I had to send my baby old lady Cairn girl to Doggie Heaven this morning. She had declined since her bout with gastroenteritis a few months ago. Over the past couple of weeks her appetite became nonexistent, she was drinking more and more water, and it was obvious her cognitive function was decreasing. She would eat only Moist and Meaty, and I found that thrown up in the yard this morning. I also found very dark poops in odd places in the yard. When she was trying to sleep, I could feel her shiver like she was in pain. This was too much like the symptoms my first Cairn Cricket had when she died of cancer on the day of the Oklahoma City Bombing.

I cut a lock of hair and drove her to the vet. I couldn’t be with her because I wanted to remember her alive.

Huey misses her terribly. He keeps looking in the laundry room and her crate. I’ll try to write more later.

I’m heartbroken, even though I know I did the right thing.

Paula in Colorado with Huey the Cairn, and Zoe the Cairn in Doggie Heaven