Doggy was alright for a few days, barking as usual. It was the mating season, AGAIN, and soon, she was off with the neighborhood loafers. When she came back, she lay down on her gunny sack and slept. When she woke up, she walked in a daze to answer nature's call, came back and collapsed. We noticed that the gunny sack had blood stains on it, and Doggy would only sleep in a particular area of the house. She went on for a few days.
When we tried to lift it, she let out a loud moan. That scared us and we left it on its own. She would eat some rice, drink milk and go out only for toilet. She would not let us touch her. Soon it became apparent something was seriously wrong. Thick green saliva started to drip from her mouth. It gave off an unbearable stench. Initially we taught it was rabies and the circumstances almost led us to believe so. But the symptoms were quite different. Doggy did not lose hair, nor refuse to drink water. But she would stand for a few minutes just staring at her bowl of water, and soon started to lick water from the floor. She soon started to lick car wash from the roads. The saliva would not stop dripping, and she would often have periods of convulsions, and would keep her neck in the air for hours. Soon she stopped taking solid food, then milk and finally water.
For the first time in her life, Doggy sat in the car. Mum carried her into the van and onto the vet's table. The good doctor told us that he would administer some anti-biotics, but it was a lost cause. Her dripping would increase whenever anti-biotics were administered. She would sometimes wander into the field in front of our house and lay there for hours. Mum would wade through the bushes and carry her back, even if it meant mum would end up with skin allergies. This went on for two more days. Doggy who would run away at the sight of tick powder, was quite as a feather (and even light) on the doctor's table. I guess even she knew that her time was coming to an end.
The vet administered some glucose and that was it. Me, mum and dad discussed whether it was best that we euthanize her and end her misery. We decided we would wait another two days. Doggy made one last attempt to dash out of the house, before mum caught up with it. It was decided that no matter what, Doggy would be kept inside the gates. We did not want Doggy to die in some drain and thrown in trash. Mum touched Doggy on her forehead and prayed to God to take Doggy's life. She and dad left for work, while i stayed back at the house.
It was painful to see Doggy struggle to get on her feet and collapse. She would take a few steps and faint. Soon, a strange smell made me look outside. Doggy was near the gate, flat on all fours and had defecated. It was black-greenish in color. Even in humans, once this color of feces is seen, the end is near for sure.
I wore the gloves i had bought and the surgical mask, and cleaned it up. I even cleaned up Doggy's anal part, as flies had gathered there. She did not have the strength to chase them away. I carried Doggy back and placed her near the entrance of our door. Within a few minutes, she started to cough, a cough which i have never seen neither in men nor animals. The hairs on her body became stiff, and soon she was suckling on air like a puppy. Her body became stiff, then relaxed with one deep breath. I did not know what was happening, and i froze in fear.
I placed my hands near her eyes; they did not flinch. Her pulse was still there. I remembered that the same thing had happened for my Granny too. I ran upstairs and informed Dad. He came down and confirmed it. Dad insisted that she be buried in the garden. Call it divine intervention, some problem or the other delayed the burial enough till mum came back from work. Mum carried Doggy for the last time and we passed it on to Shera, who coincidently had buried our German Shepherd too. We placed her favorite sweet, a peda and some flowers and let go of her. It was the last day of Ramzan, and when we saw a butterfly sit after we had cleaned the house, i knew that Doggy was in a better place.
When we tried to lift it, she let out a loud moan. That scared us and we left it on its own. She would eat some rice, drink milk and go out only for toilet. She would not let us touch her. Soon it became apparent something was seriously wrong. Thick green saliva started to drip from her mouth. It gave off an unbearable stench. Initially we taught it was rabies and the circumstances almost led us to believe so. But the symptoms were quite different. Doggy did not lose hair, nor refuse to drink water. But she would stand for a few minutes just staring at her bowl of water, and soon started to lick water from the floor. She soon started to lick car wash from the roads. The saliva would not stop dripping, and she would often have periods of convulsions, and would keep her neck in the air for hours. Soon she stopped taking solid food, then milk and finally water.
For the first time in her life, Doggy sat in the car. Mum carried her into the van and onto the vet's table. The good doctor told us that he would administer some anti-biotics, but it was a lost cause. Her dripping would increase whenever anti-biotics were administered. She would sometimes wander into the field in front of our house and lay there for hours. Mum would wade through the bushes and carry her back, even if it meant mum would end up with skin allergies. This went on for two more days. Doggy who would run away at the sight of tick powder, was quite as a feather (and even light) on the doctor's table. I guess even she knew that her time was coming to an end.
The vet administered some glucose and that was it. Me, mum and dad discussed whether it was best that we euthanize her and end her misery. We decided we would wait another two days. Doggy made one last attempt to dash out of the house, before mum caught up with it. It was decided that no matter what, Doggy would be kept inside the gates. We did not want Doggy to die in some drain and thrown in trash. Mum touched Doggy on her forehead and prayed to God to take Doggy's life. She and dad left for work, while i stayed back at the house.
It was painful to see Doggy struggle to get on her feet and collapse. She would take a few steps and faint. Soon, a strange smell made me look outside. Doggy was near the gate, flat on all fours and had defecated. It was black-greenish in color. Even in humans, once this color of feces is seen, the end is near for sure.
I wore the gloves i had bought and the surgical mask, and cleaned it up. I even cleaned up Doggy's anal part, as flies had gathered there. She did not have the strength to chase them away. I carried Doggy back and placed her near the entrance of our door. Within a few minutes, she started to cough, a cough which i have never seen neither in men nor animals. The hairs on her body became stiff, and soon she was suckling on air like a puppy. Her body became stiff, then relaxed with one deep breath. I did not know what was happening, and i froze in fear.
I placed my hands near her eyes; they did not flinch. Her pulse was still there. I remembered that the same thing had happened for my Granny too. I ran upstairs and informed Dad. He came down and confirmed it. Dad insisted that she be buried in the garden. Call it divine intervention, some problem or the other delayed the burial enough till mum came back from work. Mum carried Doggy for the last time and we passed it on to Shera, who coincidently had buried our German Shepherd too. We placed her favorite sweet, a peda and some flowers and let go of her. It was the last day of Ramzan, and when we saw a butterfly sit after we had cleaned the house, i knew that Doggy was in a better place.
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