Life lessons

My little dog, Bashful, passed on very quietly last week. His health was declining due to congestive heart failure and then he got an infection in his mouth on top of that. We had been to the vet to see what could be done to help him, but I think the medications on top of the added infection were just too much for his little system. It was difficult to clean his teeth because the vet was leery of sedating him with his heart condition. I was leery of brushing because he hated it and I did not want to stress him because of his heart. We buried him on the hill below the house with a beautiful view of the valley below. He was a sweet, kind little dog and we miss him terribly.

I've learned the hard way that there are things you need to do to keep your pets healthy beyond the standard vaccinations. Keeping their teeth clean will do wonders for their health. Some people do it successfully by providing chewies and breath buster tablets and some by brushing. Otherwise, a trip to the vet as needed to have their teeth cleaned before gum disease sets in will do wonders. My mother-in-law has a large Weimaraner that is going on 12 years old and he still bounces around like a puppy, but she has had his teeth cleaned professionally every six months or so since he was about 2 years old. I sincerely believe that it makes a big difference and will be much more diligent about tooth cleaning from now on. It is as important for them as it is for us.