Kirby's Last Update...

Kirby has continued to deteriorate with his eating, diarrhea and willingness to take medicine.  His breathing became weaker this morning and the look in his eyes told us it was time.

This is the last pictures of the three of them together taken this afternoon before we left for Baldwyn.

He hates the 4th of July and the fireworks so today at noon Russ and I decided that we were going to let him go before he had to be tormented with fireworks this week-end.

We went to Corinth to the pet store and bought all of his favorite puppy candies and cookies.  We lay around with him in between the two of us and told him what a wonderful dog he was and how much we loved him and were going to miss him.  Of course, he already knew that.  Russ called Dr. Don and made arrangements for us to bring him to the office at 5:00 right as they closed and we called Glenn Coleman to meet us at the pet funeral home in Oxford.  Then we let the three dogs have some time together, we warmed up the fuzzy blanket in the dryer like Kirby loves and wrapped him in it.  He had been cold feeling all day.  Lots of tears and hugs and into the car for something else Kirby really enjoys...riding on my shoulder and then getting to put his little head out the window when we got almost there. 

We held him while Dr. Don gave the sedation shot and then he left us alone where we loved on Kirby as he was falling asleep and prayed to God thanking him for nine and a half years of having such a wonderful companion.  We wrapped him in his fuzzy blanket and I held him in my lap until we got to Oxford and placed him into Glenn's arms.  Such a blessing to have a former cub scout all grown up and taking care of the most important elements of our life without us having to worry. 

It has been a long, hard month that has seemed like half a year.  We have tried to prepare ourselves for this day since the day we fell in love with Kirby by enjoying him, spoiling him and being thankful for every bit of mischief he was capable of getting into.  We knew one day too quickly we would be saying good-bye to the first dog either Russ or I have ever had.  Still, it did come more quickly than we had thought (about five years) but as much as we will miss him...we loved him too much to keep him here any longer. 

Farewell Kirby Dog...you were our very first case of "puppy love" and we'll never get over it.  Hope you are chasing squirrels up the trees and basking in the sunshine.

KIRBY

January 28, 2006 to July 3, 2015

Kirby Isn't Wanting to Eat...

Two doses of the ace inhibitor benezebril which was the drug to lower Kirby's high, high protein levels in is blood and he has the associated anorexia. He ate a doggie treat and we were able to drop in the medication for nausea/vomiting and the sodium bicarbonate for excessive stomach acid which is a blessing. Where he has always eagerly eaten his new kidney diet dog food, now he just sniffs and leaves.

We have a call in to our vet at MSU and are anticipating her saying to drop the benezebril. I've read where often you can drop it and begin it at a lower dosage and build up. We'll see. This obviously is NOT going to work.

We talked to Jennifer, our vet student and she took all of our information to talk to Dr. Sullivant, our vet.  

About an hour or so ago he ate a piece of plain chicken and was very interested in it as opposed to his dog food.  He ate the binder chew, too.  Mostly he's been sleeping next to me.  Not doing the drooling and mouth breathing like he was earlier.

Our bodies, whether human or canine are so complex.  God designed everything to work so intricately and one or two things out of sync just throws the whole system off.  Poor little Kirby's kidneys are so sick and as is true of so many medications--right now even the medications to make him better are harsh on his kidneys.  We feel that we are so close to getting him help by means of medications that actually can help reverse some of the symptoms that are driving his kidney scores off the charts.

Jennifer just called and had talked with Dr. Sullivant about Kirby's condition.  She advised us to not give him the benezebril for a couple of days and if he gets better we will pretty much know that was the culprit and then try to reintroduce it at a lower dosage.  In the meanwhile, we are going to feed him a chicken and rice diet that we cook ourselves.  I asked her to find out how much he could eat a day and based on his weight, he needs 500 calories a day.  Theoretically he could have up to five chicken breasts a day.  That seems like way too much protein and of course, we would never give him that much but they say that's how much he could have.  I've got to get on the Ohio State website where they can help us develop a home diet for him.  In the meanwhile for supper, I've got some chicken breasts thawing and he can have white rice.  Funny that we eat brown rice because it's healthier but for him...white rice has less phosphorus.

Dr. Sullivant didn't really think that the benezebril was what was making him not want to eat but did agree that it was quite a coincidence that the two happened and there's no way to really know without trying him without it.  I know on so many occasions throughout my life I would have sworn that something was the cause of a particular response had I used a medication that day.  You just never know.  With a chronically ill person or pet there are more things that can go wrong than you can count.

Taking just one crisis at a time.  Trusting God to direct our paths.  Knowing that all things work together for good for those who love God and are called according to his purposes.  Romans 8:28

God Continues to Answer Our Prayers...

This morning God provided the remaining money that we needed to pay Kirby's vet bills!  We cannot begin to tell you how amazing our God is and how only he is able to work out the details of our lives!  The weight that is lifted from our shoulders having the remaining vet bill covered is tremendous but the fact that our God met the need as he said he would is worth more than money.  It is easy to trust God when everything is going well but often when things begin to go in ways we don't understand it's more difficult to be patient and wait to see how God is going to work.  How is God going to work?  In HIS own time and in ways we humans cannot even imagine.

If you are waiting for prayers to be answered in your life don't give up.  Take a good look and be sure you are in the middle of God's will.  If you are and you are praying that he would have the final say in all your decisions...you can rest assured that not only is God in control but that he is only going to provide you with what is best for your life.  Is it going to be what you want every time?  Probably not.  That's the amazing part about having a heavenly father to take care of us.  He is able and willing to provide so much more than we his children can even ask for.  I'm so glad God doesn't always answer my prayers.  I am only human and cannot even word a prayer to equal the the wealth of promises God has for me.

Today Russ and I stand amazed in his presence and marvel how he could love us so much that he sent his only son to die on a cross for our sins.  We are humbled that he has adopted us as joint heirs with Christ and that one day we will stand before him in heaven redeemed because of his love for humanity.  You often hear the saying "You can't out give God" and nothing could be more true!

John 3:16-17  New International Version (NIV)
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.