g'bye, ziggee

Ziggee.

This picture was taken in February 2008, Ziggee was just seven years old. He's a rat-cha. That's a rat-terrier {feist} and chihuahua blend. He's very energetic without being a yippee-dog, ya know?

I love cats, but am terribly allergic to them. So, Ziggee's my cat in a dog suit. He loved Shaddow, and would attempt to do everything that she did, no matter that she is truly a big dog and Ziggee was about six or seven pounds.

About ten days ago, I noticed he wasn't eating. In the past week, he has lost so much weight. He was very sensitive and would squeak if I pet him.

Today, he lost his balance and just laid on his side. I picked him up and placed him on the bed, where Shaddow just put her head next to him (her head is only slightly smaller than Ziggee's entire body). I called my neighbors, they love dogs and pamper mine too. Whenever the animal shelter gets a dog in that they don't think they will be able to adopt out, they call my neighbors cuz they take care of their dogs so well and they have a good number. When I first moved here, they had fourteen and made their food every day. Now there are seven dogs, most are elderly, or sick, or both.

My neighbor said that she was unable to get Ziggee to eat either and thinks that he is dying. We made arrangements for me to take him to the vet, and the vet said that Ziggee most likely had cancer of the liver and/or spleen. He said that since Ziggee is so little, the meds would have made him very sick. He also said that in a few days, Ziggee would have slipped into a coma.

We put him down this afternoon. The local vet school will receive his body this afternoon so that they can use him to help teach their students about the anatomy of a smaller dog. I think I like knowing that.

I did feel like such a bad mother. What if's were running thru my head. But the vet reassured me that Ziggee was in great condition, that I took care of him just fine, and that he looks like he lived a good life. I'm sorry that I didn't notice sooner, altho the vet said that even if I had, Ziggee would not have lived any differently.

g'bye ziggee and thanks for being in my life.