(no subject)

[curiouswombat]

I’ve been meaning to write some more family stuff, since D-d and I have had my Mum talking about her youth recently, but today’s post, though Mum related, is rather sad. Mum’s fifteen year old, little, blind terrier, Scamp, had a massive stroke last night, and today the vet and Mum decided no more could be done for her, and she was put to sleep. My Mum is 79, and has had a stroke herself, so Scamp will have been her last dog in a long line of dogs.



I went up to Bride this evening for an hour (my Mum’s village is half an hour’s drive from our house) just so that she would have company for a while, and the house is quiet without Scamp bumbling around. Mum still has three cats, but they are all pretty ancient as well, yet I cannot imagine a time when her house will have no animals.

Scamp was an ‘emergency replacement’ for Mum’s Yorkshire terrier who was savaged to death by a neighbour’s ‘guard dogs’. My sister felt the best thing was to find a pup quickly, who would need care, and keep Mum’s mind off the terrible way Joey died, and despite Mum’s protests sister found this tiny, mixed terrier, rescue pup and left it with her.

She was never a big dog, but until she lost her sight over the last couple of years she loved to play with one of those rubber ‘pull’ things and would hold on so hard you could lift her off the floor with it, or she would happily spend ages chasing after balls. She helped motivate me to lose some weight, when I realised that if I took her for a walk, when Mum couldn’t after her own stroke, I could only manage about 200 yards from my mother’s house before I was so out of breath that we had to stop, then head for home, and the fact that it was uphill was still no excuse – I was only in my forties and I couldn’t walk more than 200 yards.

Walking her on a Saturday was still one of my major bits of exercise, and last week we did about half a mile – not because I needed to turn around, but because Scamp had got to the stage where it was far enough for her. It is nice to think that she was still enjoying her walks right up to then, but it will be odd not to take her out when we go to visit Mum this week.

This picture was only taken about ten days ago - if I'd realised it would be the last one I would have tried harder to get her to face the camera - as you can see, no matter how often she was washed, brushed, or even visited the grooming parlour, smart was not Scamp's style.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

That is, indeed, a very sad tale. But at 15, Scamp had a good, long run. And she was able to enjoy life right up to the end. I'll be thinking of little Scamp when I hug my own dogs tonight.

[(Anonymous)]

BTW, above is from me, elsaf, who can't post except for anonymously from work.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

You are right - it was a good age, and despite her blindness in recent years she always seemed to be a happy little dog. But I think my Mum's bed will feel a bit too spacious tonight when she hasn't got to cope with an invading dog!

[opalescence.livejournal.com]

With my Cody becoming older, I realize that I will be losing him in the next few years. My heart aches for your mom. I can't imagine not having Baxter, and I'm sure she is very sad and feels empty.

You're a good daughter.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Yes, I saw your post about Cody being unwell - I hope he's feeling better already. Actually the very fact that she sat up all night with Scamp last night will probably help Mum to sleep tonight despite the lack of dog on her feet.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Thank you - it does feel like that.

Actually whilst I was at Mum's this evening we were watching the very programme that your icon is taken from, how weird is that?

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

A BBC programme, a series I think, about an elephant orphanage, and the rehabilitation to get them back into the wild. The keepers are lovely with the babies, and even sleep with the tiny ones at night.

[gillo]

I'm so sorry to hear that - your Mum must be feeling it badly.

15 is a good age for a dog, but it's never long enough, is it?

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Yes - we knew that she wouldn't last a lot longer at that age - but it was a bit sudden.

[cbtreks.livejournal.com]

What a cutie! Sounds like he was a great dog for you mom - I'm sorry he's gone. That's always sad.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

She was a liitle cutie - in a scruffy kind of way!

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to read about Scamp's death. I'm sure that he will be missed.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I think that sense of 'the end of an era' is almost as sad as the loss of the particular dog.

[petzipellepingo.livejournal.com]

It's always sad to lose a family member, even the small furry ones. Scamp had a good life and brought a lot of joy so what more can you ask. Sis and I were just talking about how old Sedna is today, she'll be 13 in July. You never really have them long enough do you?

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I was quite surprised a few weeks ago when I worked out how old Scamp was - I knew that my sister was pregnant with her second daughter at the time, and so the dog was about six months older than Elizabeth, but somehow it was hard to get to grips with. Fifteen is a good age for a dog, and she was pretty active up until the end, but it will be odd to go up on a Saturday and not walk the dog.

[spikesdeb.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry. It hurts beyond the telling to lose a beloved pet as I've found out recently. She looks delightful and I'm sure she'll leave a gap in your lives. But she did have fifteen wonderful years with people who loved her and she gave you her love too. Thinking of you and your mum at this sad time.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

It isn't so bad for me, but Mum's house is going to seem empty, and she is right that it is too late for her to have another dog, so no new one to help soften the memory.

[pfeifferpack.livejournal.com]

{{{hugs}}} to you and your mom. I hate losing my fur babies...they age far too fast. Right now we have 4 who are elderly (12 years old and they are large dogs)...It hurts so much.

Scamp looks a lot like our Mr. Giles!

I'm sure your mum will take comfort knowing that you understand her loss.

Kathleen

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Thanks - yes four twelve year olds does mean heartbreak in the future for you, sadly. But they are a joy to have, and I guess it doesn't seem like a short life to them - Scamp must have 'felt' as old as Mum does I guess.

[jerusha]

I'm so sorry for your mum. I know it was hard on my grandparents when their dog died, and they've decided not to get another.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Thanks - it's that feeling of it being an end of an era because she really doesn't think it would be fair on another dog to have an owner in her eightieth year. But Mum has had a dog or two for most of her life, so the dog-shaped space will be noticeable for a while.

[appomattoxco.livejournal.com]

Sorry for you loss. I'll be thinking of you mom and I'll give Tara dog some extra love in honor of Scamp.

BtWI can't remember it I told you. Remember my friend who had the stroke? She's come back frome the Hyperberic oxygen treatment. She said it has helped. She is better than she was but still not near the level of movement she had after initial rehab. This might sound harsh but she didn't lose all use of her hand and leg. She gave it up. D was walking after rehab but decided the chair was easier. Anyway, I think the treatment gave her a push to try to move a little more and that's making moving easier. But I'm no doctor so maybe it did help the brain regenerate like she thinks.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

Also thanks for the info about the friend who had the hyperbaric treatment - if it helped her it's good, but I think you are right - she could have been as good as she is now if she'd kept up with her rehab in the first place. It was going to be very expensive wasn't it? I wonder if she will keep up the improvement, or deteriorate once she stops?

Actually if she keeps at the current level when she stops I suppose it might meant here has actually been some improvement at the neuro level, rather than just the placebo effect getting her moving again and the improvement being more muscular.

[bojojoti.livejournal.com]

We love our fur babies. Trophy is ten now, and I hate to think of losing him. Our daughter has always been his favorite, and she will be lost when his life is over.

Hugs to your mother.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Yes, fifteen was a good age, but they leave such a hole when they go. All the children who live near Mum will miss Scamp as well, as the ones who were big enough used to take her for walks sometimes, and the littler ones used to just 'visit Scamp' - my Mum's sweetie tin was part of the attraction as well, so they will probably come to visit the cats now!

[sharelle.livejournal.com]

What a sweet dog. I'm sorry you lost her, though it sounds like your mom gave her a wonderful life with lots of love. *hugs*

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

She was a little cutie! If Mum went to the local shop (well, local is a relative term - a couple of miles away!) on her invalid scooter she used to always get two cakes - one for her and one for Scamp!

...

[spikealicious.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry to hear about Scamp. Some dogs just have a way of endearing themselves into your family and your heart. I lost my 12-yr. old dog, Bear, this past May, when she finally got too lame to barely make it up the stairs and had to have her put to sleep. Although, my daughter adopted a friend's dog about a month later, it's still not the same.

I hope your mom copes with the loss of her Scamp.

Re: ...

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Mum will cope, because she is a tough old bird herself, but there will be a Scamp-sized gap for a long time, especially as she is not going to have another dog.

[kathyh]

She looks like a dog full of character. How sad for your mum (and you) to lose her. My brother's dog died a couple of years ago at 14 and we all still miss her. It really does feel like part of the family has gone so my sympathies to you and your mum.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

She was a dog of character! She had been there as long as all the grand-daughters can remember - D-d and I will miss her when we go to do the shopping with Mum on Saturdays, as we always took her for a walk, unless the weather was terrible, becuase even when she couldn't see she loved to walk up towards the nearby farms and fields and 'see by sense of smell'.

[desdemonaspace]

Oh, please give your Mum our condolences. How lovely that she adopted a rescue pup. (I always love the hard-luck animals best.) Poor lady.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure whether Scamp was born to an abandoned dog up at the animal shelter, or was taken there as a pup. Mum's vet once said of her that it would be a much shorter list of terriers which were not in Scamp's family tree than a list of which ones were!

[keswindhover.livejournal.com]

Scamp looks like a sweet little dog. Sorry to hear she's gone, but I'm glad your mum gave her a good home when she needed one, and that she gave your mum companionship in return.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

She was a nice little dog, always willing to go for a walk, always willing to play with the girls when they were little. I think for Mum maybe the hardest bit is going to be not looking for another dog though.

[keswindhover.livejournal.com]

When my own mum was in a similar situation, and didn't feel she could take on a young dog, she contacted a charity that specialised in re-homing older dogs.

We wound up with a very sweet old boy called Sid, who was 10 when she got him, and lived to 13.

[ayinhara.livejournal.com]

Taking in an older dog is a great idea. It's hard to place older animals.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Currently she thinks it still would be unfair, as she can't really go any distance to walk a dog. She did have one very elderly dog that she got when Scamp was 2 or 3, an ancient Staffordshire bull terrier who was 10 when she came from the MSPCA, where Mum saw her when she had gone for a totally different reason. Phoebe was a real softy - although she could probably have given someone a nasty suck if they'd annoyed her, and she was a good influence on Scamp, as she was better about walking on her lead and things. She lived to 14, which was very old for a Staffy. But at least at the moment Mum is sticking to her long term decision that she won't replace Scamp.

[gamiila.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry. But it sounds like she's had a good life, with humans who loved her very much.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

She did, and we knew it was going to happen sometime in the next year or two, so we are not terribly upset, but I think my Mum will find things a bit lonely - but her elderly cats are still going strong, so the house is not totally empty.

[lillianmorgan.livejournal.com]

I'm really sorry to hear about your loss ::many hugs::
I hope your Mum is doing ok too.

[spikereader.livejournal.com]

I'm very sorry to hear of the loss of Scamp - she looks like a lovely little doy in the pic, just the sort you want to snuggle and ruffle with that wild curly hair.

[curiouswombat.livejournal.com]

Thanks - she was a sweetie - sometimes she'd snuggle, but she was more of a squirmer really!

[ozma914.livejournal.com]

Fifteen years is a good, long run for a dog, and she's clearly shared her quota of love over the years. But I've had to put pets to sleep, too, so I share your feelings on the matter.