Then, on December 23, I noticed our elderly dog, Ben, wasn't looking good. His immune system, liver & eyes had been failing for some time, but he had been fairly stable on his multiple medications. His eyes looked really bad though & my vet decided to conference with a canine specialist. We got in to his office the next morning (Christmas Eve) with Ben looking even worse. His left eye had developed an ulcer overnight & was blood red. I felt physically sick at how he looked & must be feeling. He was still his sweet self with tail wagging & kisses for me. Oh my breaking heart! After lengthy discussions with my vet & his staff, I made the wrenching decision to let my sweet boy fall asleep forever and leave his pain behind. (There were just no good treatment options left: only medical band aids that would just prolong his experience.) If you are not a dog person you will not relate to my anguish, but if you are, you will know that Ben was a much loved, dear old friend who had traveled all over N. America with us & who had been my "demo-dog" for 4-H demonstrations on pet/child safety, as well as visits to mentally handicapped adults & Senior Citizens. . We are all feeling his loss in a huge way.
