Take the Good With the Bad

Today we euthanized Paige.

Paige is Canterbury Tails Front Paige (5/8/97), and she is our resident couch potato. While she had one AKC Championship point, she had no titles, but a dog with greater natural prey and retrieving drive I have never seen. Her coat was a great poodle coat. It was thick, lush and coarse, and it never matted. It grew like a weed. After bathing, her coat dried in a few minutes. I can still remember her smell, and I loved to bury my face in her thick coat. She was a great cuddling dog. Our daughter had a special relationship with Paige. She will miss her most of all. She was also the household nanny during the whelps she attended, always caring for the puppies as if they were her own. And because she was a big girl, she could easily keep the boys at bay.

Over the past few months we've noticed, increasingly, that after meals, the left side of her body, where the stomach is located, swelled outwards, and her abdomen became extended and hard. These are some of the classic signs of bloat, a dangerous condition. She did not seem uncomfortable, nor did she exhibit other signs of bloat. One episode of untreated bloat is lethal. She had these symptoms virtually after every meal. Canned food, and pre-swelled kibble did not seem to cause as much swelling. And while she was primarily a loner, over the past few weeks, she had come to us for more and more attention, and was climbing up on our bed at night to sleep with us. Something was wrong.

Our vet had no idea what was causing the problem. So we took her to Iowa State yesterday for an evaluation. The diagnosis was clear. Based on ultrasound, x-ray, and blood-work, She had tumors in her spleen. Because the spleen is attached to the stomach, it is likely that there was infusion of the tumors into the stomach with a resultant decreased motility and muscle tone, and so the stomach distended with eating. The tumors are likely hemangiosarcoma, although lymphoma, mast cell tumor, and other tumors are possible.

In addition, one kidney was shrunken to half the expected size and appeared fibrous and had numberous stones, and she had gall bladder stones. She's 11. We could do surgery to remove the spleen, but with this cancer she'd have 1-6 months left, with most of that in recovery from surgery and chemotherapy. She deserves better. And if we did not do surgery, the lesions would, at some time, rupture, and she would die of internal bleeding. Two of the lesions had already cavitated. We did not want this end for her.

So as she was bright-eyed and excited, we brought her to see Dr. Pat this afternoon. And we said goodbye. We brought Bishop, her brother, so he could witness the event and report back to the pack.

She did not go quietly. But it was the best thing to do.

Goodbye Paige, we love you.
Our eyes are filled with tears because we'll be making no more memories.

Canterbury Tails Front Paige

Canterbury Tails Of Twocitys U-CDX CDX (Hope) x CH Lemerle Travellin' Lite

Margie likes to say her goodbyes with stories...

Paige (10/21/2007)

“Rain again!”
But it wasn’t a typical shower; this gentle rain cleansed the path…everything had to be perfect. The purple pansies danced in the wind before snuggling at the base of the Bridge. It would be a beautiful day….there….over the rainbow.

“It has only been six months since I left; that isn’t enough time.” Hope said tearfully.

Polo added, “It is never enough time. This has been a sad year for them. I wish they could know that we are never unhappy. And He lets us be with them whenever we want…through the eyes of the others. And…”


“Grandma, I brought them…here they are…I did just like you asked, I got some pretty smelling white roses, some pink roses, some yellow-like-the-sun roses, and just a pinch of lavender. What do you want me to do with them?”

“Well, Bethany,” said Hope, “we are going to tie them together with this tulle. Now, smell them…it is just like Anais Anais…that is Gretl’s favorite perfume. Gretl was her favorite human. The sweet smell will make her feel happy until she gets…it’s just that… sometimes it helps if us older ones have something familiar at first. I know, dear, you don’t remember humans…you were just a few breaths old; but, some of us have beautiful dreams of another life. It helps if she finds a memory here.”

“What is she like?” Bethany’s question silenced the circle of family; summing up the virtues of eleven years isn’t easy.

Nora, looking like a cloud nestled in a field of wildflowers, spoke softly, “She chose them. Most of us were chosen BY them, but she chose them. I remember when people came by to see her and her siblings…she screamed like there was something painfully wrong! The screaming stopped when Gretl picked her up. She did that every time someone came to look at her…she wanted to be with Gretl. Let’s see...other things about her…she loved to retrieve things. Her nose found my cancer, Margie’s bad gall bladder, and lost bumpers. She loved to carry around paper towels—the whole roll! Jerry gave her treats for giving him the roll. Unlike most of us, she didn’t want treats…she just wanted to be with the humans. That’s why she needs the pretty flowers…she needs so find a memory here…she needs to know this is her place now.”

Putting down the television remote, Luke added, “She’s also a stubborn one! If you don’t do what she wants, she will make you sit. It doesn’t matter if you try to get away…she’ll find you and make you sit.”

Joining the conversation, Elsa said, “Her hair is as white as the brightest star. She is a natural babysitter…never had pups of her own, but always knows what to do. I heard them say she will get to have her own young one here.”

Bethany interrupted, “If she is such a good babysitter, why can’t she stay and help Martha? Sounds to me like someone made a mistake!”

Unfalteringly Hope said, “There aren’t any mistakes here. Bethany, she has lesions on her spleen and other signs of failing…those mites took some of the life out of her…the new pups would be jumping on her…she would suffer but never complain. The humans wouldn’t let that happen. It is best this way. They will soon find her spirit in the little ones.”

Polo continued, “But they will never forget. They never forget us…not even you, Bethany. We are connected to them in spirit. Someday they will come to the Bridge…come for us…until then we will wait for them and watch over them. But now we need to ready ourselves…Paige is coming.”


Hope left us September 30th…Canterbury Tails Front Paige leaves us today.