Entry #2 Losing One and Gaining Another

As a dog lover, this summer was one of the best and worst times in my life.  First of all, let me tell you about Pookie.  Pookie is the dog I've had since I was a child.  We got Pookie when she was only a few days old.  I was in 7th grade.  She was my childhood pet and I loved her just like I would love any member of my family.  This summer, we welcomed a new puppy to the family, a little dog I named Mila.  Pookie and Mila were friends right away. But one morning, when I was training Mila on how to sit and stay, Pookie got loose out front and darted out to the street.  She must have been chasing something because this was unusual behavior for her.  I grabbed for her to stop her and got ahold of her back leg, but she screeched in pain so I let her go because I was afraid I was going to break her leg.  Then the worst thing happened: Pookie ran out in front of a car and was killed.  I saw the horrible scene unfold in front of my eyes.  I couldn't believe it.  I was devastated as I ran to the street to see my best friend lying there lifeless.  This was honestly one of the hardest days of my life so far.  I know some people won't understand this, but some people who love dogs the way I do will.

After losing Pookie, the one silver lining was that I still had Mila to love and comfort me.  But just a few days later, my puppy Mila started to act sick.  She wouldn't eat.  She had watery diarrhea and acted very lethargic.  I took her to the animal emergency room right away.  She took a turn for the worse in the exam room and started spilling bloody water everywhere.  The vet did a parvo test and Mila tested positive.  My puppy had parvo, a horrible disease most puppies don't survive.  I burst into tears at the thought of losing both of my pets.  I felt at fault.  I let go of Pookie and she was run over.  And I hadn't finished all of Mila's vaccinations yet and now she had parvo.  It was a difficult day.

The vet at the pet ER went over our options. He said we could make her comfortable and let nature take its course over the next day or two, or we could put her to sleep, or we could treat her if we had a lot of money to spend.  But even with treatment, they said her chances were still only about 50/50.  I didn't have a lot of money, but I borrowed from everyone I could borrow from and decided to treat Mila.  She was up and down for days.  She had good days and then all of a sudden it was looking bad again.  It was heart wrenching.  The further we got into treatment with IV fluids and antibiotics the further we got into debt.  I even took out a credit card just for the vet.  After 5 anxious days, Mila was standing up.  Then she drank a tiny little dribble of water.  Then some broth.  And finally she was sniffing meat!  I was at the vet every day with her watching over her and spending time with her, hoping it would cheer her up.  After one week passed, I got the best news I could have hoped for: the vet said she was looking healthy enough to come home!  

After the horrible time losing Pookie and watching Mila suffer for days and going through hell to come up with money, it was all going to be worth it.  Mila came home and grew stronger and stronger every day.  She started eating again.  She started playing again.  She started running around like a crazy puppy again.  It was the best I could have hoped for after going through what felt like the worst time I could have imagined.  Today I am thankful that my Mila is healthy and crazy and full of love.  I couldn't ask for more than that!