boy how is my baby?” I asked trying to keep my voice from shaking.
He couldn’t move his body was covered with blood from the surgery.
I reached in to pet his matted fur and his tail wiggled very gently.
A tear came to my eye as I thought back to the times he used to greet me
at the door and wag his tail crazily and then would lick my legs and hands.
I brought along his favorite dog treats hoping to get him to eat.
“Does Diego want a treat?” no response. I placed it right by his
nose nothing. I then tried to shove it in his mouth and he resisted and
would not open his mouth not even a crack. What was wrong?
Why wasn’t he better? He should be home by now. On the
way home I cried I felt so helpless and lost.
I called my husband hysterical ” Brendan Diego looks horrible!!!
I can’t believe what they have done to him his cage is a pig sty!”.
To say the least my husband was not happy about what he heard so he
left work early and went to see Diego for himself.
I must have made a stink about him being alone at night in
a dirty cage because when he came home he had Diego in his arms.
I was so happy that we could spend some time with him
and comfort him. We tried all of his favorite treats to get him to eat
but nothing worked. He never moved just laid in his bed,
at times he would stand up to relieve
himself he had lost all bladder control.
That night I just sat by him and petted him hopping the day would come when
we could run and play. By Wednesday we decided to give him a test that
would show if there were any leaks or something still caught in his system.
When I went to pick him up that Wednesday the Vet informed me that
while he was administering the liquid he accidentally put some fluid in his lung.
At first I didn’t think too much of it that the fluid would just find its way
out into the stomach but then he said “Fortunately I caught it soon
enough that it was not lethal” this started to make me worry
“Lethal??” that means dead! He explained to me that eventually it
would absorb back into the system.
That night I took him home again but this time he was even more pathetic
because half his lung was filled with fluid he had a difficult time
breathing and every now and then he would make little gurgling sounds.
All I could do was pray that the magical fluid would find the problem
and the vet would be able to correct it and we would be able to
bring Diego home. But another disappointment was waiting for us.
We arrived at the vet and he took an X- ray.
“Well what do you see?” we asked the vet. “I can’t see
anything out of the ordinary but something is still very wrong and I
suggest that you take him immediately to Angell Memorial Hospital.”
What? Why couldn’t he see anything?
Diego is not feeling better. What is wrong with my baby!!!
Once at the emergency hospital they immediately put Diego in an oxygen
tank because of his lack of breathing. They informed us that having half his
lung filled with fluid is very serious and will never completely go away,
Diego will always have breathing problems.
After doing some test they informed us that Diego would need half a
lung removed and his small intestines were leaking so bad that they
were almost melted together why my local vet could not see this is unknown
the cost $3,500-$5,000 dollars.
We loved our Diego and just wanted him home he was so young
and the most loving dog ever we said to go ahead.
On Friday evening we got a call to inform us that Diego made it through
surgery and was in recovery but they added he is very weak and is
still in critical condition. We were so happy we thought the worst was
over for the last and final time. We joyfully made dinner and opened a
bottle of wine to celebrate Diego would soon be home.
During dinner we made plans to go visit him the next day at the
hospital. The past was behind us who cares about the money we spent
or the bad care Diego received from the previous vet he was going to be o.k.
and that’s all we cared about.
That evening while we were in bed the phone rang at 12:30am.
“Mr. O’Mahoney?” “Yes” my husband replied.
“We are sorry to inform you that Diego expired at 11:00pm tonight.”
My husband quietly hung up the phone and turned to look at me.
Tears were streaming down my cheeks. He did not have to say anything
I already knew. He held me close for several minutes assuring me that
it was for the best that Diego was in a better place and at peace.
Once we calmed down we got up and went downstairs.
Brendan made another phone call to the hospital to get more specifics
and I tried to keep myself busy by cleaning up.
It’s hard when someone you love dies because you are
consistently reminded of there life in the house.
We are sharing our story mainly because we loved Diego and
feel that if we were more careful in watching what Diego ate and
choosing the right medical care he would still be with us today.
We have learned to buy only the most durable toys.
Cheaper is not always better. Make sure it’s sturdy and won’t be
destroyed easily. I often bought cheap toys knowing that toys don’t
last long in my house never again.
I never even thought to question a doctor before but now I will make
sure that I check into various clinics so I can make the most
informed decision
Diego will always be missed but we hope to send out a message and to
share our story so more dogs don’t die by this very preventable death.
In Loving Memory of Diego O’Mahoney
12/6/97-7/23/99
Love,
Mom Dad and Jackson
| Diego |