[Dailydrool] MacKenzie ATB

[Julie Canny]

On June 10, our Miss MacKenzie made her way to the bridge.  I posted pics on FB, but it took over a week for me to write her Drool obituary.  
I joined the Drool in 2008, before we picked up 12 week old MacKenzie.  The Drool helped so much teaching us the ways of the Basset, so different than our Golden retrievers.  
Cysco, our giant Golden was 12 when his littermate, Ebert went to the bridge.  He was deaf, and lonely.  When he was introduced to MacKenzie, it was love at first sight.  She was quite bossy!  A few months later, we got Gallagher.  The 3 of them were a team.  When Cysco passed, we adopted Poppy, then got another Basset puppy, Guinness.  4 Bassets.  After Poppy passed from Lymphoma, we failed a temporary hold with Miss Mulligan.  We had 4 Bassets for almost 9 years.  Our Basset Mobile (a 2003 Element) has the plate “4HOUNDS”.  MacKenzie was the queen of the hounds.  She lost most of her sight in the last year, but her nose made up for it.  Every night she would go out the dog door for her rounds.  Her deep bark could be heard a long way away, but we live in a forest, so only the other critters could hear.  I did not realize how sick she was.  I noticed that Mulligan was cleaning the other bowls, and not that MacKenzie barely touched hers.  She still joined into the (at least) twice daily Basset choir practice with her deep baritone.  She often slept in the living room, fearful of startling Mulligan in her beauty sleep.  I am actually afraid to startle her too.  I didn’t wake up to know that she went outside much more at night.  Then suddenly, she was coughing in the night, not eating at all, and when I rubbed her she was noticeably thinner.  (She was a huge hound, and got over 90 lb once, before dietary restrictions went in).  I was super concerned about the coughing and called the vet.  I found her sleeping in the front (fenced) yard.  She woke, happy to see me.  Then she coughed again.  I put on her collar and leash and we went to the vets.  I suspected congestive heart failure and that she would be put on Lasix.  The vet thought it was likely, but did an X-ray to see.  We were shocked to find a huge tumor in her lungs and smaller ones around her heart.  There was no cure for this.  She was in pain so setting her free was the only choice.  I called my husband and daughter to let them know and we set her free. She was the easiest dog we ever had.  The other 3 have started their singing choir again, but the baritone is definitely missing.  

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