Dewey's Thread: Updated: 9/6/12 He's Very Sick

I received Dewey on 1/13/10. After having him for a couple of days I officially decided to name him Dewey. Since he now has a name I thought I should make a thread dedicated to him so I can share our journey and his growth with all of you.

Being my first beardie, Dewey will always have a very special place in my heart. He's been a pure joy to have so far. Especially now that he's starting to come out of his shell little by little every day. I'm truly excited to see how he will develop in the months to come.

So, enough babble... here are the first set of pictures which I took tonight.

Hanging out on his vine. I wasn't expecting Dewey to be as small as he is. Yesterday was the first time he was seen up on his vine and he was up there again today. He seems to be a pro with navigating it!

Here's Dewey all wrapped up just before bed time.

 

[DeweysMom]

Thought I'd let you all know that I helped Riley go to the Bridge today. I feel completely shattered right now.

I was very excited when I woke up this morning and saw that his swollen eye from last night (no clue how it became swollen) was better, but that didn't last very long. Shortly after I woke up he began vomitting white foam and his stomach was louder than I'd ever heard it before. He was shaking and every now and then it looked like he was getting a jolt of electricity through his body. That went on for about an hour and then all of a sudden he jumped to his feet and collapsed.

We rushed him to the local ER and on the way he collapsed in the truck. I was in the back seat with him when it happened so he didn't get hurt. At the ER (they have a cardiologist on call) he had two more episodes and they thought it looked more like seizures than a heart issue. They decided to hook him up to the EKG to see if they could catch his heart rate when it happened. They were hoping his heart rate would be normal when it happened which would back up their seizure theory, but when it happened the EKG showed that he was actually experiencing periods of no heart beat at all. The last time it happened I thought he was gone. It took him a while to come back, but he eventually did.

The Dr said we could keep him there over night, take him home, or even bring him to Angell (who is much further away), but she did say that death was a good possibility. I didn't want my sweet angel to hurt anymore so I decided to let him go there while he could go in my arms. He went very fast and he looked so peaceful.

I guess now I know he's free from his ailments and I told him to go find his Memere who passed away last Nov. She loved her Riley! I can't believe he's gone...

 

[athenacp]

Oh I am so so sorry to hear this I will be keeping you in my thoughts and prayers...RIP Riley

 

[beardie osk]

Oh Mandy, I'm so heartbroken to read about your beloved Riley .............You were so brave to let him go, and he must have been comforted to have you hold him during his last moments. You were a wonderful mommy to him, and I know he felt your love.........It is so hard to loose a pet that's part of the family........Please let me know if I can do anything for you, and if you need someone to talk to pm me and we can chat. My prayers are for you and your family, just loved all of Riley's latest pictures, thank-you for sharing him with us, and he's no longer in pain, rest in peace, sweet, sweet Riley!!!!!!!!!........(((((((cyber hugs)))))))

 

[FranktheTank]

I'm so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you and your family.

-Kaleen

 

[beardie parents]

I'm sorry, Mandy. It hurts when we have to loose a loved pet child.

 

[TheAnthropologist]

I am very sorry to hear that. As someone who had to put down two dogs in August, I understand what you are going through. You really did everything you could. You were a wonderful owner to him and gave him the best life possible.
My condolences go to your family.

 

[DeweysMom]

Thanks everyone. Losing Riley has been VERY difficult on me. He's been a part of my life since he was just 8 days old (yes days, that's how old he was when I first met with the breeder). He would've been 10 years old on 3/22. He was my shadow! He was my baby boy. I so miss having him behind me everywhere I go. It's kind of weird, but I find MY supper time to be one of the hardest points of the day. I always saved a bite or two to share with him. I miss sharing with him.

Today I got a sympathy card in the mail from the ER vet who put him to sleep. They actually took some ink, put it on Riley's paw, and then pressed it on the card so now I'll always have his pawprint. Needless to say I burst into tears when I saw it, but I'm sure in time it'll bring me great comfort.

 

[beardie osk]

Oh my goodness, I almost cracked up when I saw Riley's footprint, so I can imagine how you must feel,................that was a wonderful tribute to a life long friend.........(((((((cyber hugs)))))) and prayers continue. I'm here if you need anything.

 

[TASTIGER]

im so sorry for your loss *lots of hugs*

 

[DeweysMom]

Hi guys... it's a while since I've been online. Thank you for your condolences in my loss. Today marks 6 weeks since I've lost him. It's been a difficult journey, but it is getting easier to deal with.

Riley was a HUGE part of my life and when I lost him it left an enormous void. After about 2 weeks of just crying and moping I decided it was time to do something. I realized that Riley wouldn't want me to be sitting at home all depressed and crying every night. He was a very wise soul and he was always trying to put a smile on my face, especially when I was down. So, I decided to start looking for a new puppy. I was fornuate enough to find a puppy from a very reputable breeder who is into conformation (showing) and she also health tests her dogs prior to breeding. Both mom and dad passed all of their health tests (including heart defects) with flying colors! They had a litter that was born just 3 days before Riley passed. They emailed me a photo of one of the available males they had and the rest is history! He will be coming home on 12/16. I'm still missing Riley and my new puppy will not be a replacement as that would be impossible, but it will be nice to have a new baby to dote on.

Here are some of the most recent pictures that the breeder sent me of my soon to be puppy. I've decided to name him Logan.

He's the one walking on the right.

Again, he's on the right sitting up.

On to Dewey news... not much as changed him with. He's still doing great although with the cooler weather he has slowed down a touch. I'll try to get some updated pics of him soon.

 

[FranktheTank]

OMG he's adorable!! Congrats on your new baby.

-Kaleen

 

[beardie osk]

I've been gone such a long time and your new baby is so sweet.............Mandy, your right, I don't think Riley would want you to be so lonely for him so I think getting Logan is such a great idea. As you said, he's not a replacement for Riley, but will block a little of the hole in your heart that aches for Riley. I'd love to get an update on the pup, along with pics, and Mr. Dewey............Take care,

 

[DeweysMom]

Hi Christine, thanks for checking in on me.

My little Logan is doing wonderfully! He just turned 12 weeks old yesterday and has been home for about 3 weeks now. So far he's learned to give me his paw, lay down, and he's starting to ask for the door when he needs to potty. He's a very smart little puppy! He has provided a lot of laughter for me which has been very helpful. I do still ache for Riley, but I must say there's a lot about Logan that's very similar to Riley. He'll do certain things and I just can't believe it because Riley used to do them to. He does have a lot of different quirks though to help me remember that he's not Riley!

Here are some pics of him from the last couple of weeks. The pictures make him look bigger than he really is, but he is growing quickly!

As for a Dewey update, he went to the vets today because he was wheezing very loudly last night. It turns out he has swelling on or near his trachea with some fluid build up. He'll be on meds to try to get rid of it. Hopefully he'll be feeling better soon.

 

[TASTIGER]

i love boxer puppys they are soo cute. i hope Dewey feels better soon

 

[beardie osk]

Oh Logan is so precious, I'm so glad he's doing well...............Poor Dewey, I hope he's alright, are the medicines helping him? Keep us posted please.