Sissy was born on August 26, 1993. I didn't start dating my now husband until 1994, so she was very much a daddy's girl. I was down to one dachshund
- my beautiful black and tan Rambo. Sissy was a foo foo dog - bows and grooming. Rambo was a low maintainance kind of guy. I had always had male dachshunds
and he had always had female lhasa apsos. Sissy continued to live with her daddy until we were married in 1997. Then Sissy came to live with us. Rambo was 9
by then and none too happy to have this energetic furball (or hairball, as I called her), at his home. But over time, they came to a mostly peaceful
coexistence. Life went on until 2002.
Shortly after his 15th birthday, I noticed that Rambo was drinking and peeing more. I just thought it was old age and didn't make a special appointment for him. He began to lose weight and didn't want to eat. At his checkup in February, the vet did a blood panel and called me back the next day. Rambo's kidneys were failing rapidly. It was too late for treatment to be of any use and 2 days later my beautiful boy left for the Rainbow Bridge in my arms. My husband was waiting for me in the vet's waiting are, and seeing my sorrow, decided to take me out for Chinese. Men have such strange ideas sometimes, don't they? I couldn't eat and kept crying, so we headed for home. I dreaded going into that house - I truly felt like I had no dog. Someone had given us an amarylis for Christmas. It was in full bloom and very heavy. We walked in the house, and there sat Sissy in the middle of dirt and pot and amyrilis! One look at that dirty little face and I was hooked! She was my dog from that moment on.
Sissy went through the next few years with very little problems until 2006. We woke up one night to an awful smell! Sissy had thrown up and pooped all over the bedroom. She was so sick. I picked her up and held her, and for some reason, I pulled up on her skin. And it stayed up! She was dehydrated, so we rushed her to the vet who diagnosed pancreatitis and gave her IV fluids. She was able to come home the next day. I have to admit that I was giving her a little bit of bacon drippings on her food everyday for her coat. This was probably the cause of the pancreatitis. By this time, Sissy was 13 years old. She had KCS and was blind, severe allergies and the beginning of senility. She was on several medicines including prednisone for her allergies and monthly allergy shots.
During the summer of 2007, I noticed that she was losing weight, drinking and peeing. Just like Rambo. I waited for a few weeks to see if it was due to something else, then called the vet. I said "she either has diabetes or kidney failure, and I have to know which one." The vet did a blood test and called me the next day to tell me Sissy had diabetes. I know this sounds bizzare, but I was happy that it was diabetes. This we could treat!
I know the Vet told me what here BGs were, but I've forgotten. He said she had some ketones in her urine. Sissy started out with Vetsulin on one shot a day. She was still peeing and drinking, so after a week we were back at the vets. It was so cute - my husband asked if she could have an insulin pump! The vet thought we were crazy. I think the idea 2 shots a day was just too much for him. He even asked the vet when we could go back to one shot! Sissy took her shots like a trooper. She had been getting allergy shots, so I already knew that one. It took about a month, but the whole weight of all her other problems and the diabetes got to me. I got on the Internet and found a site - the CDMB. I don't remember exactly what I posted, but I was looking for someone to tell me that it was OK to put Sissy to sleep! Well, I got shot down really good there. Some wonderful people helped me understand the disease and learn to control it rather than letting it control me. I gained confidence, taught my husband and my son to give shots and things were looking good. I had been so sure that Sissy would be dead by spring that I made reservations for a cruise for the two of us. Cruise time came and Sissy was still with us, do my son moved into the house and took wonderful care of her. It worked out.
Sissy was a very picky eater, especially in the morning, so I did a lot of experimenting and came up with Blue Buffalo. It worked well with the insulin, but I was mixing in canned, boiled chicken, tuna and pumpkin - it was a lot of work, and I was forever running out of something! Sissy did very well on Vetsulin. A lot of people switched their dogs to human insulin, but it worked for her. Sissy was pretty sedentary, so she didn't have exercise to raise and lower the glucose level.
Meanwhile, Sissy continued to age. She had lots of ear infections and eye problems. We dealt with them and her routine became our routine. We went camping with her and tried to keep things normal. Occasionally, she would squeal when I gave her a shot, but at 735 shots a year, a few are going to hurt. She never carried a grudge. Winter came - I was so afraid for her. Her mind was getting worse, and she started biting us. Not play biting, but real bloody biting. We had to clean her eyes every week, even with the medicine that had to go in 2 times a day, and she got so bad that we had to get a soft muzzle for her. We were still able to put the ointment in every day, thank heavens, but the cleaning was too much for her. I hated to muzzle her, but you do what you have to do. One morning, I muzzled her, cleaned her eyes, took it off and let her outside to pee. She took off across the fields as fast as she could in 6 inches of snow! I had to chase her down in my slippers and jammies. Then when I caught her, I had to carry her back. That was the beginning of the end.
Sissy started to do some unusual things. Usually so independent, she wanted to be on my lap all the time. Looking back now, she was saying good bye. She was so picky about eating that I abandoned everything and fed her canned Merick low glycemic. She ate it well until the day she left. Yes, it screwed up by blood sugar, but I was looking at quality of life - and she had so little life left.
The morning of Saturday, February 28, 2009, she didn't want to eat and was acting stranger than usual. I gave her some ham which she ate and half her insulin. She went back and laid in her bed. We left for a couple of hours, and I remember thinking "We will come home to a dead dog." But she was still with us. But it was obvious that she had had some type of cerebral accident. Walking, eating, even standing up were almost impossible. My husband didn't want to let her go, but I convinced him it was time. I couldn't get ahold of our vet, so I started looking through the phone book for a vet that had 24 hour service. This was at 9:00 on a Saturday. I found a clinic about 30 minutes away. I called and they said to bring her in. My husband drove, and I held her in the back seat, talking to her all the time. They met us at the door and took us to a comfortable room where they explained the procedure, and left us to have some time alone with her. When the vet came back, he gave us the option to stay. I always stay with my animals, but it was too much for my husband. They took Sissy and brought her back, somewhat sedated, and with a tube in her leg. The vet, who I had never met, asked me if he could say a prayer over Sissy - I was floored! This man knew my thoughts. He said a prayer, asked if I was ready and Sissy went to heaven in my arms with my words in her ears. It was so peaceful. DH came in and we cried and cried. Finally we left.
Over the next week, we missed Sissy something awful. I had never been without a dog and the house was just too quiet. By Wednesday, my husband said he wanted to get another dog. I wanted to wait awhile, but if he wanted to look, that was OK. I said "I want a rescue dog". He said "No, I want a puppy from a reputable breeder." I said "I want a rescue dog." He said "no." So we got a rescue dog! Enter Fritz - not a Sissy replacement, but a wonderful loving dog with his own personality. I talk to him about Sissy - how we loved her so much and how we had so much love to give and now he would get it for as long as he is with us. I don't know how, but I know that Sissy approves. She can see now, and someday I know I will see her again. Until then, I will love all the dogs that come into my life and tell them all about my beautiful diabetic girl Sissy.
Shortly after his 15th birthday, I noticed that Rambo was drinking and peeing more. I just thought it was old age and didn't make a special appointment for him. He began to lose weight and didn't want to eat. At his checkup in February, the vet did a blood panel and called me back the next day. Rambo's kidneys were failing rapidly. It was too late for treatment to be of any use and 2 days later my beautiful boy left for the Rainbow Bridge in my arms. My husband was waiting for me in the vet's waiting are, and seeing my sorrow, decided to take me out for Chinese. Men have such strange ideas sometimes, don't they? I couldn't eat and kept crying, so we headed for home. I dreaded going into that house - I truly felt like I had no dog. Someone had given us an amarylis for Christmas. It was in full bloom and very heavy. We walked in the house, and there sat Sissy in the middle of dirt and pot and amyrilis! One look at that dirty little face and I was hooked! She was my dog from that moment on.
Sissy went through the next few years with very little problems until 2006. We woke up one night to an awful smell! Sissy had thrown up and pooped all over the bedroom. She was so sick. I picked her up and held her, and for some reason, I pulled up on her skin. And it stayed up! She was dehydrated, so we rushed her to the vet who diagnosed pancreatitis and gave her IV fluids. She was able to come home the next day. I have to admit that I was giving her a little bit of bacon drippings on her food everyday for her coat. This was probably the cause of the pancreatitis. By this time, Sissy was 13 years old. She had KCS and was blind, severe allergies and the beginning of senility. She was on several medicines including prednisone for her allergies and monthly allergy shots.
During the summer of 2007, I noticed that she was losing weight, drinking and peeing. Just like Rambo. I waited for a few weeks to see if it was due to something else, then called the vet. I said "she either has diabetes or kidney failure, and I have to know which one." The vet did a blood test and called me the next day to tell me Sissy had diabetes. I know this sounds bizzare, but I was happy that it was diabetes. This we could treat!
I know the Vet told me what here BGs were, but I've forgotten. He said she had some ketones in her urine. Sissy started out with Vetsulin on one shot a day. She was still peeing and drinking, so after a week we were back at the vets. It was so cute - my husband asked if she could have an insulin pump! The vet thought we were crazy. I think the idea 2 shots a day was just too much for him. He even asked the vet when we could go back to one shot! Sissy took her shots like a trooper. She had been getting allergy shots, so I already knew that one. It took about a month, but the whole weight of all her other problems and the diabetes got to me. I got on the Internet and found a site - the CDMB. I don't remember exactly what I posted, but I was looking for someone to tell me that it was OK to put Sissy to sleep! Well, I got shot down really good there. Some wonderful people helped me understand the disease and learn to control it rather than letting it control me. I gained confidence, taught my husband and my son to give shots and things were looking good. I had been so sure that Sissy would be dead by spring that I made reservations for a cruise for the two of us. Cruise time came and Sissy was still with us, do my son moved into the house and took wonderful care of her. It worked out.
Sissy was a very picky eater, especially in the morning, so I did a lot of experimenting and came up with Blue Buffalo. It worked well with the insulin, but I was mixing in canned, boiled chicken, tuna and pumpkin - it was a lot of work, and I was forever running out of something! Sissy did very well on Vetsulin. A lot of people switched their dogs to human insulin, but it worked for her. Sissy was pretty sedentary, so she didn't have exercise to raise and lower the glucose level.
Meanwhile, Sissy continued to age. She had lots of ear infections and eye problems. We dealt with them and her routine became our routine. We went camping with her and tried to keep things normal. Occasionally, she would squeal when I gave her a shot, but at 735 shots a year, a few are going to hurt. She never carried a grudge. Winter came - I was so afraid for her. Her mind was getting worse, and she started biting us. Not play biting, but real bloody biting. We had to clean her eyes every week, even with the medicine that had to go in 2 times a day, and she got so bad that we had to get a soft muzzle for her. We were still able to put the ointment in every day, thank heavens, but the cleaning was too much for her. I hated to muzzle her, but you do what you have to do. One morning, I muzzled her, cleaned her eyes, took it off and let her outside to pee. She took off across the fields as fast as she could in 6 inches of snow! I had to chase her down in my slippers and jammies. Then when I caught her, I had to carry her back. That was the beginning of the end.
Sissy started to do some unusual things. Usually so independent, she wanted to be on my lap all the time. Looking back now, she was saying good bye. She was so picky about eating that I abandoned everything and fed her canned Merick low glycemic. She ate it well until the day she left. Yes, it screwed up by blood sugar, but I was looking at quality of life - and she had so little life left.
The morning of Saturday, February 28, 2009, she didn't want to eat and was acting stranger than usual. I gave her some ham which she ate and half her insulin. She went back and laid in her bed. We left for a couple of hours, and I remember thinking "We will come home to a dead dog." But she was still with us. But it was obvious that she had had some type of cerebral accident. Walking, eating, even standing up were almost impossible. My husband didn't want to let her go, but I convinced him it was time. I couldn't get ahold of our vet, so I started looking through the phone book for a vet that had 24 hour service. This was at 9:00 on a Saturday. I found a clinic about 30 minutes away. I called and they said to bring her in. My husband drove, and I held her in the back seat, talking to her all the time. They met us at the door and took us to a comfortable room where they explained the procedure, and left us to have some time alone with her. When the vet came back, he gave us the option to stay. I always stay with my animals, but it was too much for my husband. They took Sissy and brought her back, somewhat sedated, and with a tube in her leg. The vet, who I had never met, asked me if he could say a prayer over Sissy - I was floored! This man knew my thoughts. He said a prayer, asked if I was ready and Sissy went to heaven in my arms with my words in her ears. It was so peaceful. DH came in and we cried and cried. Finally we left.
Over the next week, we missed Sissy something awful. I had never been without a dog and the house was just too quiet. By Wednesday, my husband said he wanted to get another dog. I wanted to wait awhile, but if he wanted to look, that was OK. I said "I want a rescue dog". He said "No, I want a puppy from a reputable breeder." I said "I want a rescue dog." He said "no." So we got a rescue dog! Enter Fritz - not a Sissy replacement, but a wonderful loving dog with his own personality. I talk to him about Sissy - how we loved her so much and how we had so much love to give and now he would get it for as long as he is with us. I don't know how, but I know that Sissy approves. She can see now, and someday I know I will see her again. Until then, I will love all the dogs that come into my life and tell them all about my beautiful diabetic girl Sissy.
