I never thought that I would be responsible for the death of my best friend.
Medicine prescribed by a vet should help the patient, but the medicine I gave my pet caused his sudden death.
Sarge was a wonderful friend.
He became part of our family in 1996 and had been the first pet my husband and I had purchased as a couple.
I was not ready when I was told that he was getting arthritis in his lower hips nor was I ready for the therapy that was to come.
My vet and I tried several different medications and I walked him several times a day.
I was concerned that he would get down and never be able to get up.
What would I do if he was out in the field and no one could find him? As Sarge got worse, however, he became more dependent upon me and did not stray very far from home.
The last medication I tried on Sarge was a steroid mixture.
This was to build the muscles in his lower half and give him extra strength.
The first dose did seem to make him feel a little better; however, the second dose caused him to become weak and unresponsive.
I managed to get him into the house and called my vet.
This was the most terrifying scene I have ever witnessed.
Not only did he not respond well to me but he was breathing rather rapidly.
I stayed on the phone with my vet for over an hour and just when I thought the worst was over, Sarge slipped away peacefully.
He died August 7, 2010.
I still cry.
I blame myself for giving this medication to him and wonder if something could have been done differently to save him.
When a person administers medicine to a pet, you expect the outcome to be better.
What do you do when you realize that you are the one who caused his death? I have had to live with this and now I know that Sarge could never have made it through the winter.
He was really sick and his heart could not handle this medicine.
Blessings come unexpectedly and perhaps this is one of many.