Poppy

R.I.P. Poppy the Poopy Puppy

1997 - 2013

Its been a week now since Poppy went over the Rainbow Bridge, my faithful friend, my comfort.  The picture is an old one since I can't upload new photo's.  A very contrary dog, she didn't play with toys unless food was involved - she loved her Kong. Squeeky toys were out as was balls and sticks, she would look at you as if she thought it was beneath her to actually chase after them - you threw it you go get it.  She lay by Miks side in his last couple of weeks, her head pushed up under his hand. She wasn't  a cuddly dog, cuddles were on her terms yet she would sneak into the boys beds and sleep under the blankets curled up by their feet.  Storms freaked her out and she would jump on my chair and try to get as close to me as she could, burrowing down between me and the chair arm, yet she slept through two of the worst cyclones I have ever been in.  It was heartbreaking taking her to the vets knowing what the outcome was going to be, even then she managed a pee or two in the beautiful rainforest garden where our vet has his practice. I could have kept her at home till the end but that would have been a painful slow death, I could have paid hundreds of dollars for surgery but that would have given her a few weeks extra, the mammary cancer too advanced for it to be cured.

One minute she was fine, no problems, just a lump that didn't bother her, no pain, still kept her appetite and then bang it accelerated, literally eating her away before my eyes.

She was intact, we never got her fixed up as we were going to let her have at least two sets of puppies, but that never happened, Mik got sick and we just let it slide. Keeping her inside whenever she came into heat.  What I didn't know was that a lot of bitches that are not spayed and haven't had pups can get mammary cancer.  She lived to a ripe old age, she had a healthy diet, walks by the lake and a lot of love, what more could a dog ask for.