My dad has been taking care of Bella and Max (my brother's other dog) since Jasper can't be around pet hair due to the trach. Anyways, when my dad babysits Draven and Jasper, I go and check on them. Monday he babysits 5am to 10am (so only once) with Wed/Thurs 5am to 3PM (twice). Anyways, Monday morning Bella was fine. Monday afternoon she was limping and my dad noticed her chest a little swollen. (She has had surgery a couple of times on her neck/chest due to lumps). So my dad took her to the vet. Vet checked her temp and it was 104.3. That high means some form of infection. Ran blood work and things came back negative. He gave her antibiotics for the infection and a steroid to get the swelling down and sent her home with a follow up appt for Tuesday at 3pm. She didn't make it to 3pm. She was up all night, throwing up, Couldn't even keep water down. So my dad took her in at 8am. Hooked her up to an IV and all appeared okay. Sent her home at 6pm because she was wagging her tail, drinking water. Even ate some food. But they wanted her back at the vet at 8am yesterday. My dad babysits so he asked me to check on them around 7:45, taking her to the vet at 8am. At 4:30AM she even jumped on the couch and was doing pretty good. He left to go babysit. I got there at 7:45. I thought it was odd that I made it up the ramp AND unlocked the door without any of them at the door, barking, whining, something. I go into my dad's bedroom and find Bella. And the rest of them. All five of them are on my dad's bed. And Bella is lifeless. I check. She's gone.
She passed away sometime right before I made to her. I'm guessing maybe just 10-15 minutes prior as she was not stiff at all and a little warm still. I was completely devastated. I called my dad to let him know. He was so freakin' upset. I ran to the vet and sure enough...gone. I made arrangements with the Corpus Christi Pet Memorial Center to have them come and pick her up from the vet's office, and have her cremated. Then I called my dad again to let him know. I then went back to my dad's house to check on the dogs and try to get them go outside and while doing that, I called DH to let him know. He felt so bad that I had to do that all by myself.And you should have seen the other four dogs. They all looked so sad. It was horrible. When I came back the 2nd time that morning, 2 of my dad's dogs - Ginger and Genie - were STILL on the bed and just would not move. It was so sad.
I believe Bella knew and so did her brother and the other 3 doggies. They knew she wasn't going to make it. But to be surrounded by her dog family. That means so much. She didn't pass away alone. When I walked in yesterday, Ginger actually had her paw on top of Bella's. I wish I had tooken a picture. But that is one picture that will stay with me forever.
I was so sick to my stomach yesterday. I didn't eat breakfast or lunch. I barely nibbled on dinner. I had kept it together when I found her. When I made all of those phone calls and went to the vet. But after leaving my dad's house the 2nd time around, on my way home....I lost it. Then coming inside. My 3 girls could SMELL Bella on me. Me crying. Actually it was more like balling.
I was so depressed yesterday. Flood of emotions. I tried working the best I could, to keep my mind busy, but it wasn't enough. CC Pet Memorial Center called me to say Bella was ready to be picked up at 3:10PM which worked out as my Dad had already left my brother's apt and was headed in that direction already. So he filled out the paperwork, paid for it and came here so I could see the box and to see how I was doing emotionally.
Our vet thinks she had a heart attack. Since it was so sudden. She didn't have a long illness (unlike Ruby and Bear). And the fact that she had had complications from a surgery that was done by another vet a year ago, that's the only logical explanation from our vet with the exception of doing an autopsy. Bella, throughout the last several years, has had these lumps appear on her body. But mostly around her chest. Usually those are just fatty tissues and they either go away on their own or you can have them drained. Well the last one was on her chest. And it was HUGE. It actually prevented her from walking. Her vet drained it once, then surgically removed it. It then got infected. Our vet thinks that messed up her little heart. She was a chihuahua mix. So about 18 lbs. A little bitty thing.
I'm doing a little better today. Still a little down. I was a little anxious about going out there to check on them today. Seeing only FOUR dogs instead of FIVE. No longer seeing Bella. Ever. She's been a part of my life since the day she and Max were born. They lived with us the first 2 years of their life (so did my brother and SIL). Then anytime they went out of town, they'd drop them off with us to puppy sit. And when they'd come over on Holidays, since Max and Bella are little doggies, they'd come too. So my dogs grew up with them and vice versa. But I did okay. And Max and the others look to be doing okay too. I'm thankful that my dad does have 3 other dogs. I think that will help Max alot.
I'm thankful that I took this photo of Max and Bella together last Thursday. They loved sunning themselves. And you can tell, Max loved his "sissy".
RIP sweet li'l girl
