Charlee Rene'e was such a special girl. I loved her so much. We found out that her kidneys had not developed appropriately when she was almost 6 months old. It was heart-breaking. Certainly, her situation is a testimony to the fact that pre-anesthetic blood work should always be done, regardless of the age of the pet, as Charlee would most likely have died under sedation if we had not checked her blood work first. As is, we got to love and enjoy her for another 8 1/2 months, which most definitely wasn't enough, but, it was better than losing her on the operating table that day. I am still very much grieving the loss of my best friend and companion, and my heart goes out to everyone else who has suffered such a loss.

I am forever thankful to Dr. Benson and the staff at Desert Veterinary Clinic, as well as, the staff at WSU who initially confirmed that Charlee did indeed have malformed kidneys. Everyone involved has been so kind, helpful, and proactive in my girl's care. I will always be grateful for that.

Charlee had so much fun when we took her to the water, so I submitted a picture of her gazing out at the Columbia river through the brush on the bank.

Mych M.