1/3/06 This page is dedicated to Millie who crossed the Rainbow Bridge today after a year long battle with Renal Disease. Millie was a valiant little lady who brought smiles to many and who left her little pawprints on their hearts. No one will miss her more than her family - Harriet, Helena & Chuck.
1/8/06
Millies story was a miracle in itself as this little girl had overcome the odds not once but TWICE since she was rescued in May of 2005.
Millie entered the world of rescue with her crate-mate Harley, who I had the pleasure of fostering. Both girls had spent most of their young lives within the confines of an outdoor pen. They were both "hard cases" and had been used for (over) breeding. Initially there was some consideration to not bring Millie into rescue because of her precarious health situation but through persuasion and stubborn tenacity her "mom" Harriet made a promise to foster Millie herself and provide for her as much love and care as possible.
She had a long journey in front of her - Millies coat was dull, matted and she was in terrible shape when she was brought to us in May 2005 by a wonderful couple - Mike & Merrie. These 2 individuals work within the auspices of animal welfare and contacted SOS Beagle Rescue in hopes of finding them homes. Initially the Founding Director of SOS refused to help these two girls because of the possible financial burden but Harriet would not be deterred and offered a solution. She would personally foster Millie and I would take responsibility for fostering her friend Harley. With no wiggle room for argument (Harriet can be persistent)these 2 babies entered rescue!
Millies buddy Harley stayed with me in foster and wound up going to one of the most loving families you can imagine. She's blossomed into a beautiful dog with a love for life (and treats!).
In little Millies case, we learned fairly quickly that she was suffering from the onset of Canine Renal Failure (CRF). Harriet noticed that Millie was not interested in food in the least. We contacted our veterinarians and brought her in for bloodwork. Sure enough, her creatinine and BUN levels were abnormal.
Here is the profile from Millies guardian angel, Merrie:
On April 30 a male beagle followed me home on my walk over 3 miles. He was dirty and hungry…poor little guy. We cleaned him up and fed him and then called the ACO as we thought someone might be looking for him. As she took him away we asked if we could come visit him at the shelter if no one came to claim him the next day. Val, the ACO agreed to let us know when she would be there so we could see him.
When we got to the shelter we were apphauled at the living conditions for the dogs. The smell was horrid and there was no sunlight inside. It was May 1, 2005…the first day we met little Millie and Harley. The 2 female beagles were in the stall next to the male beagle that had followed me home the day earlier. We gave them all treats and rubs as they looked up at us with those cute faces.
We asked Val about Millie and Harley. She told us they were dumped in the woods in our town and they had been at the shelter for weeks. Millie’s nails were so long and curled the ACO guessed that she had not touched the ground and had lived her life in a chicken coop and that they were probably used for breeding only.
She told us they had been trying to crack down on the illegal puppy mills in the area. Millie and Harley were probably dogs that couldn’t be used any more for breeding and making money so they were just abandoned and left in the woods.
We went to visit the 3 beagles each day…bringing warm blankets, food and treats and taking them for small walks in the field next to the shelter. We wanted to help these 3 beagles so much. It was this week that my husband, Mike read on the internet about SOS Beagle Rescue. He spoke with Harriet that first week and she gave us hope that SOS may be able to take the 2 females in and help them find forever homes. (The ACO had no luck trying to place them anywhere for weeks.)
After that first week we took the male beagle and fostered him until we found a good home for him. He now lives with my friend Christi, her son Ben and Shadow (their other dog). Halo, as they named him, has a wonderful life and even helps as a therapy dog with disabled children.
We continued to visit Millie and Harley at the shelter for the next few weeks until we were given the great news that SOS could receive Millie and Harley for foster care. Millie still was so thin and scared, but always happy to see us.
The day we met the wonderful volulnteers of SOS Beagle Rescue will be one I will never forget. We met the group at the Panera Bread Company where they were having their monthly meeting. Everyone came out to our car and were so wonderful to Millie and Harley. The 2 little beagles were welcomed with love and warmth like we never imagined! They went from a cold, dark shelter in the Hudson Valley of New York to warm, loving hands. We knew then that Millie and Harley were going to have the best lives possible…if only Millie could get healthy."
At the outset Millie was given about 2-3 weeks to live. Against the odds, we had her with us for more than a year - all for the care of her "mom" Harriet. Harriet believes in holistic avenues coupled with traditional medicine. As soon as we received Millies diagnosis, Harriet switched her to a completely home cooked meal comprised of Organically fed beef, fresh green beans or zucchini and brown rice & garlic. She painstakingly prepared Millies meals and supplemented them with vitamins and specialty items like Bovine Colostrum.
Millie was given sub-q fluids monthly during her scheduled blood work appointments and for 6 months her levels remained fairly constant.
Her Creatinine levels remained in the 4.5 range
Her BUN level was typically 121-125
Her Hematocrit was 27
Her Albumin level stayed around 2.4
Just a week prior to Christmas 2005 Millie started vomiting bile and refused to eat. This behavior continued for 2 days and fearing the worst, we scheduled an appointment for the following Monday for additional bloodwork under the assumption that she was going into renal failure.
By Monday morning Millie had not eaten and it was decided that she would be left with the caring staff at Werner Animal Hospital.
She was immediately put on a sub-q fluid regimen. When she still had not eaten on Tuesday, antibiotics were introduced intravenously in hope of stimulating her appetite. Alas, this was not to be the case. Over the next 2 days the staff performed ultrasounds, xrays, blood work on a hunch that the kidneys, while in failure were masking another disorder.
Dr. Werner, Dr. Clark & Dr. Brown assisted Millie and through their studies on Millie, it was determined she was suffering from Pyometra. The transcripts below are from her forever mom:
12/19/05
As some of you already know, Millie was admitted to the animal hospital yesterday morning and is on IV fluids and antibiotics. The change in her health was sudden -- starting Thursday she stopped eating and has since shown no interest in food whatsoever. Her x-rays are inconclusive and after 36 hours of sub-Q's she hasn't shown much improvement esp. in the eating dept. This afternoon she received IV steriod (Dexamethasone) in hopes of stimulating her appetite. She'll have further bloodwork again in the morning and we should know more by tommorrow afternoon. All I can do is pray for a little X-mas miracle that she will bounce back for us.
12/22/05
Millie is scheduled for 'emergency' surgery/spay tommorrow morning.
After numerous ultrasounds and bloodwork (where her kidney values fell) her white blood cell count remained elevated despite recieving antibiotics via IV since Monday. This, as well as the fact that she is still not interested in food, concerned both Dr. Brown and Dr Werner. Both believe that Millie has an undisclosed infection in her reproductive organs and could most likely have pyrometra and/or endometriosis. If this is left untreated she could go into septic shock and/or die within days. Surgery is her only chance (and we are aware how risky it is for Millie) and then we need to hope that she will be strong enough to recover. Please keep us in your prayers.
12/23/05
Millie is home and yes I felt like a little kid on X-mas morning when Pattie and I drove down earlier this evening to pick her up. Dr Werner came in on his day off to perform Millie's surgery at 10:30 this morning. The 'presumed' initial diagnosis of Pyometra was confirmed. Millie had a massive infection that was mimicking kidney failure. We won't know how damaged her kidneys are until a few weeks down the road when we retest her. For now, Millie was given a second chance. Hopefully she will recover nicely and start to feel better soon.
1/7/06 - Millies story between December and June was a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. Her spirit soared when her body could not and she passed over the Rainbow Bridge on Monday 7/3/06 - Harriet said that she found it ironic that one day before the the 4th of July Millie found her own independence.
That one little girl was loved by so many and will be missed so much is a tribute to her. She is gone from earth but never from our hearts.
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If tears could build a stairway And memories were a lane We would walk right up to Heaven And bring you back again No farewell words were spoken No time to say goodbye You were gone before we knew it And only God knows why Our hearts still ache in sadness And secret tears still flow What it meant to lose you No one will ever know But know we know you want us To mourn for you no more To remember all the happy times Life still has much in store Since you'll never be forgotten We pledge to you today A hallowed place within our hearts Is where you'll always stay ~Author Unknown~
Millie
2001 - 7/5/2006
October 2005 Millie & her best friend!
Millie - Our First Meeting
Millie - At Home June 2005
Millies guardian angel, Harriet
Millie & her favorite girl 11/05
Hooper, Millie & one special little girl!
Harriets favorite Millie pic
Millies favorite bed!
In the beginning...
Harley & Millie
Xmas 2005 at home
Santa Millie Xmas 2005
For additional information regarding Canine Renal Failure, Glomerulonephritis & the effects of these insidious diseases please considering visiting the following websites:
http://vetprof.com/clientinfo/KidneyDiseaseInDogs/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/K9KIDNEYS/
Special thoughts from Harriet on her angel:
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I'm not sure how to even start this other than with the words that Millie was a true fighter. A fighter because she desperately wanted to live... and I'm not really sure why considering she had a pretty cruel life before Merrie and Mike Wise kindly bought her to the attention of SOS with their mission to rescue her. Maybe it was because she was curious to find out what it meant to be loved. I just don't know... but I do know that she became one of our biggest joys when she joined our family. With an estimated month to live {according to her tests, ultrasounds and bloodwork}... I wanted desperately to give her a good life. I whispered into her ear and asked if she could "give me a month...no, no... I really meant a year....can you do that Millie?".
She must have listened as she fought to keep her promise while struggling with her disease. She endured major surgery around the holidays and a few more visits for IV Therapy while she continued to develop ulcers and lose weight ...yet she never complained and kept wagging that wonderful little tail of hers like a propeller. Her wonderful vets and their staff were amazed with her comebacks and loved her as their own. Millie had no problem fitting in anywhere....she was easy to please.
Sadly this past Thursday, Millie reluctantly began to give up. She stopped eating, playing, and continued to vomit dark brown blood (from her ulcerated stomach and mouth). By Sunday she was having a difficult time standing and drinking water. That was the end for Millie and the beginning of our battle to let her go. We had already scheduled an appt with her vets at Werner Animal Hospital for Wed (when they would reopen) but decided to take her on Monday for sub-q's to my vet's office who had a vet tech on staff . I had hoped this would hold Millie until Wed ---make her a bit more comfortable....unfortunately it produced the opposite results. Millie went into heart failure by the time we arrived home. Her little body struggled with twists and turns as I tried to lay her on her side in her crate. As she started to pant heavily, I occupied Helena in the back room (so she didn't have to see Millie in pain) and quickly called Pattie. By the time I turned the corner to check in on Millie she was gone.
Just like that... out of my life as quickly as she came in. My heart shattered into a million pieces.
Not only did I regret allowing her to suffer so much toward the end...but I had missed the chance to hold her as she took her last breath. So many regrets had raced through my mind....so many ideas of how I could have handled the situation better and possibly given her more days, but it was too late, I had failed her.
Oh Millie -- I hope you realize that you took a great big part of my devastated heart when you left for the Rainbow Bridge. I know you are in a better place, and free from any pain but I will miss you horribly.
All of us will, especially your little girl Helena.
They say that on occasion, a special being comes into your life and changes you forever...you were that someone for me Millie. Thank you for letting us be a part of your short little life. I only wish I could have done more.
Rest in peace little angel.... We love you.
With a grieving heart,
Harriet
and MILLIE @ the Rainbow Bridge (7/3/06)
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"IN ONE OF THE STARS
I SHALL BE LIVING
IN ONE OF THEM
I SHALL BE LAUGHING
AND SO IT WILL BE
AS IF ALL THE STARS
WERE LAUGHING
WHEN YOU LOOK
AT THE SKY AT NIGHT...."
--- The Little Prince
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
To donate in Millies name please visit us at WWW.Cascaderescue.org/East.html
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