Cheetah

What a sad couple of weeks it has been. On Tuesday, Oct. 14, Cheetah, our 15 year old dog, passed away. She was very sick for about the past 6 months. Eric and I got her 4 months after we got married after we were feeling that "baby fever." We knew we were too young and it was so not the time for a baby. So we got this cute little brown ball of fur instead. She was our only baby for 5 years before we added real babies to our family. Then Spencer came along and they were best friends. She was very jealous at first when she realized he was here to stay. She acted like her leg was hurt, limping everytime Eric talked to the baby. We were worried until we realized that she was switching legs. She was very attached to Eric and wanted him to focus on her. He did and she got over it. Then we added 2 more human friends for her and another dog. She adapted to the additions and all the many moves we made with her with ease. As long as Eric and I were with her she could handle anything. That is how it was for her at the end of her life as well.

She began having heart trouble about 2 years ago. She slept more than anything and prefered to be near us at all times. She has been on medication for over a year for her heart and fluid in her lungs. She recently has had kidney problems as well and had to have special food. 3 days before she died she started having seizures. They were getting more and more each day and the last one started at the top of the stairs, causing her to fall all the way down while seizing. I heard her but didn't get there in time - she had already made it half way down. She was suffering at the end and we just couldn't let her suffer any more. We did not want her to have a painful death.

The boys told her goodbye through their tears. At such a young age, they understood that she was suffering and they were ready to let her go. Eric met me at the vet where we said our goodbyes. She licked Eric all over his face as he talked to her. She wanted to make sure he was ok. I was just hysterical. Dr. Harding injected the needle and quickly her breathing slowed down and she went to sleep. She was finally at peace. It was probably the hardest thing we've had to do in our entire marriage. She is in a better place and our family isn't the same. But we are getting better each day.