In March 2005 our Miniature Schnauzer Shadow had her second litter of pups. She had only three but that was alright with us. We gave one to my sister (male) and the other two we sold to a very nice lady who wanted to have two to keep each other company. About 1 months later she called me and told me that there was a grave problem with one of the pups Star. She explained that Star was acting odd and she took her to the Vet. The Vet determined that she had a serious heart condition and that Star had only about 6 months to live. Her Vet suggested euthanasia for Star. The lady could not bear to have the pup put down and asked me to buy her back. I did without hesitation.
I took Star to my own Vet for a second opinion. She was having episodes we did not understand at first but learned that they were a form of seizure. She would press her head and walk along the baseboards back and forth. It was so sad to see a 3 month old pup in so much trauma. My Vet ran tests and x-rays and came to the conclusion that she had a liver shunt. This meant that her liver was not functioning as it should. It was explained to me that the purpose of the liver is to filter blood as it passes through it. It filters out toxins in the blood. Star had a shunt which prevented blood from flowing through the liver. Proteins in the food she ate contributed heavily to the toxins in her blood stream. It is the same for all mammals.
The Vet informed me that surgery would resolve the problem. Unfortunately surgery had to be micro surgery which would cost over $5000. Ouch. There was no way we could afford the surgery. The other option was to put her on a diet of little to no protein. She now eats prescription Science Diet L/D (Liver Disease) formula. As I said this was 3 years ago and she is still alive today, much to the relief to my two children. The Vet told us that without surgery we could expect her to live about 2 years.
She had become a part of our family. We knew we were on borrowed time, but that was alright with us. We too could not see putting her down. We made the commitment to enjoy her while we have her and to make her as comfortable as possible when needed.
Star's seizure episodes dwindled to nearly nothing. She no longer presses her head or walks the floorboards. She does have regular seizures occasionally though. I think the then unknown toxins had some ill effects on her brain and learning capacity, thus leading to the seizures. We call her our ADHD dog (no disrespect to those with ADHD). She just can not stay focused. Training her has been difficult. But we still love her. She also does not express any sort of pain from injury. I have never heard her yelp in pain at being accidentally stepped on or other accidents that happens to pets when there are children in the house.
About a year ago we thought we were going to lose her. She must have gotten into something she should not have. She went into a coma like state for nearly 24 hours. She absolutely did not move during that time. I actually rolled her over a few times to stimulate her but she did not move. We decided as a family that she was suffering and she should be put down. About 1 hour after we made the decision Star jumped up and had to go outside. She was wobbly but she was moving on her own. I took her to the Vet and she stayed there for a couple of days to recuperate. What a relief.
Looking back on that event has made me think about life even more. I feel that there was a lesson for me and for us in that experience. I may not fully understand it, but I am encouraged by it. I believe that some of the lessons learned with that helped my wife and I cope with a miscarriage we experienced a few months later. The child was a fighter despite unfortunate odds against her. She unfortunately passed away from something completely unrelated to the pregnancy problems we were facing. We are at peace with it.
I know dealing with the care of Star helped us to better handle the rest of our lives. I know she will not be with us forever, or maybe not even much longer. But I feel fortunate for having her in my life and the lessons she has taught us.
