In Memory of our Beloved Armani!
 

Our beloved Armani...our baby boy passed away last week. It still seems like a bad dream...I have never felt so much grief or pain. Sometimes I feel like my heart has been ripped from my chest. Even though he was with us for only 19 months, he had stolen our hearts and became the center of our world. He was my best friend...

Armani got sick about 10 weeks ago. He started sneezing one morning and suddenly started to become very lethargic. I noticed he was bleeding out his nose (not alot, but a little). So, I took him immediately to the vet who told me he probably had a sinus infection and gave us an antibiotic. By the time I got him home he was almost completely catatonic. He didn't know who anyone was, wouldn't walk, laid on his side completely still and stared blankly at nothing.

I took him immediately back to the vet who did blood work on him and put him on an IV. For over 6 days, no one could tell us what was wrong with him. He didn't improve and the saddest part is he didn't even recognize me when I visited him (which was 3 times daily). On the 7th day, when I was holding him I noticed his right eye was extremely swollen and there was blood near the lower part of his eyesocket. When I pulled his hair back, it exposed a maggot! Or as the doctor called it...a cuterebra!

I took him immediately to a different vet (an internist) who ran numerous test on him and he finally determined that he had sniffed up a cuterebra, which hatched in his nose, burrowed through his nasal cavity, through his frontal lobe of his brain (hence the brain damage), and out his eye socket. The brain damage was permanent and there really wasn't anything else they could do for him. He had numerous health issues over the following 2 months and last week he finally succumbed to his numerous illnesses.

My heart broke when I held him as he took his last breath. I cried so much...and still cry daily when I think of him. He was my best friend, my daily companion, my baby boy. My life will never be the same without him and as I promised him....he will NEVER be forgotten.

Before Armani died, my husband and I adopted Bella and Baci to help with the loss of our baby boy. Even though Armani was here physically, he wasn't the same puppy we once knew and loved. The puppies are adorable and loveable and already follow me everywhere just like Armani always did. Having them has helped me with my grief, but I'm not sure I will ever be the same since the loss of my adorable baby boy...:cry8: I miss you baby...take care in heaven my little angel and always remember how much I loved you and I always will....:love::iheartu:

Sweetie, I hope your pain eases up and you find happiness again. God Bless your Little Armani. God has a special place for our furbabies and you will see him again :love:

I am so very sorry for your loss. How heartbreaking.

I am glad that you found YT though. Maybe this will help someone else recognize the signs. Would this have been treatable if the first vet had recognized and treated it sooner?

Each and every pet we have is unique and each grief is a pain felt in your heart for a very long time . Those people who never understand that pet grief is as real as any loss , have never loved an animal companion in the true sense . My heart goes out to you . I have known and share your heartache .
Take care .

I wish I could say that if the vet had noticed it sooner it would have saved him...but who knows. Most likely the cuterebra had entered into the brain already, but the internist did everything possible to keep him alive. This is a very rare case of this type of thing happeneing to dogs...and I still ask God daily why him? He was the most wonderful, obedient, and loveable dog...everyone in our family misses him dearly.

Thank you for your reply...it's so nice to know that there are others out there that understand the type of love I had for my baby boy and understand the grief I feel.

Thank you!

I'm sorry for your loss. I lost my 17 month old two weeks today to brain abnormalties/liver problems. I lost my 10 yr. old Yorkie to cancer last year. Both were terrible losses but when they are so young I think it hurts differently and it makes it so hard to understand. Elaine

I'm so sorry for you loss. To lose a fur baby so young is so hard. Our prayers are with you.

Oh hun my heart goes out to you. I know exactly what your going through. I lost Lilly a year ago from now and when she died in my arms I thought I was going to die. I still cry...she is very much a part of my life. They are all different in their own way and she was so different. Lovable girl and always with me. I miss her so much... I wish I could take away the pain hun....I wished someone took it away from me when I lost my girl. YT is great support. You can let it out here and it feels so good to talk to ppl that understand you. None of my friends and family understood what I went through when I lost her. I was depressed and didnt want to talk to anyone...didn't even want my other furkids around me. I finally had to realized that I couldn't be that way with them and came around. I'm also a proud mommy of a rescue...After Lilly I made a promise that the next furbaby would be a rescue....and thats what I did. Although Gabby will never replace Lilly she helped heal the open wounds.

(((hugs))) to you

Gloria

I am so terribly sorry for your loss. I can only imagine the pain you are going through and pray that God will comfort you.

Thank you!
 

Thank you to everyone for your condolences and wonderful words of encouragement. I'm so glad there are others out there that understand the type of love I had for my baby boy...and the incredible grief I felt when I lost him. He will live on forever in my heart...and in our home. There are pictures everywhere of him everywhere and he's the screensaver on my laptop.

I'm very lucky to have such beautiful, loving and adorable puppies (Bella and Baci) to help me through my grief...they are 5 months old and are so loveable.

If I didn't have them, I don't think I could have pulled myself out of my depression and grief.

I will love you forever Baby Boy....my...Prince Armani Pucci!!!!

It is so heart breaking how you lost him. I created this for you.

So Beautiful Jeri :love:

I am so sorry for your loss.

I am so very sorry for your loss. As you can see by my signature, I lost my little Grasshopper in 1986 (he was 15 when he died) and lost Sugar in 2001 (she was 19). I still cry when I think about my little Yorkies and how much they meant to me. My thoughts and prayers are with you. :love:

We are so sorry for your loss. Rest in peace Sweet Angel Armani.