[Dailydrool] Muldoon

[Michael Moore]

Muldoon's Dadperson here.

Today Muldoon left us and crossed the Rainbow Bridge.  He was 16 years and
five months old when his long term Vet Dr Leader helped him get up and get
going.  He came to us as a rescue when he was two.  When he left us he had
conquered his deafness and vision limitations.   He also was able to
accommodate, somewhat inelegantly the lack of feeling in has back legs,
which caused him to drag a bit.

This was accomplished by prednisone, a corticosteroid.   He had 10
milligrams a day, split on to two 5 mg treats one in the morning and one in
the afternoon.   He had gone down in the back in May and the prednisone
dosage got him back up.  He has had all of the side affects vets report for
long term use of corticosteroids,  He had continuing urinary tract
infections with progressive incontinence and loss of bowel control, though
I must confess at times I thought just possibly he was trying to keep
training us, reemphasizing at all times his Bassetude.

We addressed the symptoms with other drugs with the assistance of the Vet.
 However, the loss of control of his back legs was only obviated with the
prednisone,   So we have lived with the side effects.  His appetite was
good.   Last night he was miserable, crying and shaking.  He was clearly
not the happy boy he has been for more than sixteen years Robin was with
him until about two this morning.

He seemed fine when I got up at five.  At two this afternoon Robin saw
large blood smears on the floor.  We checked him out and found that on the
back side of his right rear hip he had a very large, easily the size of my
open hand, perhaps 7 inches if  open growth and sore that was bleeding
freely.  That had not been there at even an hour earlier.   Off we went to
the vet for examination, consultation with another vet.  Tissue under the
microscope and Xrays and the possibility of surgery.  His spleen and liver
are enlarged, a result of the prednisone and possibly the spread of a
cancer.   The tissue from the growth looked to both Vets as malignant and
pronounced.  The problem of course is his age which lead to only one course
of action.   Muldoon left for the Rainbow Bridge at four this afternoon.
He was an outstanding Basset and our dearest boy.    We will spend
Christmas looking for healing miracles as we proceed on.  Momperson Robin
is actually doing much better with this than I am.   Max and Norton our
Mexican Double Yellowhead Amazons remain fine and healthy and just as they
have been.  Max is forty three and Norton is twenty two.  They do not miss
Muldoon at all, since they run the house.

-- 
Michael Moore
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