It's been over a year now since I had to put her down. She had just turned 10. She was brought into my clinic about 9 1/2 years earlier. A neighbor of her owner saw her running in the back field and playing with her brother. He heard a loud yelp and looked out his window. She was lying there, unable to move. Since no one was home, he picked her up and brought her to my clinic. My associate saw her first and took x-rays. Both of her elbows were broken in 4 places. I saw her films and said to myself, "Don't even look at this dog, we'll have to put her down." As I walked into the treatment room, I heard a little commotion coming from a bottom cage. I looked down into the most beautiful, loving soft eyes I've ever seen. She looked up at me, wagged her tail, then shifted herself up to a "sit pretty" or begging position, with her two little front legs hanging at a very unnatural angle. She had me right there.
The neighbor told her owner where she was, but we never heard from them. After many messages left at their home, and poor Maizey sitting there for 3 days with only pain relief and bandages (we couldn't do surgery with out their consent), I finally went to their home and trackd them down. They didn't want her anymore, so I had them sign her over to me.
Her injuries were so severe that I called Dr. Bob Bertoy, a board certified surgeon, to come see what he could do to fix her. After 2 surgeries, plates, screws, pins and wires, he fixed her up as best he could. By this time I was totally smitten with this young dog, and could not imagine her having any other home but mine.
She healed pretty well, and had several good years before her injuries caught up with her. Cartilage had been destroyed and the "fit" after her surgery was not as good as mother natures. She began developing arthritis in both elbows and our earlier long walks and occassional runs got much shorter, until one day I had to carry her home. That ended our runs and all but very short walks. She loved to be with me though,and still came everywhere in the car, which became her favorite activity. Well, except for eating. She was a lab remember. I guess I left out a few of the stories that didn't seem so funny at thae time, but I can smile at now
For instance, we had been to Berekley to visit my friend, Miles, and while there I went to my favorite bakery and got their fabulous pesto bread. I brought it home and couldn't wait for breakfast the next day. I usually run before breakfast, Maizey stayed home (did I mention she was perfect and I could leave her home and she never strayed, even when she could walk better. I would also leave doors open so she could go in and out while I was off running). Anyway, I was running, thinking about my delicious upcoming breakfast .When I got home there was Maizey waiting on the porch for me, as delighted to see me as I was to see her. We went inside I I headed down the hallway, which seemed rather dark after the bright sunny day outside, when I stopped and jumped. There in the middle of the hall, was something that I was not sure was dead or alive. About the size of a large rat, a brown, dirty lump was at my feet. I gently nudged it with my foot. It didn't move. I rolloed it over with my foot, still no movement, nor any identification. Slowly and carefully, I bent down andpoked it. Only then did I realize it was what was left of my loaf of bread. She had picked it off the counter, chewed all around it, leaving the doughy center, then taken it outside and rolled it in the dirt, brought it back in and dropped in in the hallway. I almost thought about trying tio trim away the gross parts because that bread was so good, but it truly was beyond repair. So much for my breakfast - Cheerios again. I'm sure Maizey enjoyed it though.