I decided that I wanted my blog entries to reflect mainly concerts, lectures, theater, art galleries and places experienced. However, sometimes things happen that need to be recorded. I came up to New York with three good friends -- a roommate and two dogs. I was worried about how the dogs would adjust to life in the big city after having a very cushy life in a house with a wonderful fenced-in back yard. It was certainly an adjustment for us all. The oldest dog, a 14-year old Chow named "Fuzz Wuzz," had been showing signs of aging for some time. However, on Monday, October 26, she was obviously in pain and moving very slowly. That night she sometimes let out yelps of pain. On Tuesday I decided she needed to go to vet. I was very concerned about the seriousness of her sickness. Determining a good vet who would not be expensive would be a challenge and I was forced to check websites. I found what seemed to be a good animal clinic and made an appointment.
"Day 2" Needing a break from the stress of the morning I walked over to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and took in some areas I had not visited before. As the season had shifted from late summer to fall, the garden had, of course, changed.Some areas were going to sleep while other areas were beginning to show autumnal splendor. What amazed me the most was how quickly the staff of the garden had cleaned up after our tornado/high wind experience in late September and a very severe hail storm in earlier October.
"Day 3" I took Fuzz Wuzz to the vet and felt she was in a bad way. I felt so sorry for her pain and could only hold her comfortingly. The staff at the clinic could not have been nicer. However, the vet who saw my dog was rather brusque and not very pleasant. Had Fuzz Wuzz not been in so much pain I would have left. He did provide what seemed to be a thorough external exam and did not have good news. Fuzz Wuzz seemed to have multiple problems, including a urinary tract infection and a possible cancerous tumor in her breast. He seemed to link these conditions to the fact that she had not been spayed. He said that the urinary tract infection required immediate surgery. However, due to her age and the other issues she was having, the surgery would probably not save her for any length of time. He recommended humane euthanasia. Since Fuzz Wuzz is actually my roommate's dog, I had to call him to get him updated and to find out his wishes. X-rays were taken and blood work was done to provide a more complete diagnosis. They confirmed what the vet suspected. After much discussion of options and agonizing (there was even thought of returning her to NC to her "home" vet), the painful decision was made to put her down. I had some time with her. The staff stayed overtime and Fuzz Wuzz was let go. I left clinic and wandered in a dazed state around downtown Brooklyn for awhile before returning to the apartment to hug and reassure the other dog, Panda.
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