My Beautiful Girls: Maddie 2000-2013 And Kc 2002-2013

[CaseyKay]

Two weeks ago I had four beautiful, happy, active dogs. Maddie a 13 year old border collie, KC, an 11 year old border collie, Gael a 4 year old Border collie and my husbands Brittany, 1.5 year old Scout. Every morning before work I would walk all of them for over an hour in the reserve behind my house. In the evenings I would do training with Gael or Scout, Maddie would then play bitey-face-wrestling with Scout and KC would get me to throw her ball for her over and over :)

This time last week, Maddie got up from her bed in the night and collapsed suddenly, it was like she fainted. I got her stood up and within a minute or so she recovered and seemed tired but okay. In the morning we went to the vet and they ran blood tests, could not find anything wrong on examination except her pulse was quite slow or on the results that came back in the next half hour, and sent us home. We hoped a one off. The vet rang me two hours later and said bring her back her potassium is dangerously high you need to get her in here NOW she is in danger of arrythmia or cardiac arrest. I looked at her and she looked at me and she seemed okay to me, but we drove the 5 minutes and when I got her out of the car she suddenly collapsed again. They had to fight to save her and she ended up on a drip trying to bring the potassium down. They still had no idea what was wrong, she did not have any kidney or liver function problems. The following day she was still not right and stayed on the drip, they tested her cortisol for Addison's disease, negative. They gave her a b12 injection and antibiotics. The only other thing was she had lost quite a bit of weight in the last few months. I took her home on Friday and she seemed better but on Monday started having weird neuro sypmtoms. Her gait was strange and she stood staring into nowhere not responding. She would push her head into the corner of her crate and rock back and forth. Back to vet, redid some tests, her potassium was fine this time but the vet said it could be a brain tumour from her symptoms. Her optic blood vessels were swollen, they said they suggested maybe pressure inside her head, they did x rays to check for secondary tumours in her chest and abdomen, nothing. They gave her a shot of prendisone and said may see improvement in a day or so, depending on what problem was. She was obviously very unwell but they had no idea why, or if she would get better and I said if she became any worse I would have to consider putting her to sleep because I believed she was suffering and only getting worse and quite rapidly. In the early hours of the Thursday morning she started to have grand mal seizures and the decision was made to put her to sleep in my arms that morning

Then the worse thing imaginable happened. My wee BC girl "KC Bear" aged 11 years became ill that SAME afternoon. KC has had a lot of health issues. She has had epilepsy with cluster seizures her whole life, she is on two meds for those. She has had a brush with death 3 years ago with acute pancreatitis, and her last blood work in June started showing liver and kidney issues possibly associated with all the epilepsy meds. She threw up a couple of times and looked slightly unwell, but KC often throws up or looks slightly unwell. She had a drink and I put her in her crate for a rest, a couple of hours later I realised she has soiled in her crate and when I tried to get her out she was all hunched up. I had seen this once before. We went straight to after hours vet presuming pancreatitis again, although I thought that was okay since she had that before and had beaten it. They took blood work and it was all over the place, a lot of things were bad but the indicator for pancreatitis was off the charts so guessed that was what we were dealing with again. They took blood for a more definative test and put her on a drip. They said she should feel better in the morning, but in the morning when I went back she could no longer stand up. I took her to normal vet, who had put Maddie to sleep only 24 hours previously and they all looked so horrified to see us carrying KC in (due to all her health issues KC is well known there). But I still thought she would be okay she just needed time and support to recover. She was on morphine so I wasn't worried about her pain levels. The young vet looking after her became very concerned in the afternoon and said I would like to take some fluid from her abdomen and maybe do an ultrasound, I said okay, she rang back and said the news is very bad the fluid is septic, she is seriously, seriously ill. I said no no you have to save her you have to do something I can't lose her too. She said I don't know if she is strong enough but we can try surgery. They rang me again during the surgery to say all hope was lost, it was not simple pancreatitis, a massive tumour had burst on her pancreas, causing the sepsis. They did not wake her up from the surgery. KC, my little battler, my happy girl with the smiley face who lit up my life every day was gone too.

Within 48 hours I lost both of them. I was in shock for days. I think I still am, I feel sick all the time. I cannot believe they are both gone, and so suddenly. I feel so worried about something happening to the two younger dogs and I had a terrible dream last night that they got lost I have worried about KC all her life and more than once with terrible seemingly unstoppable clusters, and the last pancreatitis, the vet has said "I think this is it for her you need to prepare yourself" but she always came back, I never saw this one coming. The only comforts I have are that they lived long lives and were happy and active until the end which came suddenly and neither suffered as much as I could avoid it. A lot of people have said "they are together, they have each other" but it just seems so unfair.

[minimax]

Oh, that made me cry. I don't have any words for you that could make you feel any better so I'll just give you some *hugs*

[pie]

Oh CaseyKay I am so sorry to read your story, it's hard enough to lose one dog but two at the same time is just awful, it is unfair. RIP girls :(

[silentchild]

Oh my god, the pain must be unbearable, I too cried reading this, I am so so sorry for your loss. Run free beautiful girls.

[Alyosha]

Oh CaseyKay, such beautiful girls. No words really, just thinking of you and sending hugs.

[Dame Aussie]

Oh god, that's gut wrenching I'm so, so sorry. Take care of yourself RIP girls

[Sandra777]

So sorry for your losses, unimaginable

[RubyStar]

I'm so sorry to hear of your double loss Brought tears to my eyes. Thinking of you and your husband

Run free and together, gorgeous girls

[Gertrude139]

Tears here as well, devastating. Run free beautiful girls and hugs for you CaseyKay

[Kavik]

It is so unfair to lose two at the same time Hugs to you

[Little Gifts]

That is too much to bear. I am so, so sorry. There is nothing to say that will make this better. It sucks. It's too cruel to even think about let alone experience. My heart goes out to you. XXX

[schnauzer]

It is tough enough to lose one - but two beloved dogs so close is unbearable. I am very sorry for your tragic loss. It sounds like they both had a very blessed life, and I hope it gives you comfort that they are at the bridge together.

[Animal House]

I'm so sorry for your loss, run free Maddie and KC Bear

And for you

[harley]

Oh wow

I am sorry you are going through this pain, how heartbreaking.

[JulesP]

I am so so sorry. Massive hugs. RIP beautiful girls.

[ari.g]

So sorry for your losses. Absolutely heartbreaking. RIP pups

[persephone]

Sending hugs, and gentle thoughts.

Your girls went together to care for each other ....

Take care of you ....

[Ruffles]

Terribly sorry for the loss of your two gorgeous girls.

Please be kind to yourself, and take care.

RIP Maddie & KC running together, without pain or illness

[Daisys Mum]

that made me cry ....I am so sorry for your loss

[tdierikx]

Run free Maddie and KC...

My heart breaks for you CaseyKay... remember them in your heart and they will always be with you. Smile for all of the good times you shared, and even though the end was not what you had wished, know that you made it easier for them when they needed to go.

T.