In April, Gracie was found wandering in West Virginia.
How this tiny girl survived on her own is a mystery. But, she did.
After her stray hold, we were able to get her and get her immediate medical attention.
She was under 7 pounds, and had trouble moving around, but she could take some steps and slowly wander in the yard. She was so beautiful.
She picked up K-9 influenza, which is very serious. We don't know if she got it in the shelter or while she was wandering. She was an extremely ill little girl. She spent 4 days in the emergency vet, getting medication and oxygen. She was finally able to go back to her foster home.
She loved to wander around, slowly moving her back legs. She could go to the bathroom on her own, but still needed help. Her foster mom knew how to express her bladder. This was necessary to empty her bladder to prevent another infection.
She had obviously had puppies, which made us question her background. Where had she been?
Gracie seemed to improve. She needed to gain weight, but it was very difficult for her.
She loved being held. And her foster mom and dad did that a lot. They loved her. She was content with them close.
Gracie's bloodwork wasn't great, so we could not spay her or do the dental she needed. We needed to increase her weight, her nutrition, and her muscles.
In spite of all we did, Gracie was losing weight, her muscles were atrophying and she lost the ability to walk with her back legs. She was losing weight even though she was eating.
Gracie was getting eye drops, but one of her eyes ruptured. Her vet was concerned about putting her under anesthesia because she was so compromised. So, other places were contacted. No one could help. There was a concern about putting her under. They weren't sure she could survive.
My vet said she would see her, so the foster parents drove hours to get her to me and my vet. We left Gracie there for bloodwork and evaluation for a few hours. My vet called and talked to me a long time. She felt Gracie's quality of life was very low. And both eyes would need to be removed, as the other one was about to rupture.
After a long discussion with the foster parents, and with the rescue committee, we made the decision to let Gracie go. It wasn't the money-- we knew we could do that. But, Gracie's tiny body was now only 6.1 pounds, and she was declining. Removing her eyes was very risky. If she made it through surgery, she still had a lot ahead of her. Her body was struggling so much already. My vet came in and brought a chocolate donut. Gracie's foster parents stayed by her side and fed her tiny pieces. She loved the chocolate. They spent time with her, just loving her.
She left peacefully and with love surrounding her. The hardest and most loving thing to do is letting them go when they've been through enough. It's so hard when there is not much hope left and giving them peace is more important.
So, tiny Gracie is now free of the struggle she had. A rescue committee member said it best, "Each loss is difficult. Some seem harder to bear. We thank all involved with Gracie's care for going beyond that which is expected to improve her quality of life. Ultimately, we couldn't heal her body, but she did feel safe and so, so loved. That's more than she had most of her life. In the end, the love was enough."
Gracie, we know we gave you all we could.
Run free, now, precious Gracie. We all loved you. 💟 Your foster mom and dad, Aimee and Steve, loved you most of all.
