Peace at last

Bella with her parents:

A mere 50 minutes ago daughter and her husband euthanized their one bulldog - Bella. She had a FCE (stroke in a dog) which progressed to total paralysis over a 5 week period. The diagnosis was not confirmed via MRI because of the sheer cost of the test but 3 different vets determined that was what they thought it was. She initially was paralyzed in her 2 front paws and was in physical therapy. After 3 weeks the vet did not renew her Gabapentin to see how her pain control was. Well, she experienced a severe side effect of abrupt withdrawal of the medicine and went into severe pain. Within 2 days she was back on the medication but then experienced another side effect of taking a dog off without weaning them off the drug then quickly re-introducing it. That side effect is called ataxia and became a permanent condition (this is where the muscles no longer work together and she had no idea what to do with them). My daughter and her husband took her for a 2nd opinion this week but by this time her paralysis got worse and she was no longer able to use her front legs at all and didn't have control of her back ones either. She stopped being able to pee or poop Wednesday. My daughter made the decision to put her down today and my husband and I were invited to be there (the dog was raised in our house for the 1st 4 years of her life). Bella would have been 9 this summer. She lived a very rich life pampered by not only her parents but her gramma and grandpa who would take care of her and her sister on the weekends.

Today she crossed over to meet up with all the other furbabies we have lost over the years and is once again running and jumping and playing without pain.

We will miss her!