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You are gone..but never forgotten !
WHOOPI (a Lhasa Apso) was my first and will be the one and only dog I will ever have. I got him when he was 8 weeks old and we shared our lives for l0 years and l0 months.
Whoopi was a playful, funny and adorable little dog. He soon became the utmost preoccupation in my life. We took long walks, played in the park and went for long drives together. I felt he deserved it.
On December 16, our problems began. I took him for a walk around the house at 6 a.m. but he had no urge to run nor to climb the little hill as he was used to doing whenever we went out. As a matter of fact, he was dragging himself rather than walking. That night, I took him to the vet who gave him a cortisone shot explaining that this would help his breathing problems.
On the following day, when I came back from school, Whoopi was having a hard time standing. He was sliding on the ceramic tiles. His condition had worsened and I was terribly upset. I decided then to take him to the University of Montreal veterinarian hospital the next day.
A friend of mine made arrangements with the University hospital so Whoopi could be seen by a specialist as soon as possible. I had to leave him there in order for him to run tests. Late that night, I received a phone call from Dr. Carmel who briefed me on Whoopi’s condition. He had taken blood tests and Xrays and came to the conclusion that Whoopi’s immune system was deficient and that he also had found a tumor in his stomach. We talked about possible surgery by removing the tumor and reconnecting his digestive system. I was devastated. I didn’t sleep and the next morning I decided I would not let Whoopi go through such a painful experience and instead would put him to sleep.
On Saturday morning I drove to the hospital. I saw the vet head of the intensive care unit who reassured me saying that Whoopi had reacted positively to the corstisone therapy and that we could very well consider surgery.
On Sunday afternoon, I went back to see Whoopi. Poor dear looked miserable. I was told he had vomitted 10 times during the night and that this was a normal reaction to the therapy treatment. The surgery could take place on Tuesday after having run further tests.
On Tuesday morning, I phoned Dr. Carmel. He had found water on Whoopi’s lungs and was therefore postponing the surgery. I seriously discussed Whoopi’s case with a close friend and reached the following conclusion: I would no longer consider surgery and would immediately go to the hospital and put an end to Whoopi’s misery.
When I got into the examination room Whoopi jumped on my lap. I took him in my arms put him on the table and talked to him calmly and gently. I petted him while telling him I had loved him unconditionally and did not want him to suffer any longer. I also told him I loved him enough to let him go peacefully. At that very same moment, I looked at Dr. Carmel and made him understand that we were ready to proceed. He administered the fatal dose. It only took a few seconds and Whoopi immediately collapsed on his side. Dr. Carmel felt his pulse … it was over. I stayed for a few minutes to pet him one last time and said good-bye.
I miss you WHOOPI and will never forget you. I will always love you and you will always be in my heart.
WHOOPI, you will always be special to me. I will continue to love you and remember you as the dear pet that your were. Thanks for 11 wonderful years…May you be happy at Rainbow Bridge !
