Hello, my name is Beethoven, and I have a story to tell. I was born on April 18, 1996 . I have 10 brothers and sisters. On July 4, 1996, this very strange man and women came to see us. They also had a little furbaby with them, her name is Tippy, she was so furry, I ran over to her and started cuddling and playing with her. She wasn't much bigger than me. My brother and sister came over also ,we were all playing together. Judy my people mommy explained, that my sister, Prissy was spoken for. She had me and my brother Oreo left...The lady said she couldn't see leaving one puppy , so she took me and my brother.....I now have a new people mommy and daddy, they named me Beethoven, Judy had named my brother Oreo, he had coloring around his eye, like a cookie. My new mommy named him Cookie....Our new mommy is Peggy and our new daddy is Ed, my new fur mommy is Tippy.
We went out to get in the van and there was a nice couch for us to lay on. I took one end and Cookie took the other, Tippy laid in the middle so she could watch over us. We had a nice pan of cool water to drink on our way to our new home....We arrived at our new home and had all kinds of new sniff and smells to check out. New territory to explore. We made ourselves at home. Daddy showed us where our food and water were and that there would be food and fresh water all the time. Daddy showed us the doggie doors and showed us, we were protected by a fence, we couldn't get out and lost. We had lots of room to run and play and dig holes, lots of things to chew up, that was the most fun. Our lives were filled with lots of fun. Going to the Vet to get our shots and checkups, those needles weren't any fun.
When we were 6 months old, Judy wanted was to have obedience training and prepare for Conformation..We learned to sit, stand, heel, walk properly. Time came for our competion, I developed a limp, Judy wouldn't let me be in competion, she didn't want me to be uncomfortable, also they wouldn't let Cookie show, because his tail curled on his back. Judge said "St.Bernards don't curl their tails". I thought it was cute, what does she know? We just laid around watching everyone else. Our lives went on uneventful, When we were 3 years old a new fur baby came into our lives, his name is ChewChew, My daddy rescued him , he was 14 months old, part St. part Lab. all black except for white paws and white on his neck. We made him welcome to our furry gang.
Shortly after this I developed seisures, My daddy took me to the Vet....Dr. Moffett was very good to me, she kept me at the hospital for a few days to get my seisures under control. I had fun at the hospital, they didn't get "Big Dogs" like me very often, everyone wanted to play with me. I got spoiled while I was in the hospital. I came home in a few days, was on medication 2 times a day. Daddy gave me my meds in a peanut butter sandwich, yum,yum. Of course my daddy being the kind person he is, gave everyone peanut butter sandwichs. Sometime daddy would make butter and bread sandwichs, and other times we got ice cream, Orange Sherbert with Vanilla icecream....Ice Cream was usually a dessert, after we had our people food. Everything went along fine, we had our swimming pool to play in and make a mess in the house for mommy to clean up. She didn't mind as she wanted us to be happy.
The middle of March 2002 , I developed an abscess on my right rear paw. It was late in the evening , mommy packed my paw in ice to stop the swelling and the infection from spreading. The next morning daddy took me to Dr. Moffett, she said "mommy did the right thing". Dr. Moffett gave me some antibiotics and kept me overnight, so she could work on my paw the next day. She lanced my paw, bandaged me up and decided to keep me for a few days, as she knew I would go get in the first mud puddle I could find. Well it was spoil me time again...I came home in about aweek. Daddy changed my bandages twice aday for me. He even put one of his socks on everytime my bandage was changed to try and keep it clean. "You know how long that lasted Heh Heh".
My paw wouldn't heal and Dr. Moffett, Dr. Balch and Dr. Freeman all decided to keep me and see if maybe, being where I couldn't get in mud and be confined to a smaller area than a house and yard, it would heal in a few days. I was having a good time, at night they would let me run around in the kennel area. The Techs and Drs. would bring their kids in at night and on weekends to play with me. They named me "Big Puppy" We had lots of fun.
On May 3rd, I was out for a walk, with the hospital staff, started limping. They immediately x-rayed my left leg. To their devastation, I had osteosarcoma. They immediately notified my mommy and daddy. The Drs. told them the choices, which had no guarentees, Amputation,only relieve the pain, Radiation,only relieve the pain. The Cancer had already spread to far and Chemo wouldn't work..The alternative, take me home with pain medication, and keep me comfortable with lots of TENDER LOVING CARE. We went home, with antibiotics and pain medication.
Dr.Balch told mommy and daddy, I had about 11 - 24 weeks before the end came. Mommy immediately got on the internet, to find out everything she could, about this disease. She joined the Canine Bone Cancer Group, met lots of nice people who were going thru the same thing with their fur babies........ I had to talk with Cookie and tell him he was to take over for me, that everyone was going to need him to carry on, to take care of mommy and daddy. To take care of ChewChew, Furgy and our little fur mommy Tippy. Needless to say Cookie was not happy with this idea. He felt he wasn't strong enough to take this responsability. I told Cookie, "he was very strong and he could do it"......
My mommy went to the Health Store and purchased, Flaxseed Oil, COQ10, Vitamin E, and a Stress/Pain Management for me. She gave me all my meds in Cottage Cheese,yumyum, 4 times aday........I tried to eat the cottage cheese from my food pan, it kept getting in ny nose. Mommy spoon fed me, that was so much better. Dr. Balch wanted me to have Duck and Potatoes to eat, to keep my tummy from getting upset from the pain meds. Mommy or daddy would mix the canned food with some dry food and I ate that really well. Had lots of cool water to drink.
I did really good for a couple of weeks, then everything became a rollercoaster. I would go downhill and then I would be okay, this went on day after day. Mommy or daddy was on the phone with Dr. Balch every other day keeping her up todate.... On sunday, June 30th. I took a turn for the worst, and never recovered. I stopped being able to get up and we all new the end was near. Mommy called Judy and told her what was happening, Judy said "let me know when you want me at the hosiptal". Mommy was up with me all sunday night, she left early monday morning to go to work, came back home about 3 hours later. I was almost at the end. Mommy wrapped me in cool wet towels to make me feel better. Mommy called daddy and told him to get home, time was near. Mommy called Dr. Balch and made arrangements for the "Doggie Ambulance" to come and get me. Mommy called Judy, "told her to meet us at the hospital". While we waited for the ambulance to come, daddy changed my towels and put fresh ones on me. Gave me more cool water.
The "Doggie Ambulance" arrived, the techs that came for me, were my friends, they had taken care of me while I was in the hospital. They gently picked me up and put me on the stretcher, carried me to the ambulance. I knew my pain and suffering would soon be over and I would be a puppy again, running and playing with all the Fur Babies who had gone before me.. We would all meet at Rainbowsbridge.. We arrived at the hospital, where I was met by Dr. Balch, she told me "I would soon be pain free and a happy puppy again". She had the Techs get me ready to be with mommy, daddy and Judy. Judy saw me and said to mommy "Peggy, Beethoven is gorgeous". I looked up at her and smiled and laid my head back down, she petted and hugged me, told me what a good Furbaby I was. How sad she was that I had been so sick.......Dr. Balch came in with her assistant, she started the medication that would release me from this horrid pain and suffering. Mommy, daddy and Judy petted, hugged and told me how much they loved me, as I slipped away to Rainbowsbridge, 4:55P.M. 07/01/02.
Mommy picked out an Urn for me "Red Fire Hydrant", will have my picture on it, everybody liked it, I liked it also. I will miss my mommy, daddy, Judy, Cookie, ChewChew, Furgy, Tippy and all my friends. I know that we will all meet at Rainbowsbridge, we will all be together again.
Love You and Miss You, Beethoven.
The rest of this story is from mommy.....Beethoven was a one of a kind,, he was funny, personable, loving, protective, a big ham, a lap puppy. He was also a wonderful Furbaby, whose life was cut short, by a horrible disease "Osteosarcoma"......The same couch, is still in the same van. You will be greatly missed by your mommy, daddy, Cookie, ChewChew, Furgy and Tippy..... This Memorial is from my heart.....Peggy
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