Good-bye to our Sweet, Unforgettable Dog Calcy

I am just barely able to type this without too many tears getting in my way!

We had to say good-bye to our precious dog Calcy on June 24.

We noticed she was not feeling well and vomiting quite a bit on June 23, Tuesday night (and sadly Barrett's birthday), and she was acting very lethargic. We decided she should go to the emergency vet clinic, so I got there with her around 10 pm. I left the clinic with both the vet and I thinking it was probably just a 'stomach' bug type of thing. But then at 3 am I got a call that things had taken a bad turn, and she was collapsing. She had fluid accumulating around her heart and they had to drain it immediately or we'd lose her. This helped her immediately, and the vet sounded hopeful again. The 7 am update was still hopeful, but then at 8:15 am, she collapsed again. They realized the fluid was filling up again more quickly, and they had to drain it again. They also had noticed a mass in her abdomen and were worried it could be cancerous, and maybe even had metastasized to her heart. By the time Barrett and I got to the vet to see her at 9:40 am, it was very hopeless for our sweet dog. The fluid was already filling again, and she was too dehydrated to attempt surgery for at least 24 hours. They would have to continue giving her fluids and also draining her heart more frequently, and then IF it was cancer and IF they successfully removed the mass, they really didn't think she have more than 6 months to live (and they couldn't say it would be a comfortable 6 months).

It was with heavier hearts than I can say that Barrett and I made the decision to say good-bye to our wonderful dog and let her go in peace. We were both laying with her as she went to the 'Rainbow Bridge' (the boys were in camp, and Ellie happily waited with the receptionist), and we all saw her smile just before she passed.

We are so heartbroken over our loss, but also so extremely grateful for the opportunity to have had such an amazing dog in our lives! Barrett rescued her 10 years ago when she was just about a year old, and she had probably been living on the streets until he saved her! I have known her for 8 years.

Here are some things we will never forget about our precious Calcy:

- She LOVED watching TV! If you turned the tv on, and she was in the other room, she would come racing in and sit right in front of it. We have never seen a dog really WATCH the tv the way she did!

- She would not fetch!

- She was one of the most graceful runners ever... and one of the most awkward swimmers ever!

- She would speak on command (especially Barrett's command) or if you were singing, she would howl!

-Barrett loved getting her all riled up! She would then dart around the house and make us laugh as she tried not to run into things!

- She was usually the sweetest dog, but would randomly and occasionally find other dogs she did not like- and she would pick fights with them!! We think she was defending Mabel some of the time (although Mabel didn't ask for it), but who knows why!? She just didn't like some dogs!

- She loved long walks, and the last 2 years spend many hours on these long walks with Barrett!

- There was just something so special about this dog! Multiple people / friends actually offered to pay Barrett for her! She was so smart, so graceful, so wonderful!

We will miss our Caly-la-tinas so much! Here is a picture I took of her in early June... we were laughing so hard because she came racing the room when she hear a dog on the TV- but it was actually a video of her! Calcy watching Calcy... !

Some older pictures/ memories of Calcy...

Watching TV next to a tiny baby LJ...

Sleeping in bed on her back with Bella...

Beautiful dog!

Enjoying the sun!

Photo bombing!

Celebrating her and Bella's birthday last August... she turned 10!

The dog nose! She used her nose to get attention! She would stick it under your arm and jerk your arm up so you'd pet her! And she would wake me up all the time doing this too! She like to go outside a lot! A LOT! She was always patrolling our yard for us and chasing any 'friends' she could find!

Always at her dad's feet! She loved Barrett the very most!!! These two had such a special bond!

She was not allowed in our bed unless invited (which was rare), but when Barrett wasn't sleeping in our room during the first months of having Ellie, she took over his spot in the bed! I always laughed at how quickly she got so presumptuous! Now I am so thankful for those extra months to be bed buds!

And these are the last pictures I have of our Calcy. I took them to send to Barrett from the Emergency Vet- of course never imagining they'd be the last ones I got of her. She was so tired.

I am sad to say I got her groomed earlier that day- and she hated getting groomed :( I ams so sad that I made her go through that one last time.

Good bye our sweet, sweet dog! We will love you always!