Daisy Memorial - February 22, 2020
Daisy left us today, to cross over the Rainbow Bridge. She dealt stoically with pain for a long time, yet never lost her sweet disposition.
We have no clear idea how old Daisy was. She was picked up running up and down the concrete median of a highway in Fayetteville, and when the Good Samaritan who found her was not able to locate an owner, they contacted Neuse River Golden Retriever Rescue (NRGRR). At that time, she was in bad shape. She had heart worms, and was no doubt traumatized by her time on the streets. NRGRR dubbed her Saffron 15, treated her for the heart worms and found an adoptive family, where she stayed for 9 months. When it was determined that she would need gastric surgery for gastric torsion, and the family who had her needed to let her go, NRGRR supported the surgery and we offered to be a foster home until a forever home could be found. After only a short while, we decided to adopt her as “Daisy” ourselves and make ours her forever home.
Daisy came to our home four years ago, almost to the day, to recover from her gastric surgery. Having had four Golden Retrievers before Daisy, we thought we knew what kind of personality to expect. In some respects we were correct, and in some we were not.
From Day 1 Daisy was a sweetheart. She loved being wherever we were, and would follow us around the house. She tried to please us, coming when we called, and always behaving happy to see us. She had occasion to be around several toddlers on a recurring basis, and she managed the attention with aplomb. On rare occasions, if overstimulated by multiple toddlers at once, she would simply get up and walk away.
About 18 months after adopting Daisy, we brought a rescued cat, Lily, into the family. Daisy adjusted to her very quickly (and vice versa), and they became companions around the house. Daisy loved to be petted, brushed and combed, causing great jealousy in Lily, who would quickly try to insert herself between the brush and Daisy.
Curiously, for a retriever she never seemed interested in retrieving. Indeed, to our surprise and with sadness we discovered that Daisy had never learned to play, and did not like to run around free. Further, we learned that she was very reactive to other dogs, behaving in a way that appeared outwardly aggressive, but in fact we determined was more fearful and protective. We tried for a year to desensitize her, using various techniques suggested by professional animal trainers, but to no avail. Eventually we decided it would be most kind to her if we simply avoided being around other dogs. In an effort to get her to learn and experience the joy of play, we tried taking her to otherwise empty dog parks, but she would not leave our side.
Daisy did seem to take pleasure in several activities. We have a small glass transom above our front door. If Daisy lay on the floor above the top of our stairs, she could monitor the neighborhood comings and goings through the transom window. She made certain to alert us whenever dogs or people were on the street.
We have a screened-in back porch, overlooking a backyard replete with birds, squirrels and bunnies. On nice days, Daisy positioned herself in sucxh a way that she could ensure all these creatures knew their place.
Before long we noticed that Daisy was suffering from arthritis. We managed her discomfort as best we could with a number of pharmacological treatments. But, we discovered that her lumbar vertebrae were fused, there were signs of arthritis in her cervical vertebrae as well, and that she had limited range of motion in her wrists, elbows, knees, hips and ankles. We began a regimen of physical therapy recommended by a canine orthopedic specialist. Over time, she became progressively weaker and more reluctant to go up and down stairs. If alone on one floor of the house, rather than search the other floor to find us, she adopted a unique bark intended, we believe, to call us to her side. We obtained a special harness, with handles in front and back, to help her up and down the stairs.
From the beginning, her gastrointestinal system seemed unusually vulnerable to disruption. Three or four times a year she went through bouts of diarrhea and vomiting, occasionally becoming severely dehydrated. If she needed to go in the middle of the night, she stood up from her bed at the foot of ours and walked to the bedroom door waiting for us to take her out. She was such a good girl! And she always rallied, responding to various treatments.
Yesterday, when Daisy vomited 6 hours after breakfast, we prepared for another episode of GI distress and treatment. However, she became progressively lethargic, and refused food this morning. We took her to the veterinarian first thing, and learned that she now had a neurological issue with her hind legs, such that she didn’t know where they were. Further, X-rays revealed a large mass in her abdomen and a return of gastric torsion. She was depressed, in pain, and not able to function, so with the vet’s guidance we made the difficult decision to see her across the Rainbow Bridge.
We know she is in a better place now, but our hearts are broken. Everywhere we look are reminders of her presence and the family rituals she engendered and into which we all became enmeshed.