[Dailydrool] We're down to 1 hound... :O(

[Dossey, Gwen]

Boy has this been a tough year for senior bassets!!  As many of you know, we lost our Teddi Nicole back on March 31st.  This past Saturday would have been her 15th birthday. It is also the day that we had to help our Madden Marie cross the bridge to join her sisters!  Madden turned 16 years old just 10 days prior!

I am so glad that she made it to that ripe old age without suffering too much!  She was the strongest dog I've ever known having overcome several surgeries in her lifetime to remove fatty tumors and losing her sight in both eyes due to glaucoma!  She had been through a lot, but always had a wagging tail and the sweetest disposition!!  Anyone that ever met her always fell in love with her!  We were so lucky that GGBR asked us to pick her up and care for her while they looked for a foster home for her and the first night, Shawn, being the softy that he is, told her that she could stay with us if she wanted to!  She was 6-1/2 years old then and didn't know the first thing about playing with toys or other dogs!  Teddi and Casper taught her how!  And she in turn, taught Sasha some manners and not to be a total butthead!  The night that our house caught fire (thanks, Sasha), she didn't go out the doggy door with Teddi and Sasha.  Instead, she made her way back to my bedroom and waited for the firemen to bring her out!  I was beside myself with worry when we couldn't find her and the firemen took forever to bring her out to me!  Boy was I relieved when I called her name and she wagged her tail!!  The fire chief asked if they could take a picture of Madden with her fireman and of course we said yes!  That picture ended up on the morning news the next day and I received an email from Debbie Winchester in Wisconsin saying that she read about a house fire in Hayward where they saved a basset hound, was it us?  That picture is hanging on the wall going into our kitchen and is one of my favorites!
I'm sorry if I'm rambling!

Out of the blue on Friday night around midnight, Madden was having difficulties with her back legs and she was panting and pacing and kept getting into corners.  I gave her some Tramadol and a melatonin to try to calm her down and then I forced her to lay down with me on the doggy bed in my room.  I just snuggled and tried to comfort her and I kept telling her that if she wanted to go see Casper and Teddi and our friends Jess & Kewpie, that I was ok with it; that she would get to meet our Tatum and Sadie Jean and that she would love the buffet because she could eat all the steak and ribs she wanted to without it hurting her tummy, but the stubborn mule wouldn't go on her own!  After about an hour and a half, she got up and started panting and pacing all over again and walking in circles in the kitchen and I knew it was time.  I called the emergency vets and Shawn, Sasha and I brought her in.  She was gone just 10 seconds after they gave her the shot, so I knew she was ready!

When I realized that Saturday was Teddi's birthday, it all became very clear to me why Madden had to leave so suddenly!  We had always thrown birthday parties for our girls on their odd years and they were obviously keeping up the tradition and having the biggest party yet across the Rainbow Bridge!!  I hope the buffet was better than she could have imagined!!

Until we meet again, you will always have a special spot in my heart!!  I love you!

~Gwen & Sasha~ (:>
gdossey at te.com<mailto:gdossey at te.com>
(o_
// \
V_/_ <=penguin
Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections.


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