Starting in March the old boy started having some health issues and we thought we would lose him then. He became ill would not eat and had to have medicine to keep him from vomiting. He went from 85 pounds to 65 pounds during this period. It was a fairly expensive with the medicines but we wanted to give him a chance but not have anything too arduous or intrusive done to him. He finally started eating the chicken and rice and seemed to return to normal. It was during this time I noticed many things he did that were simple but I had forgotten. When taking him to the vet he would always position himself in the car to feel the warmth of the sun on his face. At home no matter how bad he was feeling he'd come over just to get an ear scratched and have a little interaction. Simple, simple things I had forgotten to cherish in the day to day rat race. He returned to as normal a dog that a 13 year old dog could be for a couple of months. When the evening came that I knew he probably would need to be taken in the next day; illness, extreme age and the first intense heat 108 degrees, I spent most of the night outside with him, as he wanted to be there and not inside, and we were with him in the house when he passed at 6 a.m. Through it all he didn't complain. It was like he knew it was coming and he just wanted it to happen at home. His ashes sit in a cedar box on the mantle awaiting his favorite time of year and the chance to be spread at his favorite places to be the marsh. He'll forever get to be part of the smell of the marsh, the whistling of the wings, and sight of the sunrise.
Greg - sorry to hear about Drake. Dogs teach us so many life lessons in such a short time. He looked like quite the dapper hunting dog. Hugs.
ReplyDeleteI come back here often to read about Drake. It makes me so sad every time that I do.
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