Long story short, Allie's heart is not strong enough to withstand any kind of surgery procedure, and she has a build up of fluid in her lungs.
The vet wants to put her on some heart medication for the rest of her life. The purpose of the medication is to try to strengthen her heart which will help to get rid of the fluid in her lungs.
If the medication is successful, then they could do the surgery to repair her ACL. If the medication is not successful, all they can offer her is some pain meds to make her more comfortable walking around with the torn ACL.
The vet told Shannon that if he had not brought Allie in with this ACL problem as soon as he did, that she would have been dead within two months due to her weak heart, which is causing the fluid to build up in her lungs.
Needless to say, I am devastated, as is the rest of my family.
Allie is such a big part of our lives, and the thought of her being in pain and/or losing her is heartbreaking.
I know some people in life think, "It's just a dog. Who cares? You can get another one."
But to us, Allie is a part of our family. We all say that she is the favorite person in the house. If we were in school with her, she would be voted "Most Popular," or "Class Favorite."
She is so loving. I say all the time that she is like a toddler forever. You know how toddlers always want to sit on you, kiss you, have you rub their hair, love on you, etc.? Well that's how Allie is. If I go out to get the mail, she is thrilled when I come back inside. She misses me when I am not with her. She cries at the door when we all leave the house to go to church. And every night when Shannon gets home from work, she behaves as if she hasn't seen him in years.:)He is greeted with a full on love fest! (And he loves it!) :)
Yesterday, in my post, I shared about the gift of humor, joy, and laughter that God gives us all.
It is very difficult to find much humor, joy, or laughter in this current situation, but I am trying. I want to focus on the joy and the laughter that she has brought into our home. Allie has been such a blessing to our family.
I just want to enjoy every minute with her. I want to laugh at the funny things she does. I want to pet her until my arms fall asleep. I want her to lick all over my feet while I watch television. I want to love her like she loves me.
Allie has brought so much joy into our lives; she is a gift from God to our family.
And we love her.
Proverbs 3:13
Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,the one who gains understanding.
I don't pretend to understand why God allows so many things to happen to us all at once, but I do know that everything that He allows in our lives is for our good.
Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the Lord with all your heart;do not depend on your own understanding.
Thank you for praying for me, my family, and for "Our Allie Girl."
God Bless,
Amy:)
20 comments:
I understand. They do become a part of your family, and isn't it wonderful to have her unconditional love? A friend's a friend, regardless of how long his hair is or how bad his breath is. :)
Oh Amy my heart is just breaking this morning. Having recently lost our precious Fat Cat I understand the possibility of losing a "member of the family" is really difficult. And NO Allie is not just a dog she is your baby girl.
I have no answers as to why you are in the season of trials. One thing I do know is your love for God and your family will grow. Just love them while you have them!
Oh Amy I am so sorry you are all going through this! She is more than "just a dog" she is part of your family! Our pets become part of us and important to us. I have had a cat(s) since I was three and they are so special to us.
I'm praying for your sweet Allie! You all have been going through so much lately. Hugs and Prayers!
Michele
Oh Amy I totally understand how you are feeling. I shared in a recent comment to you how our little Molly died last year around this time. It was the saddest day!
I would cry at work all day....if anyone would mention her I'd start crying.
She was almost 16 and had been our little baby all those years. Everyone loved Molly!
From the time she was a small puppy when I'd hear my husband drive up I'd say "Molly, daddy's home" and she'd run to the back door and bark and bark like crazy.
He couldn't even give me a kiss or a "hello" until he gave her lots of attention. She was small and would sit on the back of his recliner with her tail fanning his face.
We have lots and lots of very good memories.
We miss her like crazy. When or if people say it's just "a dog" they don't understand. Our pets become a part of our family.
I am believing God will take sweet care of Allie and give you and your family comfort with all that's going on in your life right now.
I love Allie too. I love seeing the pictures and hearing the stories about her.
Sounds like she's in good hands.
Love,
Valerie
Oh Amy,
I know that our "fur babys" are definitely more than "just a dog"
If they were to be any different why would the Lord give us the capability to love animals! My sweet dog and cat are a gift. I haven't been able to have children, so they are my kids!
I have always loved the saying:
"If I could only be the person my dog thinks I am" Don't they just love us unconditionally!
Prayers as You Allie Girl heals.
K
Amy,
My heart is so heavy for you and your family. I could feel your pain and sadness. And no, no one should say or think, it's a dog, you can get another. Even me, who is not an animal lover, KNOWS the intense bond made with animal and owners. It is as strong as with humans. I am so sad for you and the pain Allie is in. I pray that the medicine makes her heart strong and she has many years of life left in her. A animal typically has a max of 14 years, so it would be like loosing a 14 year old son or daughter.
Thank you for sharing. Oh, how I wish I could do something for you. You have your heart in the right place by trying to focus on God and being thankful for the time you've had with Allie and the time you will have with her. As the doc said it's a good thing she had this torn ACL. Let's hope the pain lessons or maybe she grows accustom to it. I often wonder what the 'thorn in the side' of Paul was and if it was painful to live with. I don't know if that gives you comfort or not.
Now that I've rambled in trying to find words to comfort you, I will close.
My deepest sympathies for all your current heart ache. Remember this too shall pass. The pain of all this can't last forever.
Love,
Paula
My heart is heavy after reading this. I understand completly how you feel... they're never 'just dogs' to those of us that truly love our pets. Please keep us posted, and let Allie know we're pulling for her!
I'm so sorry to hear this news. I know a lot of people who have 'furry family memebers', so I don't think you're crazy.
I hope she does well on the medications...
Hi Amy. I'm so sorry all of this is happening to you guys. I know it must be very hard to deal with especially when you can't even be up on your feet. I love Allie too and don't even know her but her pictures are so cute she must be totally loveable. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Love,
Denise
Amy,
My eyes well up with tears as I read this post. Like I said yesterday I very much understand the love you have for Allie!!!! I am sooo sorry. I could feel your heartache reading this post. I pray that you feel Jesus's presence with you today especially and in the coming days ahead.
Love,
Nicole
I truly understand! I love the way they act when you come back from anywhere. I have never had anyone greet me the way my dogs do...even when they get up in morning! I will pray for all of you! I know it hurts.
I truly understand! I love the way they act when you come back from anywhere. I have never had anyone greet me the way my dogs do...even when they get up in morning! I will pray for all of you! I know it hurts.
Oh Amy! My heart is breaking for you. Anyone who has pets knows that they aren't 'just' anything....they are members of the family. I guess I misunderstood your post yesterday :( I thought the vet had given you the thumbs up on the surgery that she needs. I can only imagine how hard this has been for you - especially with everything else that's been going on.
I'm going to have to come over this weekend and bring some hot guy movies so that we can drool in our pop-corn, laugh and have a good time :)
Talk to you soon.
(BEAR HUGS)
Yvette
Oh, Amy, I am crying with you right now. I just had some time to look on your blog and then I see this awful news; believe me, girl, when I say that I take it up with God and say "when is enough, enough." Job suffered immensely, and he couldn't help but ask questions, and normally I am not the type to question, but my heart is just breaking for your family. I love you so much, and I don't pretend to understand God's ways and why it has to be so difficult. Our situation has not gotten any better, but know that you are on my mind. I am so glad to see you are blogging again and feeling well enough to get online. Please know that I understand about Allie; I still cry when I think about my little dog, "Cathy," and she died 12 years ago (she was irreplaceable). She was my very best friend for 15 1/2 years. May God give you more time with your beloved Allie. Why don't you talk to Charlene or George at church who work at the bookstore? She had her dog "Hershey" die last year and she was really sad. She would understand. Your friend, Wanda
I hate this, Amy! My heart goes out to you. We have some toddlers here too, Rocky and Buddy. They are our babies forever. We never understand why God sends us through certain things but I do know that it is for our growth and His glory.
I am so sorry to hear about your sweet baby. I know your heart is aching and that makes me sad for you.
I am so sorry to hear about your sweet baby. I know your heart is aching and that makes me sad for you.
I'm sorry to hear about your Allie. I know the anxiety and pain that comes from this diagnosis because I have been there with my beloved miniature schnauzer Chloe. I am assuming the "official" diagnosis is congestive heart failure. I don't mean to be a "know it all" either but if your veterinarian didn't prescribe lasik (which will get rid of the fluid) please ask about it. I know what we went through with our dog. She was on 4 meds + Potassium twice a day at the end. We did lose her this past December (and I cry as I type this) but God did comfort me so much during this time. I could just imagine Jesus having a dog as a child (what little boy doesn't have a pet dog?) and losing it, so He knew the pain I was going through. The good news is that God is still God and He can carry us through all of our hurts and struggles.
Whoops, I meant lasix (the diuretic) not lasik (the eye sugery.)
Amy,
I am sooo sorry about this diagnosis. But it sounds like there is still lots of hope that Allie will be OK. I will pray for you and all of your guys as you take care of this sweet dog. Your love for her is all over this blog, she is a lucky girl!! Keep your spirits up, God is in control!!
Love,
Kelley
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