College of Veterinary Medicine Home Pet Loss Hotline
 
  Maxie

Maxie was born July 4, 1990 and he was quite a little pistol. Maxie was a red and white, long-legged Dachshund. He’s coat was like silk and his ears were especially soft.

Maxie was very active as a young dog and even up into his middle ages. He was always peppy and so active. Running, jumping and playing with his toys. Maxie would always greet us with a toy in his mouth when we came home and if company came they were greeted with a toy in his mouth, not for sharing, just for showing and acknowledging your presence.

Maxie liked to get up on the middle of the bed when it was being made and be wrestled around and then go tearing through the house on a dead run.

Maxie and I had a few misunderstandings, nothing significant but Maxie would never back down.

I lost my husband eleven years ago and the legacy he left was four dogs, all unique in their own way.

I lost two of my dogs in 1996, 2003 and then this year I lost my big, brown, standard Dachshund in April and Maxie in September.

The two boys I had at the end were 15 and 16 years of age and they had been through a lot of rough and a lot of good times with me. I didn’t realize until I lost my last two how dependent I had become on them and the companionship they provided, all that unconditional love.

Maxie and I were alone together from April through September and I know he had become irritated with my constant worrying and mothering of him. Maxie had always been so independent all his life but he had become so fragile that I treated him with the utmost care and consideration and was always running him to Doctor Benson for assurance.

The last weekend of Maxie’s life we had gone to Desert Vet on Thursday and then to the park for our regular weekend journeys. On Friday at the park Maxie was more like him old self and we walked more than usual. Then problems started and Maxie ended up in the Vet’s on Monday and have to have a test run that took all day but when I went and picked him up and brought him home he hip-hopped into the house and got his toy and carried it out to the kitchen. Hope was springing eternal. Then Tuesday around 5:30 p.m. Maxie started throwing up and this went on for an hour and since Desert Vet was closed I took him to emergency. They kept him overnight and on Wednesday morning I spoke with Doctor Benson and he said things looked okay and I took Maxie home. The minute we got home Maxie threw up and I called the Vets and they said that was to be expected. Maxie couldn’t settle down and in the afternoon the throwing up started again so I spoke to Doctor Benson and he said to come on over and he would see what he could do. Maxie threw up several times in the car on the way over to the Vets.

When Maxie and I were in the room waiting for Doctor Benson I was holding him and telling him how much I loved him and Maxie was looking at me through glazed- over eyes that seemed to scream, “let me go”.

When Doctor Benson came in he said the only alternative would be exploratory surgery and I couldn’t let Maxie be put through that much pain and suffering and I didn’t know if Maxie was strong enough because of his double heart murmur. I felt I was hanging on to Maxie for my sake and that the life style Maxie once knew and probably dreamed about was gone forever and he had lost his independence, which he enjoyed. I remembered how he had just looked at me so I agreed to end his suffering and today I cry a lot for me and my loss. That was September 27, 2006 at 3:50 p.m.

Doctor Benson said he believed Maxie held on as long as he did because he didn’t want me to be alone too soon.

I love all my dogs and cats but Maxie has a special place in my heart and I really miss him a lot.
 

   
 
 
 
 
Revised Oct. 20, 2006     |     Printer Friendly Version