I had to take dear old Keisha, our 18-year old three-legged girl, in to the vet today to be euthanized. Keisha had been going downhill for months, losing weight, becoming incontinent, and finding it increasingly difficult to maneuver on her one rear leg … which had hip dysplasia, making it even harder. This photo is of Keisha soon after she arrived at the ranch from
Missoula Animal Control, when she was already a grand 16 years of age.
Yet she had her good days, when she’d be bright and alert and engaged, and she’d seem like her old self. But the bad days began outnumbering the good ones. Her kidneys were starting to fail, and she began having light tremors … not all the time, but frequently. The tremors became more common in recent days. We could tell her circulation was slowing down because her feet weren’t as warm as they should be.
Last Friday she seemed really down, but Friday night she had perked up again … but that was the last time she brightened. We brought her over to the main house this weekend to be with us and keep an eye on her. Yet it was clear the time had come.
So I bundled Keisha into the truck and drove into Missoula this afternoon to see Dr. Bostwick. I had asked Dave if he would euthanize her for us. I laid Keisha on the table and made all over her. Our new employee, Kathryn, had described Keisha as a ‘proud old lady,’ and that captured her perfectly. She was dignified and wanted to be treated that way, too. She didn’t like to have her feet or her face touched, but she did like to kiss. As I was petting her while she lay on the table, she lifted her head up and licked me twice on the face. That broke my heart. A couple of minutes later she was gone.
You can read this remarkable girl’s story here.
Rolling Dog Farm Blog 
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