Today we had to say goodbye to our little friend Tia. She was in her 14th year and she had been with my husband David and me for 12 of those years. I always felt she was very happy to have a family of her own.
She had been intermittently unwell for the past couple of months. Our vet, Dr.Zinderman, had prescribed medication that we hoped would help. Sadly it did not. Last week she took a dramatic turn for the worst. Her blood work showed that things were not good. Dr. Z recommended an ultrasound and x-ray to see what was wrong.
When we got the call to come in and discuss the results of the diagnostic imaging yesterday, we knew it would not be good. David and I had already decided that at the age of 14 any kind of serious surgery would not be what we would choose. Dr. Z told us there was a large tumor in her adrenal gland and that surgery to remove it would be very difficult.
We said no. We told Dr. Z we would not put her though that. From there we arranged to take her home for a last night together and then bring her in today to send her on.
It is not easy to say goodbye. Now when I see other people out walking their dogs in the neighborhood it will be hard. But harder for David. Tia went everywhere with him. He will look at the passenger seat in his truck and it will be empty. He will not have his little companion to take naps with at the horse shows. All the other dog owners who he got to know in the neighborhood will still be out walking and talking to each other. They will still be in that country of dog owners and dog walkers. David has lost his passport to that country. His Tia has gone on.
When we told Dr. Z we did not want to put her through surgery he smiled and said: “That is the gift you can give her.”
That is the gift of goodbye.
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