My dear Juliet, a 13-year-old longcoat chihuahua who was diagnosed with Cushing's disease in 2001, died in my arms last night. She'd started going down, and I learned a few weeks ago that her Cushing's was out of control and also that she had become diabetic. Plus, she was hobbling badly and seemed to be in pain. She had become completely incontinent, which seemed to distress her because she knew she wasn't supposed to go in the house. Then, increasingly, listless. When she stopped begging for her biscuit, I knew she was dying.
The vet did not want to give Julie insulin until we got her Cushing's under control, so I was in the upping-the-dosage drill with her Lysodren. A few days ago, she stopped eating and really started going down. I'd made an appointment for today (Thursday afternoon) to have the vet come to the house and put her down, but she died during the night. At 3 a.m., I awakened to hear her crying, I think as much in fear as in pain. After almost three hours of increasing discomfort and labored breathing, while I held her and soothed her as best I could, she went through major throes for a few minutes (an eternity!), then came to rest in my arms. At 7:30 a.m., I was at the vet's office with her body.
And now I'm having a hard time....
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