August has not been very kind.
Our Rex died. 23rd August 2025. A seven-year-old healthy Rottweiler. He was never once sick. How did this happen? I am having a hard time believing he's gone.
Every day, after I wake up, I let him out to do his nature business. Within our walls. As usual, he did and came back. Then later in the morning, I went to feed him. I saw that he had vomited everywhere. But he looked okay. He came out, did his business again, and came back. I took him up to the porch and sat him down on the sunny side. I thought he was cold and having indigestion. But he kept getting up. So I moved him to the shaded area. He drank some water and sat. I went into the room and read for some time. While reading, I could hear the sound of his chain jingling. That was normal. Maybe he was scratching himself, causing the sound. Nothing new to cause concern. I finished the book and went out to check. What I saw was horrible. He was seizing. I thought it was that. He was lying on his side, his whole body shaking. That was the chain jingling sound. It had been going on for some time, and I didn't know. I panicked, knelt down, patted him, pulled the chain off his neck, cried, and called Mom's number. I was home alone at the time. Bro picked up and said they'd be on their way. I saw that in a few minutes, he calmed down. Stopped shaking anyway.
They arrived. Bro and I carried him to the car, as he could not even stand. Reached the vet. The vet assistant took his temperature. It was normal. Gave him an IV injection. He was calm. A little later, he raised his head a bit. It looked like he was better. The vet said it was poison—probably from chocolate, grapes, or plant pots. No chance it was from grapes or chocolate. Pots? We have several plant pots, but they have always been there. My guess is he picked up something in the morning when I let him out to pee. But what could he have eaten? It was not outside the gate. Was there something thrown from the wall? Or did one of the cats carry something that died of poison? Can a dog die from eating rice mixed with pork gravy? (We usually feed rice mixed with chicken or fish, but the night before was an exception. Why not give a little different taste?) The other dogs, who also ate the same thing, are completely fine. Plus, nothing happened to Rex the whole night. It was only in the morning, after I let him out, that he got sick. Damn! I could've been more careful. Watch him every second? But who could have thought? It's within our walls. I don't suspect anything.
We took him home.
The vet told us to bring him back the next day. But that was never to happen.
After we came back, let him rest. I'm gonna remember this—at some point, he stood up and walked a few steps, legs wobbling, unable to support himself properly. He looked so weak and tired, suddenly old. I never saw him as old before. Made me want to cry. Then he lay down. Resting. We genuinely thought he would get better; the vet had checked him. He did pee; we changed the sheets he was lying on, which got all wet with piss. So the poison was out, right? Sis gave him some ORS as the vet advised. Cleaned his ears (was still healing from an injury). Let him rest.
But after some time, he started moaning, then retching, seizing? It was hard to see. That went on... and on until... he moved no longer. Suddenly, it was so quiet. I saw it but didn't want to believe it. Blank... Then the tears came. I was holding my niece. Little baby, seeing my face, she sensed that something had changed. She just stared at me, surprised. Sis came and took her away from me. I cried and cried. Then I wanted to make myself feel some pain, I dunno, exhaust/tire myself out completely? I wanted to go running. But I didn't want people to see me crying, running on the road. I don't want any attention. I put on my shoes and just started jogging in the room in the same spot. I went on for some time—15 minutes, was it? Then I stopped. So much for tiring myself out.
Then I opened a book and started reading. What else to do? Reading makes me calm.
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