We named him Maximillian vonGutenluck, a play on the German language and meaning, of course, good luck. Sadly, Max had anything but good luck. We were thrilled when our new puppy was pronounced to be in solid health, with no hip or elbow dysplasia, the usual scourge of the German Shepherd breed. We also were happy that we would not be dealing with anal glands filling up, as this only occurred with small dogs (we thought).At the age of two Max developed bleeding ulcers. Treatment was difficult and expensive, but Max healed. Shortly afterwards, a nasty sore discovered under his tail prompted a visit to the vet. We were dumbfounded to learn that Max developed an abscess from a ruptured anal gland along with a badly diseased colon. The only treatment was with an experimental drug which could only suppress his immune system and hold off the inevitable progression of his painful condition. After more than a year of this very expensive treatment, we had to make the painful decision to have Max put down. Exactly two months after his fourth birthday, we said goodbye to our beloved Max — who had a strong heart and lungs, no arthritis, no cataracts, seemingly the picture of health. A human being could have had a colostomy, but it is not an option for dogs. He died with dignity, but the memory of the life going out of that magnificent animal will haunt us forever.
Rest in Peace, our wonderful Maxie
| Max |
| Caroline and Martin |