No this isn’t my usual blog post but I need to write and put my thoughts down somewhere. On 28th March 2024 our beautiful Beaglebum Gemma passed away. She was 14 years and 2 months old. Our beautiful little squish!
Diabetes
She had been suffering with diabetes for about a year. We found out when we took her to the vets to have a mammary mass removed and the bloodwork showed diabetes symptoms. So she was hospitalised to get her blood sugar regulated before coming home to daily insulin shots.
But the last two or three weeks her eating habits changed. She became a fussy eater so we tried everything to get her to eat and she ended up on chicken and rice. We were going to try and wean her back onto the diabetic stuff but she ended up throwing up.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis
Having had an appointment originally booked for 5.15pm, the vet phoned me to say that they wanted to see her earlier in the day as they thought that she might be suffering from “diabetic ketoacidosis“. So husband took Gemma into the vets at 12.15pm and they said that they’d check her bloodwork and give her some insulin to regulate her blood sugar. They warned him that there was a good chance she’d go into shock with the insulin. He let her waddle off to do her bloods. At 1.52pm the vets phoned him to say she was gone. She had gone into shock and they couldn’t save her.
Grief – It’s The Little Things
When I had the call from him I was stood in the middle of B&M Bargains in Llandudno. Yes I cried when he told me but I carried on with my day. It’s when I arrived home later that evening it hit me. I walked into the kitchen and she wasn’t there to greet me!
On Friday morning when I went downstairs it hit me again. I normally woke up to some form of dog wee needing to be mopped up but on Friday there was nothing. I stood in the kitchen crying that there wasn’t any dog wee!
When I went to the vet on Saturday morning to discuss arrangements I broke down again. The vets were so kind. Both the vet that was with her at the end and the vets that had looked after her with her various operations came to sympathise. We got reminiscing about our Gemma – they said everyone there knew Gemma and that she was such a special character. They had also taken a copy of her pawprint for me and a clipping of her fur as a keepsake. This also made me cry as I’ve spent the last 14 years cursing that dog hair!
Regrets
I have regrets. I wish I had gone home on that Thursday to take her to the vets so I could be there with her at the end. Of course I know that wouldn’t have been possible but I hadn’t seen her since Tuesday and I feel a big loss because I was unable to have one last cuddle with that little squish. She had such a squishy face!
The biggest regret I have is that the dogs didn’t spend much time in the living room with us. Partly due to the dog hair issue (I know, sounds ridicilous now!) but also because of a few weeing incidents.
Another one is that she didn’t go on enough walks! We were far too lazy and so the dogs didn’t get the walks they deserved. They had a big enough garden to run around but she didn’t have epic adventures as she ought to have had. Having said that though, on the occasions that we did go for walks she was such a puller! Although not by the end… she was a waddler in the end.
A Good Life – I Hope!
People tell me that I should take solace in the fact that she gad a good life. I really do hope that she had a good life. She was very loved! Despite the annoyance of a few things… like the greed! Such a greedy dog (which probably why she ended up with diabetes). In fact there was an a fair few food related incidents – including her taking a chunk of littlest’s 1st birthday cake!
Ahhh so many happy memories! I will really miss that little squish!!
