One year ago today

It was exactly one year ago today that I came to the Rainbow Bridge. My Mommy's heart is still hurting, and she still cries over me sometimes, but she knows how happy I am here, and she finds it comforting knowing that I'm not sick anymore.

I've had one full year of the best life I could ever wish for. No pain and no sickness, not even a little headache. I have more energy than I EVER had on earth (even tho some would find that hard to believe, bol). I can play fetch all day long and never get tired. I have wonderful angel friends.

I've been re-united with my pal, Spikey, who has lived here for seven years now. I sure missed her...........even tho she can be a pest at times. My cat, Tigger, even found me!! YES, I said "MY CAT".........I watched him be born and he always thought I was his daddy. We ate and slept together until that fateful day he got outside and Mom didn't know it and he went to the bridge.

I've witnessed the most amazing reunions when a human passes over the bridge and comes to take his doggy to heaven. I sometimes wish my humans would come for me, but I know it's not their time just yet. But SOMEDAY I'll hear that big bark in the sky and I'll know it's my turn to run to the end of the Bridge to wait. I'll wag my little stubby until it falls off coz I'll be so excited!! It will be nice to see my boy again. No one could throw a ball like my boy could.

I'm happy here. I love you all and miss you, but one day we'll be back together.

The puppies are coming!!

May 31, 2007, two weeks after I went to the Bridge, my puppies are being born. Maddie went into labor on the 30th around 2:00 p.m. and began hard labor around 11:00 p.m. with the first puppy being born at 12:50 a.m....a little girl. She is white with light brown markings like her Mommy; she is also fairly large and has the sweetest little cry. She has tiny pink feet and hands with the smallest toes you've ever seen. Maddie is learning to let the baby nurse but it's a challenge so Mom and my human sister are trying to help. Even Dad got out of bed to see the first puppy born!!
Right now Maddie is resting; Mom and my human sister have left the room so that IF any more pups are going to be born Maddie can have her privacy. They will check on her every half hour to make sure the baby is nursing and warm enough and if Maddie needs anything. After all Maddie is only seven months old; she's a very young mother. But she's being a good mom so far.

Skeeter, from the Bridge

7 Random Facts about myself

1.) I NEVER played with any toy other than a tennis ball in my entire life.

2.) I knew the difference between the commands "move" and "down". When asked to move I would scoot over. When told to get down I would get down.

3.) I LOVED to sleep under a blanket on mom's bed; preferably when Mom was taking a nap too.

4.) I was a super fast kisser and even if you thought you were prepared for it I would get you before you were ready.

5.) I would pee in the house if I got mad at mom.

6.) I LOVED to roll in smelly stuff.

7.) I was really good about taking baths.

The Hardest Thing

Yesterday was quite possibly the hardest day I've ever been through. We've known for a long time that Skeeter's health was getting worse and worse but I just couldn't bring myself to send him on to the Bridge until I knew, that I knew, that I knew he was ready. As long as he was playing ball I just couldn't do it, and he played ball until the last couple of days.

About three days ago we noticed Skeeter was really inactive; hiding under our bed most of the time and not interacting with any of the family. He would eat but not much. He continued to have the bloody, runny poops that we had become so used to since Feburary. We had him in the garage at night because he was pooping so much at night and he refused to go on the papers I laid out for him in the sun room. He was stubborn right up to the end too!!

Yesterday Skeeter wouldn't play ball. We would throw it, he would get it then he would immediately lie down. Usually he came back, dropped the ball and turned around waiting for it to be thrown. But yesterday, nothing. When we picked up the leash to take him for his final car ride he didn't get excited. Normally he would have ran to the front door and been wiggling all over because he LOVED to go on car rides. He knew the leash meant he got to go bye-bye, but there was no reaction from him yesterday. He just didn't feel good.

He ate good before he left. I boiled chicken and fed him half of a whole chicken (minus the bone). I didn't give him rice or dog food, just chicken because I knew that was his favorite part. I couldn't let him go if he was hungry, so I made sure he ate all he wanted.

There was a HUGE mix up at the vets office about euthanizing Skeeter. The vet does not allow family to be in the room when it happens but we weren't taking "No" for an answer. It was supposed to happen at 4:00 p.m. but didn't actually take place until 6:00 p.m. Skeeter was given a shot to relax him, then an IV to put him to sleep. It was very easy. He didn't jerk or anything. He was buried with his favorite red tennis ball.

I KNOW he's at the Rainbow Bridge now and I KNOW he's feeling better than he ever has, but I miss him so much. I wish I could bring him back so that I could look into his sad brown eyes one more time, kiss the top of his nose and hug him, and tell him I love him just once more.

Skeeter, I hope you can hear me from there. I love you, Buggy. You were a great dog and you brought us years of love and devotion that I'm not sure we earned, but thank you. The house is so empty without you. I didn't have to call your name today to come inside. You were almost always the last one in, especially on nice days. No one knocked at the door telling me they wanted in. You were the only one smart enough to know to knock when you wanted inside and the others never learned it from you. Maybe your puppies will develop that habit?

I'll take pictures of your puppies and I'll post them on your Dogster page. IF one looks like you I'm going to call it "Buggy" in honor of your nick name "Bug". We're keeping one puppy and we promise to find good, loving homes for the other ones, Bug. You know us, we won't let just anyone have a puppy just because they want one. They'll have to show us that they can provide a good, loving, safe home for it.

We love you Skeeter. We miss you more than you will ever know. Run free at the Bridge my precious boy, run free. Run as far as you want to, there are no fences in Heaven. I'll come get you one day and I promise to bring a tennis ball so we can play. It will be so wonderful to see you again.

With all my love,
Mom

R.I.P. Jan. 26, 1996 - May 15, 2007

JANURARY 26, 1996 – MAY 15, 2007


Skeeter was born to a breeder who sold him to a wonderful, kind, older lady and gentleman when he was approximately eight weeks old. Skeeter grew into a nice looking, healthy, robust pup. He had a nice home in the countryside with the older woman and man and they truly loved him. There was only one real problem and that was that Skeeter was always getting loose and running away. The people couldn’t run after him due to their age and physical ailments, and they were terrified he would get killed or dog-napped by some heartless person. So after many months of soul searching they decided to put Skeeter up for adoption. They had a total of 24 families call them and apply for ownership of Skeeter. Something about our family touched their hearts and they offered Skeeter to us on only one condition: that we would love and care for him for the rest of his life the way that they would if they were only well enough to do it. We promised them that we would, and we did.

We brought Skeeter home when he was nine months old. He changed our family and our hearts forever. He was always into some type of mischief when he was young and it usually involved digging a hole under the fence and running away. He LOVED to play fetch with a tennis ball. From the time we got him, until his death, he NEVER once played with any toy other than a tennis ball. We would even try to trick him into playing with other balls, but he had absolutely no interest in them at all.

When Skeeter was four he developed an illness that would cause him to have severe bouts of diarrhea and sometimes nausea and vomiting too. He was given antibiotics and a prescription dog food and that helped. Two and a half years later he got sick again and we thought we would lose him, but he pulled through. At the age of nine he once again developed the sickness. After MANY trips to the vet, a total diet change and lots of medication we knew that Skeeter wasn’t going to get well this time. The hardest decision in the world had to be made: WHEN to give him peace. We made that decision, and then we went with him and held him close until he took his last breath. We were in tears as Skeeter’s chest stopped rising and falling, but we knew that he had found the peace he so deserved. He’s at the Rainbow Bridge now waiting for us. We WILL see him again one day.

Skeeter leaves the Boy he loved so much, Brandon. His little girl, Sarah. Mom Tammy, and Dad Jerry. His fur siblings: Maddie, Miley, Sammy, Squeaky and Baby. And one set of Grandparents, John and Kathy.

Next to last page (from Earth)

Well, IF our vet is in on Saturday (day after tomorrow) I'm headed for the Bridge. Today I laid down and took a nap with mom on her bed and when I got up she found a big puddle of blood under me and had to wash a few blankets on her bed. My poops are a lot worse than last week with blood in them and lots and lots of mucous. I eat good, tho!! Boy, Mom makes me delicious meals with chicken, rice and veggies and I dearly love it, but I haven't even gained an ounce of weight. Mom even feeds me more than she has been thinking I would gain but I haven't. I don't get much exercise because I prefer to lay most of the time. Lately I've been going under Mom's bed during the day. I just don't like the commotion of the twin pupps Miley and Maddie....................those two drive me up the wall!!

It appears I'm going to miss the birth of my puppies which really makes me sad. I really wanted to meet them because they're MINE. The closest I've ever come to being a daddy was when our cat had kittens and they adopted me as their Daddy. They sure were cute little things and I loved 'em a lot. They slept all around me an even on top of me and under my ears sometimes. I bet my puppies would love me like that too. I sure wish I could hang on, but folks I'm not feeling well.

Mom feels really bad for going back and forth on this decision for so long, but she says it's the hardest thing she's ever had to do. I'm family and she's not used to killing off family members. She knows she'll see me again, but she doesn't know when that will be and that's the part that hurts so much. It's ok, Mom, I understand.

MAYBE I can hang on until the puppies get here? But it's not gonna be until June and I just don't know if I can. I'll watch them from the Bridge tho. You can bet that I'll visit them in spirit. I love them already and haven't even met them yet. They'll be GORGEOUS little critters............................3/4 Cocker Spaniel, and some poodle and terrier mixed in for fun. They will be gorgeous. I hope one is black and white like me.....................Mom is gonna keep one for my Boy and she hopes it's one that looks like me.

Stubby waggs,
Skeeter

Some very UNexpected news from the vet

Well, guess what? The vet (my regular vet AND Dr. Popp) think that Maddie might be pregnant. There's no real way to tell right now, BUT her teats are swollen and that usually only means one thing-------------milk for babies.
Dr. Popp said that since I got to her there is a very strong possibility that the mating "took", so he said to wait and see. Wait and see, that's easy for him to say. I'm on my way to the Bridge and he says, "Wait and see."

I want to see MY puppies, by golly. Mom knows this and she has promised me that she won't send me across the Bridge unless she absolutely HAS to between now and the time the puppies are born. "Absolutely has to" means I gotta be so close to death's door that a small wind will blow me thru it. Mom is gonna get me some more sulfa and flagyl tomorrow so that should help a little with the inflammation I'm having right now. It won't cure anything but at least it will help. And maybe the diarrhea will go away for a day or two or maybe even a week or two which would be wonderful.

AND there's always the chance that Maddie isn't really pregnant, but both vets seem to think she probably is. I guess for now it is a "wait and see" game, I hope we don't have to wait long until we know for sure. IF she's pregnant I hope one of the pups looks just like me because Mom says we're gonna keep one of them. She wants my blood line to live on. Isn't God good to work this out like this? An old life is ending and a new life will begin from the blood of the old one? So cool!!!!

I may be leaving soon

Today mom had to call Dr. Popp with the news that I haven't hardly ate since I was in his office last Wednesday. She had to tell him that she had to force feed me and he was NOT happy to hear that. He also wasn't happy to hear that I still have diarrhea. That's when he told Mom that it's time to think of sending me on to the Bridge. Mom started cryin' and couldn't breathe and she was fanning her face and trying to talk to the Doctor but she just couldn't. He said he understood and to call him when Mom decided what she wanted to do.

What Mom doesn't understand is that I'm about ready to go on ahead. I've lived a really good life here with her and my dad and my siblings (even the cats!!). I've had it better than a lot of dogs, that's for sure. Heck, I have my very own bed with a real mattress, not a pillow, but a bonafide baby bed mattress!! I can also sleep on Mom's bed any time I feel like it, or the couch, the recliner, the floor..................

I gotta prepare Mom for when I leave. It's gonna hurt her real bad. I very rarely ever bark but for the past few days I've been barking a lot. Ya see, I want Mom to remember my deep, throaty voice after I'm gone so I'm barking a lot so she'll get it down inside her rememberer and never forget it. I'm also giving her a lot of extra kisses even tho I'm a kisser anyway. I just want mom to know that we kissed enough before I left. I'm letting her pet me more too. I've always been a pup to not want too much attention (even when I was young) but lately I'm letting Mom love on me lots more than I ever have. I want her to know that she gave me enough pets and hugs before I head to the Bridge. I don't want her having any regrets about what she did with me or for me.

That's something mom is having a hard time with. Dr. Popp said that mom and dad could take me to the University for some special tests but it's VERY expensive (in the thousands of dollars) and even with the tests I probably wouldn't improve much. Mom was trying to figure out a way to come up with the money until she talked to Dr. Popp again today and he told her I probably won't improve. Now she holds me and cries and tells me how sorry she is that she's not rich enough to make me better. I wish I could tell her that it's really OK. Mom and Dad are rich in love and kindness. They've given me everything a dog could ever want and more. They have ALWAYS been there for me even when I've been running all over the neighborhood for hours and hours and come home all dirty and smelly.

It's gonna be ok. I'm almost ready to go. Just gotta get the family as ready as I am. I'll keep you posted.

Skeeter

Visit with a new vet

Today I had to go to a new doctor, Dr. Popp. My regular doctor said that maybe this new doctor could run some different tests on me. He was really nice and very thorough in his exam. I've lost almost four pounds which isn't good. He took blood, and a stool example which I wasn't real excited about, but it could have been worse I suppose. Then he gave me a shot and a pill and gave Mom some pills to give me at home.

He THINKS I may have Crohn's Disease. He put me on a new dog food that I've never had before. He also told Mom that I can't have any more of the food she's been making for me, so Sammy and Maddie will get all the food Mom already has made up. That makes me mad because my mommy makes GREAT food for me and I LOVE IT.

Dr. Popp told Mommy that I may need to go to the University Of Missouri @ Columbia Doggie Hospital for an endoscopy, but it will depend on what the blood tests show. He said it's a VERY expensive test so he wants to make sure I NEED it before he orders it.

Mommy was very nervous because she has been talking to me about going on to the Bridge because I've been so sick. I get better but then get real sick again and Mommy doesn't want to see me hurting. So she asked Dr. Popp if we should be thinking about the Bridge and he said that in his opinion I am a "long way" from needing to go there. My mommy grabbed me and cried into my fur when he said that. She cries a lot sometimes------I've heard that Mommies are like that, tho.

Because of all the needles and poking and proding from the doctor Mommy told me she was going to take me to Sonic for ice cream, but the vet said, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO. He can't have ice cream anymore. I wanted to cry then. I LOVE ice cream, but I can't have it EVER again. That news totally bummed me out. Life comes at ya hard sometimes, ya know? It can totally suck. I may never be able to have ice cream again----man, that sucks!!

Thank you

I've been really, really sick lately. We have a neighbor, Ralph, who loves us and he talks to us all the time when he's outside. Ralph wouldn't hurt us for anything but he brought over some left overs one day and fed them to us. Well, the food was pork chops and I LOVE pork chops (I love ANY pork) but I'm very allergic to it. In fact, the vet told Mommy that pork could potentially kill me. So Mommy and Daddy are really careful that I don't get ANY pork at all.

About two days after Ralph gave me the pork I got really sick. My tummy ached so bad it was unreal. I stopped eating. Then the diarrhea started and then the bleeding. I could barely walk. All I wanted to do was sleep next to Mommy and she let me until I couldn't hold my bowels anymore and then she made me a really wonderful bed in the sun room so that I could get soft sunshine on my fur to keep me warm, and Mommy laid down by me and would gently stroke my fur until I fell asleep. She would tell me how much she loves me and how wonderful I am and how much she wants to keep me around. She would tell me to hold on and stay strong because she was giving me medicine and wanted it to work. But she also told me that she understood IF I was tired of fighting and she would let me go on to the Bridge if that's what I wanted to do.

Mommy made up songs to sing to me and lots of times she would cry when she sang or even when she was just sitting there stroking my fur. I have to be honest and tell you that there were a few days when I really wanted to just give up and go on to the Bridge; I couldn't even give Mommy a stubby wag when she talked to me because I felt so bad. Mommy has told me all about the Bridge and how wonderful it is there and how I won't be allergic to pork there and I'll be healthier than I've ever been here. She said it's beautiful at the Bridge and that one day she will join me there and then we'll walk into Heaven together. It sure sounds like a great place to be, especially when I felt like I was dying. But I would look at my mommy and see the love on her face and I just couldn't leave her. How can I give up when my Mommy loves me so much? I just couldn't this time, so I decided to try really hard to get better, and that meant I had to take medicine and eat food the vet said was good for me.

I don't like to take pills and I am very good at spitting them back at Mommy and usually she laughs, but she didn't laugh this time-----she cried. I don't like to see Mommy cry so I would swallow them the second time and she would smile and tell me what I big, brave boy I am. I like it when Mommy tells me stuff like that. It took a whole 10 days for me to start feeling better again, but the love of my Mommy got me through. Mommy also says that "hundreds of people" on Dogster were praying for me and that made me feel good to know that. Thank you for your prayers.

Now Mommy is making my dog food and it is yummylicious. It takes her a long time to make it but she says my health is worth it. She takes me into her bedroom to feed me and we have special bonding time. She tells me how good I'm looking and she even said she thinks I might get fat if I keep eating so good. Mommy thinks fat would look good on me because I've been skinny for so long.

That's it in a nutshell. I left out the really bad parts of being sick because no body needs to read about that stuff. I'm glad I'm back to chasing tennis balls and running in the back yard. It feels good to be healthy again. I'm glad to be here with my Mom and Dad too because I love them a lot and they sure love me.