Skippy's Page
Born - Summer of 1995 - Feb. 19, 2008
A Rescued Dog
Like the others, when Skippy's time came, it was sudden and it was definite. He came out of his cage at feeding/switching time and unlike the other times of running outside, pottying and running back in to eat, he stepped out to half way between the cage and the door and stopped - near the water bucket. I thought he 'just couldn't decide whether to drink or not' but it was soon evident that he couldn't seem to move. Then, he laid down. And he didn't want to get back up. We eased him onto a piece of carpeting, which he didn't fight at all, and slid him away from the door and the drafts. Something was seriously wrong. We got him to his feet and took him to the vet. He walked in from the car to the waiting area, then laid down and there he stayed until later when it was time to go for xrays. The vet tried to get a blood pressure but of the MANY times he tried, he only got it once and it was VERY low. He said Skippy's unnecessary organs and muscles were shutting down to route the blood to his heart and lungs. Xrays showed he had a heart twice the normal size (if not three times) and the final decision was that he had cardio-mylopathy. The vet had only seen one other dog as bad as Skippy and he only lived another week. We could give him medicine to help, but his quality of life wouldn't be much better than what it was. The decision was made to let him rest. As we waited for the sedation to take affect, I told him he'd been a great dog, sweet, lovable and that we'd miss him. I told him it was ok to rest now... his work was done. He laid there looking at me, probably not sure what to think. "Mom was crying and all he could do was lay on the floor... just sooooo tired". He laid there quietly while I stroked his head and talked to him until he was easing under. The vet stepped in to 'finish it' and shortly after, Skippy was gone. No more struggling to breathe, move, or live. He may have been 'just a mutt', but he was very special and I'd like to think that I gave him a life he wasn't on a path for. I took him in, gave him many 'pals' to play with and as a result he lived to almost 13! I guess I can't ask for more than that. His presence is sorely missed but I know it was in his best interests and he's in good company at the Bridge. So that you understand his 'specialness'. . . read on to learn about his nature!
Oh my gosh... Skippy was as the music infers. Supersonic! He had a ball drive that wouldn't quit. We have a very large back yard and he chased/pushed his 10 inch indestructible ball back and forth making silly noises the whole time. I said he was my 'funniest home video material' dog. I never did get him on tape. My husband said he felt that if we didn't have a fence, Skippy would've just keep right on going and never stop.
When he got to the fence he'd nose the ball up, bounce it around a bit, toss it back over his back and off he went again. I had a neighbor that said that whenever she's 'down' she'd just watches him play for a bit and it brightened her day. He was quite the sight.
Skippy was also a rescued dog, another one not cared for by previous owners. He was a mix of non stop energy mostly. It was hard to get him to stand still. He had a very loving side as well, mixed in with a very stubborn side! When it was bedtime and I'd go out to put all to bed, he'd take off to the far side of the yard, go after his ball and just ignore my calls because - "he's busy". And this was a battle we'd go through most nights.
If God ever put an animal on this earth who's main purpose was entertainment, Skippy would be that animal! I've never seen one like him, nor do I think the chances are high that I'll see another one anytime soon.
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