Roxxie, my puppy was given to me back in 2005, she was a good puppy. Took her home in my coat, but turned out to be my mothers puppy... I would go out to feed and Roxxie would go begrudgingly, cuzz she wanted to be in the house with mom.  Mom needed someone too. Then in 2007 Roxxie produced 7 puppies, one of them was Tippie that followed me where ever I went... the other 6 were given away and sold. Shortly after the sixth one was gone, Roxxie was crossing the road and got hit by a trailer that stuck out beyond the width of the car, pretty hard too I thought she was a goner but couple days later she finally got going again.

 Now, Tippie would run her legs off to be with me...while Roxxie would stay home if I told her to stay home. But if allowed to go, she jumped on with her daughter. Those two were quite the team, seen them rip a fox in half. and skunks and coon squrriels and what evers were legal game too...

For Roxxie, mom was hers and I was Tippie's... but at the end of the day and watching TV or net or laying on the floor, Roxxie would either lay down on the other side of me or she would reach out and have her foot on me... And when mom past, in 2010, she got even closer to Cheryl... and me.

Roxxie got bale speared by a two inch tine and I thought she was a goner in 2012 but lucky it went under the ribs instead of through them. Sewed her up and the next day, Monday, I took her into the vets and got antibiotics for her and she pulled through. Her and daughter got into a couple fights with the local bears and she had to be stitched back together 4 times.

  Life went on... then Dec. 2017 we lost Tippie suddenly and Roxxie was lost without her daughter... no more chasing after this and that, maybe bark at something in the wood pile or catch a rabbit but not that spark of life like she had before... I tried to take her with where ever I went... but it wasn't the same. She would go out with me for checking the cows and likes, sometimes go in the barn with me and other times not...

 Then last Monday, I woke up to a limpy puppy... and looked at her and her front foot and leg...

 Holy cow, that should hurt, but she didn't whine or nothing when I felt it.  At noon I gave her some meat, and she came back in trying to upchuck but couldn't... Tuesday she couldn't lay down what she hurt inside...   and soon when breathing she had to have her nose up and her tongue was not pink. Took her to the vets and they were baffled and thought she had a blot clot... Vets gave some antibiotics for her... I wish they would have done an x-ray just in case there was a bone lodged in her throat or gut... went from a big pan of water every couple days to next to nothing she didn't eat either very much and last three days nothing... She was so tired and worn out from whatever. Somebody suggested heart failure and her breathing was abrupt and short... Lay down and she would get right back up... Last night she was so tuckered out that she finally layed down with her butt up on some pillows and with my knee between her front legs and craddled her head in my arms... for several hours. She woke up at 3 am, gave her some liquid nutrition. ... I finally came into the house and she did too and kept pestering me for pets... Sun was starting to come up and I went to sleep... Cheryl let her out, I woke up at 8:30 and went out and there she was waiting for me... It was cooler and easier to breath out there but she was still huffing and panting...

  I petted her for awhile and got busy... then she started looking in different places and it took her time and a few steps at a time...  Called some friends that liked her a lot and they came over and spent some time and Roxxie was happy to see them but didn't have any 'stories' to tell cuzz she had been quiet since Monday... they left, and Roxxie went into the house and checked out the different rooms and then came back out and looked at all her former, 'get out of the sun and cool down spots' and finally she wandered over to the pillows and layed down. So little energy left in her.. told her to go see Tippie... and 'go Home'...  Suddenly I realized she understood this as home and I then said "Go to God and see momma and Tippie".  She looked at me for a moment like she understood and her breathing changed and got short... very short and finally stopped and she was gone. Took me awhile to realize how much she wanted to be with us and her love for us... but her body would not continue on. We buried her in her blanket beside her daughter. Now that era is done and gone... What a gift it had been to have such good companions of the the four padded kind. Sure will miss her now too . 

 GOSH,,,JC,,,I feel so much for you and Cheryl with your loss,,,A dog is man's best friend because they do share their feelings with us and by doing so,,,makes their loss so heartbreaking. They can look into your eyes and you can see their unconditional love so plainly.

 Peace be with you both and while it may be some early,,Please consider a new Friend and Partner to fill this void. 

 

A past dog of ours swelled up like that and it was liver failure.  That was both legs though, not just one.

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