Pure Joy by Danielle Steel Page B

often until eighteen or nineteen. She was in perfect health, except for cataracts that became a problem two weeks before she died, and didn’t bother her until then.
    On a Sunday, she was fine, running up and down the hall, visiting everyone, and having fun. She and Sam were staying at my home, and we always enjoyed visits from Chiquita, she had no other health problems other than her eyes, and that was very recent. And on Monday morning she woke up and seemed ill, didn’t eat, and was confused and a little dazed. She’d had a full checkup only days before and had a clean bill of health, appropriate to a dog half her age. We took her to the vet that Monday morning, assuming it was something minor, but being careful because of her age.
    By lunchtime they called and said she was not doing well. She was having symptoms of a neurological problem, and herkidneys were not functioning well. And for the next thirty hours, she slid downhill so fast we didn’t know what hit us. Mercifully her kidneys failing put her in a dazed state, so she wasn’t suffering. And all our vets were hopeful that the situation would turn around. There was no warning of this sudden failure of her bodily systems, and by the next day she was in extremis, and thirty-two hours after the first sign of the problem, she was gone. We were all in shock, and poor Sam was devastated. The good news was that she didn’t suffer, and I suppose it’s better when people and dogs die quickly, don’t linger in poor health for a long time, but when it happens like that, there is no time for those of us who love them to prepare. One minute they’re fine, and the next minute they’re gone, and we are bereft. It was a hard blow for Sam, who loved her so much and assumed she had a few good years left in her, given how healthy she was.
    Chiquita’s death also brought up some issues that pet owners sometimes have to deal with. At sixteen, a great age for a dog, sometimes medical personnel can put up less of a fight to save them, and are more inclined to let nature take its course, and let them go. She got the very best medical care possible at the hospital we took her to, but the possibility of putting her to sleep came up more quickly than it might have if she were younger. My theory was, and always is, that if shewasn’t suffering (and she wasn’t), there was no need to rush to that decision. Euthanizing a dog is always an option. And saving a dog’s life can be costly, and an expense some people may not want to undertake, or aren’t able to. We wanted to fight for Chiquita’s life right till the last minute, and I didn’t like the suggestion of putting her to sleep. I wanted to give her a chance to rally, and so did Sam. The vets at the hospital cooperated with us.

    Chiquita
(left)
and Mia
(right)
when they were dignified grandes dames

Cassio Alves
    But things went downhill so quickly that Chiquita died while Sam was rushing to the hospital to see her, having left work to do so. She was working in another city that day and had to get home in a hurry and take a flight to get there, and Chiquita died as the plane landed. Chiquita was so out of it by then that she wouldn’t have recognized Sam anyway. But arriving at the hospital to see a very sick dog, and instead finding one that had just passed away, was traumatic and devastating for Sam. Life happens that way sometimes, and no matter how much we wish we could, we just can’t control timing. Losing Chiquita so quickly, even at sixteen, was a shock for my daughter, and for all of us. She was such an adorable little dog. And you just don’t know when life will turn on a dime and everything changes in the blink of an eye. But it was a blessing for the dog that she was only sick for two days,and she didn’t suffer. We’re grateful for that, although we will always miss her.
    Like loving a person, loving a dog can eventually lead to heartbreak, but without question it’s worth it.
    Even if you lose a pet you