Chloe - (Tailends 11.01.09 – 16.03.09)

Chloe - this poor little girl was picked up by the dog warden after being abandoned to fend for herself, although she has virtually no sight - just limited light and dark. She must have been terrified. She was fostered initially by a kind couple in Lincolnshire and then was brought down to Tailends on Sunday 11th January 2009. I would like to thank everyone involved in bringing her here including Wendy and Jan & Graham. Chloe was a small Jack Russell with no tail as it had been docked so close to her body that there was nothing left. Her mouth was in an appalling state and she needed a week on antibiotics to settle the infection before having the drastic dental which was essential. A growth on her eye which had been scratching the cornea was removed at the same time. A urine test showed that she also had a urinary infection which was sorted out with the antibiotic course. She had been a bit incontinent but again this would maybe improve with treatment. Blood tests revealed early kidney failure so she was put on a low fat renal diet. Chloe was a happy little girl, and enjoyed pottering around the garden and then curling up in her warm bed kindly supplied by Martin and Carole. I think she was at least fifteen years old but not ready to give up on life yet. I was optimistic that she would have some happy months at Tailends after being so cruelly abandoned to her fate in this very cold winter

Chloe went off to the vet on Monday 19th January for her treatment. She had 15 teeth removed including a number of surgical extractions and needed some stitches in her gums. She also had the eyelid adenoma removed from her right eye. Chloe was kept on a drip overnight as she went a bit flat during surgery but was fine the next day and came home to her own bed. Since then she did remarkably well and was then eating and drinking normally. The urinary infection had cleared and she finished her course of antibiotics and anti-inflamatories. She enjoyed a potter around the garden in the winter sunshine. It would take a few weeks for her to find her way around completely but she was busy exploring and feeling her way around. There is little that could be done to restore her sight effectively and she was very old and would be unlikely to cope with the intensive treatment and surgery which could be involved.

During the early hours of 16th March I heard Chloe making strange noises and I pulled back her blanket revealing that she was lying awkwardly and appeared to have suffered some sort of trauma. I carefully picked her up and cuddled her though I think she was unconscious. Her breathing was very erratic during the next fifteen minutes and a few minutes after 3am she sadly died. There was nothing I could have done. It all happened so quickly and it was so unexpected. On the day before she had actually started to find her way around the garden and for the first time walked indoors and into the room on her own. Alison thinks she must have suffered some sort of stroke. Poor little Chloe should never have been abandoned by her cruel owner at her age. It would have been kinder for them to have her quietly put to sleep if they could not keep her. However I am glad she came to us for her last few weeks. I think she was happy here and we did all we could to make her comfortable and feel loved. Sleep tight little Chloe and then join all the boys and girls who have lived in our care at Tailends and are now waiting at Rainbow Bridge for me to join them.