TARA RECOVERING

I am glad to tell all of you that thanks to the wonderful doctors and technicians at the California Veterinary Specialist in Ontario, Tara is now on the road to recovery from her nearly fatal bout with pancreatitis.  It is with a grateful prayer to the Almighty that I thank Him for interceding on her behalf, and letting her live, though for awhile I doubted both His benevolence and her desire to live.

About two weeks ago I was agonizing over the decision on whether to let Tara continue with her treatment for the extremely painful condition, or let her humanely slip into doggie heaven.  It was a decision that was painful for me because I had previously promised her I would never let her suffer like I had done with her earlier companion, Katie.

But, Tara's heart was strong, and the doctors kind.  They kept telling me that the inflammation was receding, and her intake of fluids was good.  All she needed was rest, access to water, and the belief she would get better.

My strength was tested when Tara did not eat anything for eight days.  She would sniff at cookie treats then turn her head away.  This was not my dog!  No, my dog always ate everything offered to her--after all, she is a Rottweiler, and Rottweilers work for food, no, they LIVE for food.  But, for eight solid days my precious dog turned away from food.  She was shrinking in size before my very eyes.  My precious, strong, brave dog was passing, maybe even dying.

It may have been all of your prayers that lifted her up, but on the eighth day, she ate a spoonful of canned food.  Then she ate another spoonful of food.  Soon the can was half empty and she lay down, slept, then when she awoke, she ate the other half of the can.  As quickly as it all came on--it was over. My dog was eating, sleeping and drinking.

My dog lived.  Tara LIVED!  She once again is climbing the hill behind our house.  She once again is teasing our cat Boo Bear, herding him all over the backyard.  Tara is guarding the front door, just like before, and Tara again is sharing Prince Charming's and my bed at night.

Thank all of you for your prayers.

Mary de la Pena

author of Scruggs and Samantha, How a Shelter Dog and Kitten Saved Cinderella's Marriage.  

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Sometimes Life Includes Dying--When to Let Go

There are so many things on which I could comment, the Zimmerman verdict, immigration reform, and all other things legal, including amending the filibuster rule in the Senate.  But today, my heart needs to talk about letting go.  The inevitable time when one make the decision to let a loved one continue to suffer, or let them pass simply and quietly.

My beloved Rottweiler, Tara, featured in Scruggs and Samantha, How a Shelter Dog and Kitten Saved Cinderella's Marriage, has not eaten since Wednesday night.  She is currently under the tender care of doctors and staff at California Veterinary Specialists in Ontario, California, but even with their round the clock care, she is fading.  So, Prince Charming and I are faced with the choice of letting her pass quickly, or stringing out what appears to be the inevitable--death.

Tara has a huge heart, but is also susceptible to pancreatitis, an inflammation of the pancreas which also inflames the bowel and intestinal linings.  This causes extreme pain and an unwillingness to eat. The lack of desire to eat may be nature's way of letting the intestines and pancreas heal, but for my huge hundred pound dog, it is also causing her to waste away, though the doctors are replacing her fluids and balancing her electrolytes through intravenous feeding.

Her absence is felt throughout the house, and strangely enough, throughout the neighborhood.  Fina, my Rottweiler mix, refuses to leave the front door, the door by which Tara left to go to the veterinary hospital.  Halo, the neighbor's dog, Tara's fence buddy is calling from up the hill, but his calls are not answered by either Tara or Fina.  Tara can't answer, Fina won't until Tara comes home.

But, the trip home may not happen, Fina's sighs may not be assuaged, and Halo's calls left unanswered. I made a promise to my animals that when the end is inevitable I would not make them linger or suffer indignities.  Yet, here I am three days later, lingering over the decision to let Tara go, bring her home, or let the doctors continue to try to bring her back.

If this was the first or second time around for this flare-up, I would not hesitate to keep trying.  But both Tara and Prince Charming have previously had pancreatitis.  It is painful, and lingering.  My dog is ten years old; old for a large dog.  My prince, has not had a flare-up since his hospitalization in the late 1990's.  What to do?  What to do?  I am truly lost.

So, do I keep my promise and let Tara's mighty heart keep beating though she is racked with pain?  Or do I let her go, quietly and peacefully with a kind doctor's help?  We humans do not have that choice, but we humans can make that benevolent choice for our animals.

What would you do?

With love and tears,
Mary de la Pena