Anne with an E that's me: I'm going to miss my little shadow...

This past Friday we had to say good-bye to our little dog Kiena. I know it was for the best; but I'm sure going to miss her. I keep expecting to see her in her regular napping spots throughout the house...on her bed, in the hallway, next to our bed, on one of the recliners.

When we first got her...she was "technically" Brenna's dog. (part of our bribe to get Brenna to stay/go to a school she wasn't particularly thrilled about going to). Brenna had been wanting a dog for a long time. She did some research and determined that Shelties were good dogs for families with children. Then she found a breeder in Palm Bay (?) who had a litter. The day John took Brenna and Megan, just to look, they found Kiena and it was a done deal.

Brenna house trained her, taught her a few tricks and took care of her...but the bottom line is...I was usually the one who noticed when the dog needed water, wanted to go out, wanted to eat...etc. It wasn't that Kiena liked me better...she just knew if she wanted something I'd be most likely to deliver...hahah we didn't know it at the time, but apparently Shelties tend to latch on to one person in the family, and when Brenna was in bed for a couple of days after she got her tonsils out...Kiena became MY dog. If I was home...she didn't want to take a walk with anyone else. ~~in Megan's case it might have had something to do with roller skates...hahah~~ Of course anyone could feed her, hahah.
So...for the first time in my life, I became a dog person. Growing up the only pets we ever had were turtles and goldfish. When the girls were little we had the usual assortment of fish, gerbils, then a rabbit and Megan's cat, Blackie. But Blackie was pretty independent...he wasn't the type of cat to sit on your lap. I t was all new to me. I remember getting tangled up with the leash while walking her at first...and a neighbor gave me a few tips about the kind of leash that might be good and a few other simple tips. Over the years we've met many other dogs and neighbors on our twice daily trips around the block .
I enrolled Kiena in dog obedience classes...and she learned quickly...probably quicker that I did...haha. Our biggest problem was me with the left/right thing...I never seemed to have her where she was supposed to be...but we managed. No dog shows for us...hahah In the early years she barked a lot (common for the breed). Squirrels, cats, birds...you name it, she'd chase it and bark. I never left her outside for too long at a time so we didn't drive anyone too crazy..
She enjoyed visitors, once she got to know them The first time Brenna brought Haze home; Kiena didn't know what to think of the big , goofy bundle of energy that was running all over the place. After a few minutes...she walked over to Brenna and then proceeded to give her a piece of her mind. She stood there and barked at Brenna and seemed to be saying "What the heck do you think you're doing with this dog in my house!" It was pretty funny...but she relaxed and they became friends. They had some fun times together playing...

Kiena just realized that when Haze was playing...she was never going to get the ball. So she barked!
When she got to meet Megan's dog Rupert...it was a little more of an even playing field...he was younger...but closer to her size...hahah

Kiena liked to hop up on the loveseat and watch us coming and going. When she was younger she'd jump up onto our bed to sleep next to us sometimes. In the last few years she mostly stayed on the ground next to the bed...but every once in awhile, with an unusual burst of energy she'd make it up. (our bed is a little high off the ground) If I wasn't feeling well...she'd keep me company all day...and wait patiently for me to get up and let her outside.

Her arch-nemesis lived on the corner down the street. He (?) was a black and white cat...that for whatever reason, she NEVER liked him. She would bark at it, pull on the leash and act like if she could get him, she would!
He must've been sending some high-pitched signal that I couldn't hear...but he always looked so smug...hahah sitting there watching her on her leash, unable to do anything..hahah. It's kind of ironic...about a month ago I noticed the cat was not looking too well. He just looked very thin and his fur looked a little scraggly...like he must've been sick. It got to the point that even though Kiena and I didn't like him...hahah...I found myself looking for him each morning when we walked past...to make sure he was still around. If I didn't see him for a couple of days...I'd think the worst...but then there he'd be again. Well...about a week or so ago he was gone and I noticed his little bowl by the front door was gone too. I guess I was so focused on his decline...that I missed Kiena's. Not that I hadn't noticed little changes over the last year or two. She was a little slower, she slept a lot and very soundly...sometimes we'd be home for a while before she even knew we were there. (usually a change in the light signaled her that someone was home). She didn't fret so much during fireworks and thunderstorms (sometimes...but not as much)...because she couldn't hear them as well.. When we walked I'd notice a little mis-step here or there...but nothing serious. Her annual check-up was good...healthy weight, healthy gums, other than her sneezing that wouldn't go away...she seemed to be relatively well.
Around the end of May I noticed that the sneezing now was accompanied by a blood tinged mucus. Antibiotics seemed to help...but it never really cleared up. Then she started having a little drip of blood from the nose now and then. In my heart I knew something was up...and at first I was afraid to admit it...but I made an appointment and took her in. We had the vet take an x-ray and the snout looked clear of any type tumor or bone decay. She got her teeth cleaned and had a couple of loose teeth pulled. The Dr. told us that he could do a CT-scan...but didn't feel it was worth putting her through the test...because ultimately...even if we found something...there wasn't a lot we could do. Radiation would cause other problems, surgery in that area would be difficult and at 14...we weren't interested in chemo if it was cancer. So...we decided to bide our time and see how things went. as long as she was pain-free and eating, playing etc...we were ok.
She was okay for the next month or two...but last Friday at 5:30am, we woke to find her sneezing hard and bleeding heavily from her nose. She wasn't sure what was going on...and was pacing around. John managed to keep her still and try to get the bleeding to stop; but we decided we'd better make a trip to the local animal ER. I hated the place the minute I walked in. All I could think was that I did not want my little dog to stay there...especially if this was it. They told us they could run a bunch of labs and tests (which our vet had already suggested we avoid doing)...to the tune of 1200.00 to 3500.00 . We thanked them and took her home. I called our vet later that morning. We took her in...and they gave us some medicine to help in case bleeding started again. Explained what to be looking for, as far as signs of decline, etc and we discussed our options. we went home feeling a little better. She slept, John took a nap and I went for a bike ride to clear my head. Shortly after I got home, she woke up and then the sneezing and bleeding started again. With John's help we settled her down. But again about a half an hour later it started. This is when John came undone. He was so very upset watching her struggling; we decided that we couldn't watch her in that condition. We made a call to our vet...gone for the day. They faxed the records to Aloha (where our good friend Heather works.) She talked to John and told us to bring her in. Heather has known us and Kiena all 14 yrs of her life...so that made the decision so much easier. We talked to Heather and the Drs and together made the call. I have to say...during all of this Kiena was extremely calm. There have been visits to the vet where she got anxious and would shake like crazy...but she never once did that Friday. The whole final good-bye was very calm and comforting. She relaxed with us until it was time and I am so happy it was like that for her in the end. No pain, no suffering or long drawn out illness...just a peaceful ending.


December 2013


a favorite spot...found her in this chair most mornings...she lift her head onto the arm rest and look at me;	waiting for me to get going

Now I know things worked out for the best...but as any pet owner knows...losing your pet is like losing a good friend. Someone who is always happy to see you...and loves you no matter what (just keep the treats handy!)