(Well, actually by Brian)
(Sent on August 17, 2005)
Hello friends,
I'm not sure where to start with this story, but I'll try to keep it brief. Many of you know that Mingus has had kidney problems since last summer's "mystery illness". The vet calls it "compensated kidney failure"-- her kidneys are failing but she compensates for it by drinking and peeing a lot. We feed her a low-protein dog food, which also helps.
Recently, she's been having trouble with her back legs, but we attributed it to old age. (It's actually a symptom of kidney problems.) About 2 weeks ago we took a short trip and left Mingus with our pet-sitter. During that time, she had more trouble walking and lost her appetite. When we returned, we took her to the vet and her blood toxins were high again. The treatment is to flush her system with fluids to lower her toxin levels, which helps her to feel better and regain her appetite, which she did for a few days. However, she needs to be able to maintain her toxin levels on her own, and she is unable to do so, even with the aid of ultra-low-protein dog food. This is not a sustainable situation, what with trips to the vet every couple of days, and lots of care in between.
Although she's reasonably alert, she has lost most of her appetite, a fair amount of weight, and a lot of her spirit. So it appears that Mingus' time with us is nearing an end. We have a short camping trip planned for Thursday and Friday, and we'll be taking her with us for one last visit with Mother Nature. It will be a bittersweet time.
We anticipate putting her down the first part of next week. Between now and then, we will be giving her lots of love and affection, and we will do our best to pass along the love of her many friends, both canine and human. She won't quite make it to her 15th birthday. But she's had a great life and a lot of fun times, and we will always remember and celebrate them. The farm won't be the same without her.
Brian, Sharon, and Mason
(Sent on October 8th, 2005)
"The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
--Mingus (with a wag o' the tail to Mark Twain)
Hello again friends,
This update is long overdue. When we last wrote in mid-August, we were going to take Mingus camping for one final trip, after which we expected to put her down. The notes of concern and sympathy that many of you sent really meant a lot to us.
Well, she had a great time camping-- barking, hiking, and hanging around the campsite. She stayed up all day and well into the evening, rather than spending the day in her dog bed as we had thought she might. Perhaps she felt all the loving energy that many of you sent her way! It was an excellent trip in many ways; one we'll always remember.
Shortly before, and especially during the camping trip, we discovered that she actually was interested in food-- just not the ultra-low-protein canned food she had been prescribed. Since then, we have found that we can feed her a variety of foods that are low in protein but appeal more to her. Most of these foods involve home preparation, and Mingus has had the benefit of Sharon's cooking skills! Her appetite has improved, and while she definitely has good days and bad days, she has been relatively stable.
However, more and more it is a challenge to figure out what food appeals to her, as it seems to change over time. We are well aware that if her body was functioning better she would not be so picky about her food. We see that the trend is slowly downward, and we monitor her quality of life closely.
So for now, we're in that grey area that we know most of you have experienced. We know she won't get much (if any) better, and we don't really wish to prolong the inevitable. But none of us, including Mingus, seems ready for her to go yet. So we take it a day at a time, enjoying each other and our remaining time together, however long it may be.
Mingus did make it to her 15th birthday after all, and celebrated with a special doggie treat, courtesy of the vet. We've attached a photo Brian took a few days later.
There is still a Mingus among us!
Brian, Sharon, Mason, Mingus, and Murray (the cat)
Last updated:
December 22, 2005 11:30 PM
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