A SAD DAY

This picture was taken in 2004, when we took Anubis in to foster until she could find a good home.  Here it is 2015, and today she will be leaving us and Nicki, her companion for all these years.  She started having mobility problems earlier this year.  We have taken her in 3 or 4 times and the consensus has been probable strokes or even a brain tumor.  X-rays showed nothing, so the next test would have been an MRI at a specialty clinic.  The vet and we agreed that doing the test wouldn't really help her, with either diagnosis, so we've done wait and watch since February.  When she would have an episode we'd put her on predisone for awhile and she would rally.  She started having problems a few days ago, and we'd have to help her stand sometimes, but she was still eating, wagging her tail and able to move around.  This morning she was laying where she was last night, when John went in the feed room.  He moved her over to her bed, and she hasn't moved or shown any interest in her surroundings or in eating.  So I made the call.  Our local vet isn't in today, so we will be taking her into Tucson to Adobe, who has been treating her, because our local vet isn't usually available.  She's always been such a good gentle girl, all she ever wanted was a little attention.  I don't know if Nicki will miss her or not.  He is not the smartest dog in the world, we should have named him Goofy.  Since she's been ill, he has no problem walking on her if he thinks she's going to get attention.  Let's put it this way he doesn't seem to have lot of empathy.  We'll take her in this afternoon, and bring her home to lay with the rest of our extended family, under the big mesquite by the driveway.