For Peaches
This morning started around 630-7am. I took Peaches out front to pee, then set her down in the kitchen for water while I made her breakfast. I cooked her 2.5 oz of Angus ribeye. I nuked some cheddar cheese, just enough to cover the two 400mg Gabapentin in melted cheese and roll in bits of beef. She's been taking 1600mg a day now for a while.
After she took her pills, I mixed the remainder of her steak with 0.5 oz of bread and 1.5 oz of Blue Buffalo dog food. It was the right mix of starch, fiber, moisture for her digestion. She ate breakfast pretty quick. Steak is a treat. She usually gets chicken breast instead as steak is too fatty for regular consumption. After breakfast, I gave her some more water, she was thirsty from the salty, fatty meat.
Once breakfast was done, we went back to the bedroom. We had about 7 hours to spend together.
We watched movies and cuddled. I watched them, she watched me and napped. She shifted around some, to cuddle closer. It made me think back to June 2007. Peaches came into my life as a new foster pug. She loved to cuddle with me and sit on my lap. When there was a different pug on my lap, Peaches would jump on the couch with a toy or chewy. She would tempt the other pug away with her treasure and quickly take his spot and my attention.
I gave her all day scratches. She was awake for a longer than usual, but she eventually drifted off like she does every morning. Side effect of the pain management drugs, but just in the mornings. In the evenings, she would "sundown" and squirm around to get comfortable. I watched a Mel Brooks documentary, High Anxiety, part of Top Secret! and Young Frankenstein. Today was the day for comedy, but it wasn't a conscious decision.
I held her and let her sleep as much as I dared. Once it was 12pm, I got her up to pee and set her in the kitchen for water, while I cooked the last couple of ounces of steak. She wasn't interested in the water and squirmed up on the cushion. There she fought to keep upright with her front paws slipping on the pee pad. I moved her back to the bed for comfort and got back to the steak. I finished cooking it and cut it into little chunks. I came back to bed and hand fed her the steak one piece at a time. I knew she would just wolf it down if I gave her the whole bowl. I recorded part of it.
After steak, I took Peaches outside in the backyard, where she had her last poop. I walked around the yard with her and then we sat in the hammock together. I told her she was the best dog ever and that I loved her. I would have stayed out there longer, but the air was smoky with the forest fires in the south of the state. She seemed ready to come in.
We came in and got back in bed and cuddled more. She had a full day so she went back to sleep and I held her for an hour or so. The vet arrived at 2:40pm.
Laura and I masked up and met the vet. I led her to the bedroom. There she explained what would happen. She went over the options for paw prints and nose prints. I paid and she started.
I got into position on the bed so I could pet and hold Peaches while the vet gave her the first shot. This is the sedative to make her sleep. So she has no fear or pain from the second shot. Peaches didn't flinch from the first shot. I think her IVDD reduced her feeling in her hind quarters. The vet waited a few minutes and asked if we are ready for the second shot.
I agreed to the second shot and she put a little tourniquet on Peaches leg and started looking for a vein. She had to shave a bit of fur and then found one. The vet gave Peaches her last shot.
It went quick. Peaches peed quite a lot. It's hard to express her bladder, so I think she felt like she had to pee a lot of the time. Peaches breathing didn't really change cadence, it just stopped. The vet checked with her stethoscope and told me,"She's gone."
It was 3:02pm, October 19th, 2022.
I got the vet to trim a bit of fur for me to keep. I'll keep it forever.
I love you, Peaches.
