an ODE to a dear FRIEND

**demon chloe** · October 7th, 2006, 12:05 AM

<img src=http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0RwDdAhkWEiSNS1LtCwk30p5SUGm!YdyGik2xd*VcuqqeYrMM4 fiwWGvPMGupNA56dlHdZtAXgVARd3UVfpsLVcPDQaLw7u3kwGt n50GwFc0/KIrby.jpg?dc=4675409424015943533>

REcent months have found Kirb my ever lovin' mutt of border collie/greyhound/black lab/spaniel descent moving across state lines to a new home. I was so worried because my sweet lovable mutter had only known one home. It was a tough but good life in that home but when it's all you know... who would want to leave?

That home was there for puppy adoption, puppyhood, a slowly fading love for another family member, a painful separation, ... cancer, divorce... and then doggie anxiety. Kirb would run away any given chance.... even leaving her collar behind and go on the run...She was filled with too much love for adults and not enough dog insides to handle all her owners hurts... so she would try to escape.

Things turned around though. Our lives settled down, my life turned around and her worrying about me slowed down and we have actually enjoyed the last year and a half.

We both fell in love w/ a fabulous guy (F OFF you know who... )and well, we decided to hop the line and move. Kirb acquired a brand new huge house, a big, fenced in back yard a huge front yard with happy neighbors, AND... a step sister!!

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This step sister is now 1 year old and weighs about 50 lbs more than Kirb and irritates her to pieces. But...this sister LOVEs kirb to pieces too...

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In July, Kirb took a nasty skid into a parked vehicle in the garage. Not such a horrible sounding injury but it was the fender of a 1946 Chevy Thriftmaster and the fenders on those trucks are a curved piece of metal, not a solid shape. She skidded into it hard and shook and screamed, screamed is a dramatic word but...well, screamed for over 5 minutes. She seemed tender after but came out of it okay.

Since then, Kirb has slowly drifted away from the Kirb of old into someone who occasionally yelps in pain for no reason, has HORRRRRRRRRRRible smelling gas that oozzes out of a noisy, squawky tummy... and as of the last 4 weeks, the constant need to streeeeeeeeetch out.

After the bang on the side the vet thought there wasn't any real injury and yet cautioned us that Kirb was over 10 years old and sometimes the original incident is just the predecessor in events to come.

Since I've boarded Kirb in July for the honeymoon she's lost a good amount of weight. Her ribs show...even tho her hair is longer. She still is smiley, happy and for the most part... but I've begun to worry about her.

My heart knows my sweet doglet is probably reaching her last days. May they come tomorrow or may it be within the next year... I really cannot venture a guess.

I have given a lot of thought to treatment, what kind, how much, or lack of and what is the right thing to do. That, is a tricky, no win question....

One thing is for certain...I love this dog with ALL that I have. For me, she has provided without fail... a consistent love and wet nose whenever I needed it... and for that... I will love this lil mangey beast until her very last breath.

My doggle... I love her.

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<font color="#f4f5f9" size="1">[ October 06, 2006 09:11 PM: Message edited by: demon frog ]</font>

**^GOD^** · October 7th, 2006, 12:21 AM

I remember all the stories and pictures ya shared with me about the kirb....
I love dogs and kirb is one great dog..
I wish you and her well in the future and hope its a longer one.....

heres to kirb [img]graemlins/beer.gif[/img]

**demon chloe** · October 7th, 2006, 12:27 AM

[img]graemlins/kiss.gif[/img] 's GOd.... [img]tongue.gif[/img]

**Blazey** · October 7th, 2006, 09:23 PM

What a sweet tribute. You should take her to the vet and let them do a complete blood panel ect..what my vet calls a senior exam. They check everything, heart, liver, lungs..everything and if there is something going wrong this will turn it up. It's something all dogs need to have done once the reach the age of 7. Tango is 9 and the life span of a boxer is 7-9 but with all the new tests and things they can find out today..my vet says he still have many years left in him. I know Kirb does too..but unless you take her and let them give her a good once over you may not know. She could have diabetes and that can be controlled with food choices! It could be something very simple but she deserves and you deserve to know. I think Mark would want you to take her in and find out cause he knows you love her.

The gas can be helped with a little yogurt every day. You just make sure its not the fancy sweetened kind. Plain old no flavor yogurt .. about 2 spoon fulls aday for a week then down to every other day or so will stop the gas. Let me know what you decide to do. I love Kirb too.. [img]graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

**demon chloe** · October 8th, 2006, 02:03 AM

Kirbalicious!

Kirb has a Dr. appointment on Tuesday. She goes in for more blood work. Diabetes was ruled out already in July but we will check again...with the rest of the tests....

I love Kirb to pieces but there will not be any chemotherapy or any hugely invasive costly thing. If it is just a therapy and not a cure... and only gives her time... that's not for me... or us ( the kirbus and me ) ...

I feel strongly about that... I feel like I want quality...not quantity...

Who knows..maybe she just has a twisted fart...nothing serious...but t he weight loss on a super skinny dog looks horribly alarming....

Yogurt...is a staple in her diet...as is some rice and chicken.....

she likes cheerios too =)

**demon chloe** · October 8th, 2006, 02:06 AM

and BUbba loves this dog....silly... Hes knutzo for her [img]wink.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/heart.gif[/img]

**^GOD^** · October 8th, 2006, 04:31 AM

have ya changed her food??cause i know some food doesnt agree with dogs and gives them some nasty farts......she could be gettin into something outside that shes snackin on lol

**^GOD^** · October 8th, 2006, 04:33 AM

how can bubba not like her....
as long as i been talkin to you the stories have made me love her and i never met her..
haha
shes kirbtacular lol

**Blazey** · October 8th, 2006, 04:39 PM

I'm the same way. If Tango needed some kind of treatment that would give him a longer life..no matter the cost i would do it..but if it were to be something that might not work and caused him pain or suffering..no he will go with dignity as I would wish to go myself.

aaron feels the same way..when Beau was so sick he was ready to do whatever he needed to do to get the money to save him..Luckily we didnt have to do that but I knew he would have done anything to save him for me.

I didnt say anything here but beau turned 22 on the 1st..

Him in 1987

beau87