If you had read my numerous updates on twitter during the last three days, you will know that we had to put Bella to rest yesterday morning because of kidney failure. I'll tell the story at the bottom of this post, but it is pretty heartbreaking so feel free to skip it. We're doing ok. We mourned her a lot yesterday and know how much happier she is now. Thank you everyone for all of your comments. Bella was loved by many people and reading every one of your comments was soo very comforting for us. It was great to know so many people were rooting for her and were there to help us through this very difficult time. Ok on with the post. I'm going to start crying again.
I've only had Bella for two and a half years.
She came in to my life when I needed a 24 hour friend. I had just moved out on my own and had started having depression and anxiety problems. She comforted me and gave me something to take care of. She was incredibly neglected when I got her and I spent months getting her healthy.
She was such a sweet girl and always made us smile with her silly ways.
She was definitely the alpha dog of our house. Dewey wouldn't admit it, but she totally was.
Everyone loved Bella. Seriously... I've never met a soul that didn't fall in love with this dog as soon as they met her. She was always in someone's arms.
And that's the way she liked it, thankyouverymuch.
Sometimes she liked to pretend she was a real dog.
and we'd all have a good laugh at her.
She went with us everywhere and did everything with us. I even made sure she had some wedding photos taken. I couldn't have my big day with out her. She was my little girl.
She was cutest when she was sleeping.
Rest in peace sweet girl. You've been a dearly beloved companion and we will always remember you!
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Bella took a fall last Tuesday that really worried me so Wednesday I took her to the vet. They weren't worried about the fall, but she did seem a little lethargic so they took her blood to check her kidney levels. She's had kidney problems since I first took her to the vet so this was a normal occurrence. Her levels were at 57 (25-32 is normal), a little high but not too bad. They put her on lasix for her heart because she had started coughing some and they thought it would help remove some of the fluid from her heart and make her feel like normal again and we scheduled a follow up for this Wednesday.
She stopped eating very much over the weekend and completely stopped eating this Monday. Tuesday I was soo worried and called the vet. They couldn't see her but sent me home with pain meds and some critical care dog food to see if she would eat. She ate a tablespoon of food that night. She was so lethargic she barely moved. I didn't want to leave her to go to work afraid that she wouldn't make it through the day. When we went to the vet Wednesday I was in denial that something was seriously wrong with her. The vet was super concerned which made me flip out. She checked her kidney levels again and they were at 130. She immediately started her an IV of fluid and told me we would have to come back that night and transport her to the ER for the weekend so she could have 24 hour care. I immediately knew she wasn't going to come out of this. She was old (we didn't know how old) but assumed she was 12 or so and she had never been this sick.
The vet said there was a chance the fluid would help but it could just be her kidneys shutting down. After we took her to the ER, it was just a waiting game to see if the fluids would help her. They pumped her full of fluids, dextrose, antibiotics and whatever else they could. After 24 hours they checked her kidneys again and the numbers were still up around 130. We waited another 12 hours before we went to tell her goodbye, just in case there was an overnight miracle. The minute I saw her I knew it was time. She was incredibly depressed. She could barely hold her body up and didn't really know us. You could tell she was comforted by us because we were holding her, but that was about it. We told her what a good girl she had been and how much she meant to us and then we left the room. My mom stayed with her because she didn't want me to be there but knew how much I wanted to be. We're having her cremated and will get her ashes to spread on my parents' ranch.
We miss you sweet girl.
