My family's beloved 13 year old Yorkie, Tyke, departed this life on Friday night after suffering a fully collapsed trachea and going into heart failure. I have done nothing but cry since then, and I don't see how one can EVER get over the lost of a beloved dog. He was a member of my family and it just doesn't seem right that he is gone.
He was the perfect dog. So easy to train, typically well behaved and full of love. He truly lived to the motto "man's best friend".
I was in a wedding up at Presque Isle this weekend and when I got there Friday, the lady staying with him (my family was also out of town) called and said she was debating on taking him in because he was breathing very hard. She called someone she knows, that also knows Yorkies, to come and see what she thought. She came over and said it was trachea, and to pet underneath his neck. The heavy breathing never stopped, so they decided to rush him in. When there, they were originally concerned about his enlarged heart. They put him on oxygen and the original plan was to keep him there until Monday because the doctors were so concerned. A bit later they came back and asked if they wanted him to be revived if he crashed. Unfortunately, I was at a rehersal dinner and never heard my phone ring. I look down, saw three missed calls and called the lady back and I will never forget her explain about the reviving, and how they said they wanted him to be revived, and then when he eventually crashed, they tried, but he was gone. I threw my phone down and just started to cry. I ran up to the dinner, got my husband and we went outside where I lost it. It truly is like losing a child. My heart hurts. I feel like I'm in a fog and that I just don't know what to do anymore.
My Bubba (my "bubba monster" as I call him) doesn't seem fazed. We came to my parents house (to have dinner ready when tehy get back from vacation) and my husband had him in the backyard and he bounced up the backyard with him and bounced back down. He was waiting for me with perky puppy kisses. I wonder if he knew my Tykie wasn't feeling well and that he is all better now? It's just weird. I always when a dog dies, the other doesn't eat, looks for them, acts sad, etc. According to the lady who was staying with him, he ate up everything last night and then this morning.
We thought our Tyke was going hard of hearing because he never got up to greet us at the door and every morning instead of perking up when I got up and said "Tykie ready to eat?" (We watched him for four days because the lady that was supposed to had to go to Cleveland, and then when I lived at home I slept with him often), he didn't move. He was panting more (he ALWAYS panted, so in our defense we just thought it was his normal panting) but nothing that seemed overly concerning to me.
What KILLS me is a couple of times, during those few days we watched him, when I had him pee, he would get stubborn and not move and I would pull on his leash to try and get him to move. After he died, I immediately thought I caused it and kicked myself for pulling the leash. I felt, and still feel, like an awful person for doing this, but the lady who watched him, my mother and the vet said that it was something that can't be prevented. His exrays showed his trachea was almost closed.
I am sitting here with tears down my eyes and just crying for my Tykie. I consider myself lucky that I had a dog who made such an impact on my life that I am mourning him like I am. He must've met a lot to me and been a pretty special dog.
I don't know or if I will ever get over this. My mom cannot function without dog, nor can I. We decided I will continue to have my Bubba monster with my husband and me and start looking at pound dogs to rescue. After that, we will return my Bubba boy to my mother who will have the joy once again of living with a dog. Tyke impacted all of us in such a way that I cannot imagine living without a dog, ever.
RIP my little buddy. My heart will always hurt for you and I will always miss your constant puppy kisses and your old man bark. You were my baby, always will be and I will hurt for a while.
One comforting thing: my Aunt Kay died very suddenly on March 7 after passing out from an Aneurysm at her house. She was a huge animal lover and always had cats, and a times, dogs. My Tykster is up there with one of the most kindest, loving and most gentle ladies I have ever known. My baby, you are in good hands
Tyke Tyler Laufman: April 16, 1998 - August 12, 2011. </3
