FIVER

It is with a heavy heart that I have to write that Fiver, my faithful shadow, confidant, and joy-giving dog over the last ten plus years, has gone on to join his earthly mom and three four-footed sisters that preceded him into heaven.  He had been having difficulties with his joints and hips over the last few years.  A recent set of X-Rays showed that he had arthritis in his hips and lower back but we were able to reduce the inflammation when things flared up with some prescribed meds from our Vet.  After a recent flare up last week, I noticed that although he was regaining the flexibility in movement, that he was getting more and more lethargic and beginning to refuse food.  

So, I brought him into the Vet on Monday where the examination discovered that he was bleeding internally and more than likely dealing with some tumors.  We immediately scheduled explorative surgery for Tuesday morning and when the Vet went in, his diagnosis was confirmed as they found a tumor and nodules on his spleen and nodules on most of his organs.  And while they could have removed some of the problems, they wouldn’t have been able to get them all… and therefore the outlook of his quality of life was not very positive.  So… I made the heart-breaking decision to let him go because I did not want to have him suffer anymore. The Vet administered the euthanasia while Fiver was still on the table under anesthesia, so he never felt a thing.

I can’t explain the moral support that Fiver gave me over the years since my wife passed in 2018.  He became a member of our family towards the end of Piper’s fight for life and he immediately took the roll of being her protector, sticking by her side and not allowing anyone to examine or care for her unless he was present in the room… many times standing between the medical personnel and Piper.  Once he sensed that they were not going to harm her, he would step aside… but keep a watchful eye on them!

After Piper’s passing, he and I became almost inseparable.  He stuck to me like glue and always seemed to know when I needed a shoulder to cry on or an attentive ear to listen to my ramblings.  We became well-known in our neighborhood in Oklahoma and for the short time we’ve been in Tennessee, for our daily walks, both early mornings and mid-afternoons… in any and all kinds of weather… and for him… the COLDER the BETTER!

I realized earlier last year that my entire daily schedule functioned totally around his needs.  So, to say that he was spoiled… would be absolutely correct!  As I sat at the table this morning, I enjoyed the luxury of being able to eat all the bacon on my plate… but, at the same time, kept waiting for him to appear… as he did every morning… put his head on my knee and look at me with those big brown eyes of his that just sort of said… “You weren’t going to eat all that bacon by yourself, were you?

And so… the stories could go on and on and they will, as I will always treasure this special guy in my heart.  I’m not sure if angels can take the form of a dog… but if they could… I would declare that Fiver was definitely an angel of the Lord sent to me in my most desperate time on need!

I see his passing as another new chapter for me in this new season of my life here in Tennessee.  I’m still excited as God’s plan unfolds… but I do wish that my favorite, four-footed furry friend could have spent a little longer of his time with me.  He would have turned eleven this month.

And like I told him as I squatted down on my knees in the Vet’s office yesterday morning and began to gently pet him… as the tech moved to bring him in back for the surgery prep… “Everything is okay buddy… I will see you real soon!”