A Sad Weekend

Tonight’s post is written in real-time and is not a re-post.

As if Mary and her family didn’t have enough on their minds these days, last week they were given more. Their Australian Shepherd Sydney, a model pet for 13 years, had begun having some serious health issues: everyday nervousness, a kidney infection, extremely deep sleeps, chronic ear infections, and eventually a refusal to eat.

When Marta took her to the vet where she works, the prognosis wasn’t good: renal failure.

Eventually Sydney stopped drinking, so Marta took her in for IV fluids to make her feel better. But time in the vet’s office was so strenuous for Syd, the decision was made to let her stay at home without further treatment.

On Friday Mary and Stina drove the 11 hours from Michigan to Arkansas to spend time with Sydney, Marta, and Julia’s family [the Levers] in an effort to make decisions together.

Mary tells the Saturday story:

“Poor Syd just wasn’t herself, not interested in anybody or anything. She wagged her tail and looked up but would quickly put her head down and close her eyes. She was declining in a hurry, not eating but just lying under the deck or a bush, away from everyone.

“I’d hoped to have a few days with her, but there was nothing to gain by that, especially for Syd. The vet on duty lives in the neighborhood, and we asked if he could bring home what he needed and do it here, so Syd wouldn’t have to endure another traumatic visit to the clinic. As a favor to Marta, he agreed.

“When Dr. Wolf arrived, Syd came trustingly out from under the deck to lay in the grass. He assured us she wasn’t going to get better with kidney failure.

“Julia’s family had delayed their vacation to be with us. We all gathered around Syd in the grass, and [Julia’s husband] Drew prayed and thanked God for Syd and for all the years we had with her. Everyone said their own goodbyes, and then the vet gave her a sedative.

“It was very easy, since Syd had an IV in her leg already. She relaxed, and I felt her go limp as her eyes closed and her sweet face settled into my hands. Then the vet, a sympathetic Christian man, administered the heart-stopping drug. And she was gone in a few minutes, very gentle and peaceful.

“Lots of tears were falling as we just sat stroking her and talking about her. Buddy [the year-old Springer belonging to Mary and Bervin’s grandson Andrew] lay down and put his head on Syd. Little [2 year old] Abigail put a black garbage bag over her like a blanket.

“I’m so glad the Levers stayed late, because the girls and I would never have been able to dig a grave in this stony Arkansas ground. We buried Syd near Rusty, their dog that died a few years ago, in a quiet woodsy area of their property.

“After it was all over, we all felt we’d done the right thing for Syd. It was quiet and peaceful sitting on their front porch afterwards, but I miss Syd and tear up just thinking about her. She was a good and perfect dog, and we loved her very much. It was a hard day here, but it’s almost over.”