Better to Have Loved and Lost...

Then to never love at all.
When it comes to animals, no truer words could be spoken. Our black cloud grew darker last week. Soon after my last post we lost our Sun Conor Kiwi. She laid so many eggs, she caused paralysis in one of her legs. My sister nursed her through a few times, but this time Dad found her stuck on her back in the bottom of her cage. Kiwi could not recover. So we have no more bird chatter or prison rapping on her bars. Our house is much too quiet.

Little did  we know the worst was yet to come.

Friday I had an early mandatory class for work. Since my sister was off, she took Mom and the dogs to the barn before dropping Mom off at work. Later Mom called and told me my sister was bringing Kayla, our corgi, to the vet. She had been vomiting, followed by really bad diarrhea in the car. Over the last nine months, Kayla has had bouts of nausea. Blood tests and a vet visit did not reveal any causes. Last month she came down with a urinary tract infection, but a round of antibiotics helped turn her around. This time was more violent and rapid than anything she had before.
Soon I received a text saying Kayla was taken in and put on oxygen. I passed the message on to my Dad, who ended up calling the vet to find out what was happening. Unfortunately Kayla was in shock and they were trying to stabilize her. She would have to stay the night and possibly the next if she was not better. They were to call with an update later in the evening.
My sister took the call. The news was devastating. Kayla needed to be transferred to another vet in order to go through a blood transfusion. Her diarrhea continued and grew bloody. Plus she was still in shock and it was possible she was septic. Again Dad called to talk to the vet. The vet said she had Hemorrhagic Gastric Enteritis, which the cause is unknown. He asked the hard questions about her chances of recovery with further treatment. After telling Dad she did not even have a 50/50 chance, he knew we had to let her go. He called me and told me to come to the vets right away. Mom and I hurried over, but 5 minutes away Dad called to say she was gone. He had just made it in time for her to have a familiar face with her.
After 10 years our beautiful corgi princess was gone. It just did not seem real. The loss rocked our family and friends. Poor Griffyn is so lost being alone for the first time in his life. Even Shadow, Peggy's dog, kept looking for her. Now she can meet up with our other corgi, Ivan to herd Sherman and Barry around.

Mikayla
June 19, 2002- August 23, 2013

Kayla and Ivan with Mom and Sherman

Puppies with Lily

Supervising was her favorite job

And if all that was not enough, over the weekend one of Peggy's cute grey chickens was killed. Argh!! I am ready for good news and days.
A bit of good came indirectly from this, but that is for a later post.