Sunday, 10 December 2005

Grimmy was found as a stray, turned in to a shelter and then surrendered to Magda and Col. Potter as he was older than they normally can place. His initial exam revealed a heart murmur, small tumor and mouthful of dental problems. He was given his shots and sent to me to foster and arrange his neutering/dental.

When Grimmy was taken to the vet there were concerns that he had many issues which raised him to a high risk category. He was given a thourough exam where it was determined he is an older dog, around 10 years, has some infections, and is in chronic renal failure as well as having a heart murmur, which was no longer the top concern. Surgery was no longer a viable option.

I have brought Grimmy home. He is on antibiotics to help relieve some of the discomfort of his infections.Grimmy is an exceptionally sweet dog. We will give him some days of love, kisses, walks and time to restore the good memories we believe he once experienced. He is very at ease in a house and believes the refrigerator to be a walk in model! He takes all that comes his way with a wagging tail, sometimes chasing the nasty appendage. Okay...so he has tried to bite a few times, that is believed to be a pain reaction; and he is the marking king so he will finish his days as "Belly-band Boy"; oh yes, and he has harrassed the cat a few times...well he IS a cairn you know! Actually, it is good to see that spirit in him, even if his breath is rancid enough to peel paint!

Saturday, 16 December 2005

Grimmy got his own mail on Wednesday - a beautiful blanket with the sweetest note from all his Aunties and Uncles at Col. Potter! Thanks for the extra effort to get it to Grimmy so quickly.

It has been cold and damp, so this extra blanket in his crate is JUST what Grimmy needed, especially all the extra love that is worked into every fiber of it. I'm absolutely sure he feels it there ... He stays quieter than ever in his crate with his soft blanket to snuggle.

As for Grimmy's name, well he was sent to me with that. Perhaps Maggie chose it? Or maybe the shelter gave it to him and since it hadn't been used before it was kept? I must say he likes the name! We toyed around with calling him Griswold who was the black knight in "The Court Jester." We love the quote about "grim and grizzly Griswold" which actually kind of suits this little black Cairn guy, but he loves the name Grimmy and all it's variations so Grimmy it is!

Grim is quite the trooper. He enjoys all there is to enjoy in his life. He doesn't have long, though, for it is clear he often still feels unwell and frequently he has a hard time getting comfortable. He loves kisses and leaning into people while he is pet. He joins the throng woofing and he has set his inner clock to meal times reminding me just when they are due! He has decided to create a part of his daily routine by sitting on my lap for awhile each evening. He never seemed comfortable on the furniture and is not really the lap dog sort, but these evening cuddles he has started asking for seem to relax him. I let him stay until he begins to get a bit restless or uncomfortable, about 30 minutes or more. A final potty trip and then it's crate time, he likes the routine, well not the crate part much, but the routine makes him secure! Last night while he was on my lap he rolled completely over, belly-side up, and got tummy rubs while he dozed off. At one point he opened his eyes and as he looked up at me he just wagged his tail, never moved except for that. I tell you this is what makes loving him so worth while. There are no words to fully describe how that touched my heart. Even though he's only been here two weeks, he knows he's loved.

Wednesday, 27 December 2005

It is with mixed feelings in my heart that I must share with you that Grimmy was gently helped to the Rainbow Bridge this morning.

We knew Grimmy had some pretty serious health issues to deal with in his little old man body. He tried hard to keep that indomitable cairn spirit high and ready for action, but in the past few days we saw an old dog struggling to feel comfortable. He could find no real way in which to relax, even his "comfort cuddle" was failing to give him the relief we could see he sought. This discomfort was also having the rather serious side affect of making him more inclined to fight with my dogs and bite his human family. Grimmy, through all of this, "told" us it was time for him to go.

He went gently, laying on his CP blankie. I held him and whispered in his ear that I loved him, his family loved him and that many, many Aunts and Uncles he never met cared for and loved him as well. I told him to be looking for those other CP Angels who would be waiting to bring him into their pack as the strong, pain-free rascal he would once again become.

One evening when I was giving Grimmy a good long "comfort cuddle" filled with kisses and whispers sweet nothings, one of my sons expressed concern that I may be getting too attached to Grimmy making his inevitable end that much harder for me to bear. I told him that you can't protect yourself from all heartaches and that indeed some heartaches were simply worth the pain. I told him Grimmy was one of those.
Carol, Grimmy's Foster Mom