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On Monday we put our sweet baby Murphy to sleep. At just over 13 years old Murphy had been in a gradual slide since Christmas. He'd developed Cushing's Syndrome in the past year and the symptoms were catching up to him.
In early December Murphy lost his vision and he was at risk for falling off the bed and down the stairs. Poor little guy, he couldn't find his way around the house any longer. Then when his hearing started to go too, his confusion became worse. We often came to his rescue when he'd wandered into a closet or was stuck in a corner and couldn't figure out how to turn around.
One of the symptoms of Cushing's Syndrome is a ravenous hunger and let me tell you we just couldn't seem to satisfy his need for more food. He would whine and yelp for food long before his normal feeding time, and nothing would quiet him but the "food". His constant desire to eat resulted in a major weight gain. He gained eight pounds since October. This tremendous weight gain stressed his joints and his little legs were having difficulty supporting him and he no longer wanted to go for walks.
Another issue was his frequent need to urinate, often in the house and without any warning. Poor little guy he would never have accidents when he was healthy.
So as Murphy's health declined, we were forced to make one of the hardest decisions of our lives. We went through a lot of what ifs and soul searching, but we knew it was time. We were able to stay with him right to the end and he went quickly and peacefully and that's all we could ask for.
Our little Murphster was just the light of our lives and made every day so special. He went every where with us and was always such a good boy. I'm sure he had more friends in the neighborhood than we did, as everyone knew his name. Everyone he met loved him. He was one of those special little characters. And, from the outpouring of love and support we've received this week from friends and family we know that he touched many lives. We're missing him so much, but at peace because we know he's no longer suffering.
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| This picture taken at Christmas was just before he went blind. We're so happy our friend was thoughtful enough to take it and to share it with us. |
