Hershey

We had a death in our little family.  Hershey, our 8 year old chihuahua, passed away last Thursday.  He had been sick for about a month and a half and we had taken him to the vet four times for his mystery illness.  Finally, last Wednesday, I noticed he seemed off in the morning, but didn't think that much of it since he had been acting differently since getting sick.  He was still walking around, but his tail was down and he wouldn't eat.  He went to sleep in his bed and stayed there for the rest of the day.  This wasn't completely unusual, since he always slept a lot. 

When Eugene came home, Ellie and I had just woken up from a nap and were in her room.  I noticed that he did not bark when he heard the screen door, like he usually did.  I asked Eugene to go check on him.  He had a hard time waking him and had to be picked up to get out of bed.  He couldn't stand up; he just laid there on the floor where Eugene had set him down.  We took him to the emergency vet, where they kept him overnight to stabilize him and run tests.

After an ultrasound and biopsy, they discovered that he had primary renal lymphoma.  It was in both kidneys and there were signs that his spleen was also compromised.  Chemotherapy does not often work on this type of cancer, and if it did, it would only prolong his life by 4-6 months.  We felt that the only choice was to put him down.

We were with him, petting him and loving him, when he died.  I brought his favorite toy, the only toy he would ever play with, his purple pig.  It was peaceful and immediate, not the 2-5 minute process they said it could be.  He was ready to go. 

I am heartbroken.  I got Hershey when I was 20 and living alone while in college.  He was my practice baby, my fur-child.  He was barometer for the worthiness of guys.  He generally hated men, so if he liked one, it was generally a sign that he was a good guy.  Plus, I think how a man treats a tiny, yappy dog says a lot about him.  Hershey was our watchdog.  He alerted us any time he heard a noise, and despite his diminutive size, I felt safe when he was around. 

Friends have shared their favorite memories of Hershey, and I have been so grateful to hear the stories that I have forgotten, and to know that Hershey touched the lives of so many.  He had such a big personality.  It's funny, we have another dog and two cats, yet the house seems quiet and empty without him.  I am having a hard time with this.  On one hand, I am so thankful that he did not suffer long, but his cancer and death was so sudden that it has been extremely difficult on us.  I just miss him so much.  He was still young and I never imagined that we wouldn't have another 6 or 7 years with him.  I miss him.