[lisaly]

Originally Posted by kjc

As I have been involved in a few, I know it's hard to really control one's emotions while the thread is ongoing, before the pups get to a place where they can be helped. And at the end there are always tears, either of joy at seeing a pup get the help they need, or of grieving a loss.... even though it was not my own dog... this time.

It is so very hard for many owners to grasp the scope of this and other devastating diseases. It is not uncommon for people to actually go into a state of shock, it feels like one is in a dream and one just wants to wake up and have everything be okay or to have never had anything happen.

It takes time for people to get through this stage. They're trying to learn all they can about a disease they never even knew existed, and at the same time have a forum full of well-meaning folks pushing them to spend thousands of dollars in diagnostic tests that may or may not show the cause, and all the while they get to watch their pup do unpuppy-like, highly abnormal behaviors.

The reason we push is because we know this and other diseases can be deadly without and many times with treatment. But the sooner the pup gets appropriate treatment, the better the odds become that they may survive. With GME, NE, AAI, and Chiari... death can occur at any time.

I feel as bad for the owners as I do the pups. It is truly a nightmare for both. Who does one listen to, where does one go, but my vet said this or that, or doesn't know. I and others have seen specialists even that have made errors in diagnostics and treatments, or both. Then the owners have to shell out more money for duplicate tests and on, and on, and on.

I also want to say that it most always takes more than one person's voice to get through to most owners, mainly because of the shock and disbelief, and denial that something so horrid is happening to one's sweet little Yorkie.

And as a Lover of Yorkies, I intended this list to be a tribute to those little ones who did not make it, for whatever reason. These are the pups who will have made it easier for those to follow to get the help they need, in a timely fashion, and with vets who hopefully will become more aware of the symptoms and successful treatments involved in stopping these horrible conditions, maybe preventing some of them from happening at all.

Sorry for the rant....

Thank you for this moving tribute and for putting all of this information together. As much as I love this forum, it is so heartwrenching to hear of all of the sick pups. The wonderful people that I have met here, the compassion I witness daily, and the love people have for the pups keep me coming back here, however. The ties that binds us together are our undying love for these babies and the hope that, by helping to share our knowledge and by supporting each other, we can prevent illness, suffering, and heartache.