this can't go in Health -- cos this is just plain about nature and life.
Most of you know Ms. Kee is nearing the Bridge. (And I'm so darned sure Foxy the MOstlie Sheltie has worn a path at the bottom of HIS side of the Bridge that he's probably driven the Angel Groundskeepers crazy!!)
Kee didn't want to eat this morning. A mouthful or two and nope -- that's all.
THAT IS HUGE for her -- I have a feeling the body is beginning to shut down finally. She hasn't pooped in about 24 hours -- again -- she's been so regular to pee and poop you have virtually been able to set your watch by her, so I have a feeling the body has begun to shut down .... and the natural progression IN NATURE is for the body to naturally obstruct itself to convince them to STOP eating.
See, some dogs (like some humans) will just naturally suicide by not eating and by sort of just giving up. But in a dog as highly motivated to "SURVIVE" as Kee Shu has been? They can't just shut that off mentally -- so the body has to convince them TO not eat, and one of the easy ways for the body to do that is just stop functioning (poop moves thru the intestines by a natural peristalsis action and that's probably slowed to a stop for her).
When waste doesn't move along the intestines, the stomach can't get rid of food --- so then she feels a bit sick to her stomach -- THAT will convince her not to eat.
Now -- the result of this is that she'll feel horribly sick to her tummy -- we're not going to allow that. I promised her no pain -- but the sign I was waiting for was for the body to begin to shut itself down totally and this is probably it.
I may be wrong -- but the fact that she has been needing a mouthful of food to then launch her into full scale SCARFING THE BOWL down ... and today she took a mouthful of food and refused more. That's huge.
We've been spoon-feeding her for weeks. She'd eat a mouthful and then BARK because she "lost" her bowl. I've been literally cuddlng her in my arms on the counter and picking up the bowl and shoving it in her face (moving food around in the bowl to clump it together so she can suck it up) for the first 7/8 of the bowl and then the last few bites she'd snag (and I do mean SNAG) off a spoon.
But if this DOES finish today -- David and I will probably have to go to the e-vet tonight. That way we can both be with her (it's down to respect with this one -- we've *both* been her caretakers. And poor Tinkerbell is gonna be devastated.
So I gotta figure out how to handle all this tonight. I'm gonna INSIST on valium first. No pain for this girl. No trauma. No fear. cos they don't have a ghost's chance of being able to insert a catheter -- I'd bet money on it.
But I think we'll bring her home. Just b/c I think for Tink it's gonna be important to see her and say goodbye to "grammy dog".
None of this is in stone -- but my gut feels like it's gonna happen like this. but I need wisdom folks -- and prayers for peace for Kee? That and a clear run to the bottom of the Bridge??? The MOstlie Sheltie lived his whole 19 years with never having a girlfriend. Then 4 years ago he met Kee and fell head over liddle feets in LOVE with Ms. Kee. They were inseparable.
I've had this mental image for a week of him PACING at the bottom of the Bridge. More than anything else it's made me absolutely convinced we were doing this right.
But dang -- this has NOT been easy. But it feels right.
But wisdom for us ... and peace for her? I'm praying she will just plain SLEEP until I get home. (and if an angel happens to stop for her in the meantime, that *would* be nice).
Dang ... dark winter days. It's what happens.