Dedicated to Abby: the Best Lab in the World

My husband and I got Abby when she was 6 weeks old. She was a little bundle of yellow fur and full of energy. She did her share of chewing. She ate one electric cord and a phone line, but her favorite to chew were throw rugs. We couldn't keep a throw rug in the kitchen, so we stopped buying them. That was pretty much all the puppy bad stuff she did.



She spent a lot of time at the vet's office. Between her two knee operations, her thyroid problems, skin problems and all the other things that kept her vet in business! We always said we were his retirement plan.



Abby had severe hip problems and lived on Deramaxx. If not for Deramaxx she wouldn't have been able to walk without pain. She swam in the pool; she ran around the yard and was always ready to go for a ride in the car. She loved everyone equally, friend, stranger, it didn't matter to her.



Over the last year we noticed little changes. Her hearing was fading and her eyes were getting quite cloudy from cataracts. She stopped jumping up on the sofa and was more content to head to her bed for a nap.



When the pool was uncovered in early June, Abby was in her glory. But her body couldn't keep up with what her mind wanted to do! Oh, she put on a good act. In the old days that dog could spend hours jumping in, taking her swim, climbing up the steps only to do it over and over and over again. We would have to make her leave the pool area to get her to stay out of the water.



Last summer she didn't spend as much time in the pool, it seems like a lot more work for her. But she wanted to be with us. If we were in the pool, she had to be in, or close by. We put a towel on the ground under an umbrella and would tell her to go relax, and she would. This year, after jumping in a few times she was ready to go in the house. She seemed to prefer the air conditioning. But she kept an eye on us by watching through the French Doors.



Yesterday Abby got out of the pool and her front legs gave out on her. She tried to walk but her legs appeared like rubber. She went in circles a few times and after a couple of minutes she was back to normal. I gave her an extra ¼ of a Deramaxx and she was fine, and we figured whatever it was she worked it out. Perhaps a cramp or pulled muscle.



Today we went for a ride up to property and she checked everything out, walked around and was perfectly normal. When we got home she jumped out of the SUV, walked into the kitchen and the same thing happened -- her legs went to jello and she had no control over them. She finally was able to lie down but then would get back up. When she was able to stand, her whole body shook and it was not getting better. We knew this was bad.



My husband carried her to the garage and put her in the back of the SUV. We took her to the emergency vet. My husband stayed outside with her while I went in to explain what happened. I checked on her several times and it was very bad. She had no control of her limbs and she was panting excessively.



I've lived this day over in my mind so many times, knowing it would come eventually. The vet and the nurse were so kind, they said to make it easier for her they would give her the shot in the car. She was finally lying down at that point, but her eyes were what got me. I always said I would never put my feelings above her pain and she was in pain.



The vet explained what would happen. She spoke very softly to us and to Abby. The nurse got in the SUV with Abby and we all pet her. The vet gave her the shot and within a few seconds Abby put her head down and was gone.



Right before the shot I looked at Abby's eyes and they were begging me to do something to make the pain go away. We did what was best for her, even though it's killing us now.



Abby, you were the best lab in the world and we will never forget you. You brought us joy, happiness and laughs and we wouldn't have traded one minute of our years together.



Source:

13 ½ years of loving a lab