Sarah (1998-2010)

Last night we unexpectedly lost our beloved pet, Sarah. After we picked her up at the kennel after returning from our trip, she was slow to return to her normal behavior. As the week progressed, we thought that she had been traumatized by the boarding experience. She refused to lie down. She wouldn’t eat…even though we tried giving her various foods other than her prescribed diet. She sat in the same spot for hours. Fortunately Doug and I both took her to the vet, as we found out that her condition was far worse than we imagined. In fact it was extremely dire. An x-ray showed that her breathing capacity was limited to one small strip, and the rest of her lungs were filled with either fluid or a tumor. The chief surgeon carefully performed a tap, and test results showed abnormal cells in the fluid…indicating either cancer or FIP. Both conditions are fatal. Based on her labored breathing and system breakdown, we made the extremely difficult decision to euthanize her. She was brought back into the room so we could give her our final pets and look once more at her sweet little face with the pale gold eyes. Sarah was always here for me – my little buddy and companion. I’m overwhelmed by sadness…