Katie Adopted 9/24/1998-Died 7/22/2009

This is Aunt Pat. Heidi will return for the next post. I'm very sad to announce that Katie died peacefully this morning. Her kidney function tests improved only marginally after close to three liters of IV fluids, and she didn't eat much of anything during her hospitalization. The Vet thought she would go down hill quickly once she was home and off the fluids. He was right. She got home and immediately went to the pee pads and urinated. Unfortunately, her urine was bloody, and there were some blood clots on the pad. She continued to have urgency to go, had some accidents in the house and had some leakage of urine and some clots. The Vet was called, and he said that there was nothing else they could do for her. She would cough frequently and appear to want to vomit after drinking, having a tummy rub, or being picked up. Katie napped, but appeared more comfortable after getting her anti-anxiety herbal drops. The little spark in her eye; the piss and vinegar of our little Katie was gone. She looked at Andy and I as if to say "I've had enough". This morning, she seemed very grateful to finally be free of the pain and suffering, and gave Andy(Daddy) and I looks that seemed to say "Thank You." The sun came out as I'm writing this post, and I wonder if that's Katie's way of saying "I've arrived in Heaven, and I'm having a blast."

Katie always knew how to get her message across, and she could be stubborn. A sharp bark in the morning to say "get up and feed me; take me up the stairs, please or Chloe, go see who's skulking around outside". A bark accompanied by a pitiful look meant " Aunt Pat/Daddy/Human please share what's on your plate with me. I'm just a needy dog who needs some food because I haven't eaten in a while." It didn't matter that a while was just an hour ago, and she'd eaten not only what was in her bowl, but she'd sampled what was in Heidi and Chloe's bowl.

Katie was Yin to Chloe's Yang. She stayed calm while Chloe ran around and up onto the table in the living room when strangers came around. Chloe can get rather hyper at times, but Katie always stayed calm. Katie barked at strangers of course, and at the cats who roamed the neighborhood. But once she got to know you, she enjoyed having her tummy rubbed, getting scratched behind the ears, getting brushed, and trips to the Groomer.

Katie knew the value of a good nap coupled with regular exercise. During the nice weather she enjoyed laying in the back yard getting the sun on her tummy. She enjoyed going for "walkies". She'd be at the bottom of the stairs, singing and jumping up and down on the step as if she wanted to make sure she wasn't left out. Earlier this month when she started getting sick, Katie waited at the door, or at the stairs, tail wagging, when I took the leashes out. She was a girl who liked to play with her toys, and delighted in ripping the stuffing and the squeakers out.

Katie was a good dog. We'll miss her, but we know we did everything we could for her, and it was her time.

We'd like to thank everyone at the Vet's office, the Vet at Mendon Village Animal Hospital who did the ultrasound, our Groomer, our friends and neighbors who talked to us and gave us advice; and everyone who prayed for her during this time. We appreciate your many kindnesses during this difficult time.