Blanik DeeannaKrizzie Died Today.........Today is Tuesday.
Krizzie had shown no sign of illness until we came home from shopping on Sunday afternoon. In the morning she had eaten normally and had been wrestling with her daughter Tali. I took her temperature, and was upset to find it was 104, she was also very depressed. As I tried to examine her I found several small mammary tumours, which I was sure, had not been there long. Considering our recent experiences I panicked and phoned the Vet, he said I could take her in immediately.
His initial examination showed that she had respiratory problems, hopefully an infection, and she showed pain around her pancreas area. He took bloods and gave her antibiotics and anti-inflammatory tablets. I was to phone with a progress report on Monday morning and take her back on Tuesday.
On Monday morning her temperature was almost normal but she was very depressed and didn't eat all of her food, this in itself being a rare occurrence for Krizzie. On Monday night the alarm bells really started ringing when she didn’t eat at all.
This morning her temp had gone back up, she was pretty much the same in spirits but looked slightly bloated. But as we went to the car for the trip to the vets Kriz bounced out enthusiastically. She sat up all the way there and barked at a jogger who ran past the car as we waited at a junction. This gave me hope that Krizzie wasn’t feeling too ill after all!
The Vet examined her, decided to do a chest X-ray and drain some fluid from her abdomen. The fluid was blood. He immediately decided to do an exploratory operation and found that she had a tumour on her liver, which had burst and was haemorrhaging into the abdomen. He said there was very little left of the liver and there was nothing they could do to save her. He couldn’t understand how she had stayed so well and showed so few symptoms. It was decided that it was best not bring her round from the operation and to let her go peacefully to sleep.
I can't begin to tell you how I feel today. I've never experienced such pain in my life as I have these last few months. Krizzie was only 7 years old. I expected to share her wonderful/exuberant company for many years to come.
As you may know I’m sure I've now lost 4 of my beautiful Shepherds in 6 months and my lovely little Grani left us in April too. Along with ill health in my family this year, it must be the most painful year on record for me. I know there was nothing I could do to change things but that doesn't make it any easier accept. Krizzie died today.....
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In May 2000 Seffe was mated to Apollo von Dakota, and in July following a Caesarean I held the little bundles in my hands and dried off their wet bodies. One of the bitches in the litter of 5 had been too large to be born naturally and seeing as Krizzie was the largest pup and living with her over these years I now almost certainly believe it was her.
I christened the bitches Snap, Crackle and Pop, the boys Bill and Ben. I pitied the future owner of Snap, as even at an early age she was exuberant to say the least! By the time they where 6-7 weeks old, with not much between Snap and Crackle, I believed that Snap had the best conformation and therefore the decision was made to keep her. Snap became Krizzie, or Krizzie Pup as she was known till this day!
At around 14 weeks old Krizzie broke her front leg, we don’t know how, she never told us! She spent weeks in plaster, but it didn’t stop her from mischief making. One afternoon Steve was fixing the flat roof when he heard a noise behind him. Kriz was half way up the ladder, plastered leg coming first. I wasn’t home to help him and I still don’t really know how they both got down without breaking at least another leg between them!
Her show career started well, at her first show at 6 months old she was Res. Best Puppy in Show. She was a delight to show, though possibly somewhat too exuberant for the canine society show ring. In her last show at the end of August, proving to the young ones she could still move, she was 2nd in Open under Sarah Smith. (Saracol)
In July 2003 Krizzie gave birth to the Blanik “E” litter of 7 boys and one long coated bitch. (Our much loved and missed Jay being the sire) My initial disappointment at not having a bitch to show was soon forgotten as my “Amazing” Louis has grown to be my closest of friends, and without doubt the Star of the show in my eyes. But still I wanted a bitch to continue my line and in November 2004 Krizzie was mated to Rangemore Arko. The pups were born in January 2005, and guess what? Krizzie this time decided she’d have 8 boys and one bitch. Thankfully Tali (B. Frankie) was short coated and a very promising female.
Krizzie loved her kids; she would jump in to defend Tali or Louis in any situation. Usually under the watchful eye of her own mother Seffe the three of them spent endless hours playing together in the field. I feel they too will mourn her loss. Krizzie also loved people. Visitors where presented with a football and expected to play If they tried to ignore her she would parade with it in her mouth, chattering away until someone finally took notice of her. She particularly loved a couple of our male friends; Frank and Harry were her favourite visitors!
In May of this year Krizzie had a lump removed off her hind leg, she was also spayed at the same time. Though she spent a few hours feeling sorry for herself the following day she was up and off as usual. It was actually hard to keep her quiet.
Without doubt Kriz was physically the strongest Shepherd I have ever owned. There was only her, of all the dogs here, that with an unexpected pull on the lead could take us both off our feet. She was confident, non aggressive and funny. If you believe a dog can’t have a sense of humour, then you've never met Krizzie.
Today I wonder if it's all worth it? This pain is too great for me to see a way out. Four dogs gone in 6 months, my beautiful family ripped in half in less than a year. Surely it must be pain free to have none? Tomorrow I hope I will see things slightly different.
Krizzie died today, she was only 7 years old. She was fit, seemingly healthy and full of life and fun. Why didn’t we know she was ill? Why couldn’t she show us? If she’d have given us some sign that things were wrong, maybe, just maybe we could have helped, done something to keep her with us a little longer. Again, similarily to the way I felt after the death of her mother, I feel cheated and angry, but I don’t know who with. Today I can only feel that I must have been a very evil person in a pervious life, as God knows I’ve "tried" to be a good honest one in this one! I know that tomorrow, or maybe the next day I'll be stronger and think of the years of love and pleasure that Krizzie, like the others that I have loved and, have given me. Tomorrow I will know it's worth it!
Krizzie died today.........Krizzie Pup, my dear friend, be sure…You Have Been Loved
