Highland Dawns TigerLily February 5, 1990 - March 18, 2005all photos taken May 2004 when TigerLily was 15+ years old.
TigerLily always made sure that CallaLily's face was clean, a daily ritual for both
Rain was 4 months old when this photo was taken with 3# TigerLily
Tribute to TigerLily
Those of us who have been so fortunate to have shared our lives with non humans will know of which I speak. There will be at least one very special one, one that stands out for what ever reason and touches not only your heart but your spirit. Some of us are even more fortunate as we have had this experience more than once in our lives.
So far in my life time there have been two "heart" dogs, the first was RoseBud a female red dobie and the second was TigerLily a tiny 3# white female Chihuahua.
As this is a blog about WhisperLily, a Chihuahua, this tribute is to my heart song TigerLily.
Unlike little Whisp, TigerLily was from a pet store at a mall. She was so tiny and frightened looking, she was 6 months old and I knew she had to get out of that place like right now. So I bought her. I knew full well that I was most likely supporting an industry that I don't believe in - puppy mills - and I also knew that I knew nothing of her history nor medical issues but I felt certain I would be able to give this little dog a good life. She would be joining my pack of one, DuskyHaze a brindle Cairn Terrier who would become my first assistance dog before I even knew what one was when I broke my back in 1992.
Tig (pronounced with a long "i") was tiny and frail. Her coat was so fine and soft and full for a smooth coat Chihuahua and she had very pale small fawn spots on one ear and on her right hip. Her front legs were naked, devoid of fur, from her wrists to her toes from constant nervous licking. Her visit to the vet was uneventful and she came home to live with me until her death at 15+ years of age.
Little Tig was very sweet and gentle in nature...not a mean bone in her little body, sweet to human and animals alike. She loved to snuggle into me, into blankets, into pillows. She seldom played with any tiny stuffed toys, maybe because she never really learned how until very late in life when she would "let her hair down" and have a short game by herself with a small stuffed toy.
I can't exactly tell you what it was that Tig did or maybe it was her whole "package" that grasped my heart so hard. She slept alongside me in bed, on my right side against my ribs. No matter how much tossing and turning I did she never got rolled on, she would just reposition herself so that some part of her little body, even if it was only a paw, was always in contact with me. Maybe it was that...her keeping constant contact with me...I don't know even now.
She learned to "scrooch". Many times I needed to reposition Tig while in bed and I would wiggle my hand under her little relaxed body and say "scrooch" while doing this and then moving her in the direction I needed. Eventually all I had to do was say "scrooch" and she would remain relaxed but somehow lift her body up so my hand would easily slide underneath her.
She learned to trust me and I could turn her on her back, supporting her head and shoulders with one hand and her hips with the other and I would alternately slightly raise and lower my hands and she would remain relaxed on her back looking something like a little white furry slinky. I could also, supporting her similarly slightly toss her in the air - no more than 2-3 inches - catching her in my hands still on her back relaxed. This little pet store frightened puppy had learned of human love, kindness, gentleness as well as trust.
Tig's leg licking stopped within the first year she lived with me. She found she didn't need to self comfort, I would give her hugs and kisses or snuggle her. She had DuskyHaze as a friend and eventually I would add some more friends, SnapDragon the special needs tiny chocolate miniature pincher and Polly the older fawn and white smooth coat "used" Chihuahua I found lying on the parkway during a heat wave one year.
I took Tig to Canine College for Level One and Level Two obedience, each a 10 week block of lessons. This is a program geared to showing in obedience and agility. Tig looked so tiny sitting on a long sit while I was on the other side of the training ring while a great Dane wove in and out of the seated dogs. She didn't look happy but she didn't get up from her sit, nor did she move. She was a real trooper.
Tig had a molera, a soft spot on the top of her skull. It was during these classes, when Tig was under a lot of stress that her brain actually pushed up thru the molera forming a soft slight bump on the top of her head. I realized that classes were too stressful for my little dog so we did not go on to show in obedience. We did not take any more classes of any kind.
Tig went on to out live that pack and accepted CallaLily (smooth coat fawn with white Chihuahua) and SmokeyHaze (special needs Miniature Schnauzer) before DuskyHaze and SnapDragon crossed the Rainbow Bridge. Tig was 14 years old when baby Rain arrived and when Tig crossed the Rainbow Bridge Rain mourned her death by reverting back to baby puppy nursing at a 1+ years of age.
6 months before her death TigerLily was diagnosed with heart disease and was put on medication for it. The last week of her life she was on subcutaneous IVs to keep her hydrated and round the clock feedings, every 2 hours, to just keep her alive. She rallied mid week but suddenly lost ground and I knew it was time to take her to the vet for her final trip. Since the death of Rose this was the hardest I'd experienced, her loss to me immeasurable.
Tig had been there to kiss my tears, to comfort me with kisses, to share my joy. She was first to greet me in the morning and the last I kissed before turning out the light at night.
Sometimes Tig would stamp her front feet on me with a certain look on her face telling me she needed "or-ang-gy" my word for canned mandarin oranges. Her internal constitution was finicky and we learned that mandarin helped her with constipation or upset growly stomach and she would let me know when she needed some "or-ang-gy".
Back in about 1991 after saving my money I treated myself to the purchase of a wonderfully soft premium large buffalo robe. It arrived folded tight in a box and when I removed it the dogs were all standing there watching me. I placed it open, fur side out, over the back of the couch. The dogs tentatively got back on the couch and sniffed it. As it had been in a closed box it had a slight tanning chemical odor to it but quickly aired out. I picked each of the dogs up and placed them up on the buffalo robe and they jumped right off giving me a look of great disdain...ew! A dead fur beast thing!
The following day when I came home from work Tig immediately leaped from the floor to the couch, then onto the couch arm and up onto the back of the couch on the buffalo robe. She looked really happy. Then she stamped her front feet, lowered her head and began to "viciously" tear out small tufts of buffalo fur. The look on her face was absolutely priceless, it said to me, "look mom, look how brave I am! I killed the great fur beasty thing!!" If I hadn't been so shocked I would have laughed. After the newness of the buffalo robe had worn off, when I thought and now think back on that day remembering the look on little Tig's face and her ripping tufts of fur out of the buffalo robe it is terribly funny. She was showing me how brave she had become and I had 'missed' that precious moment lost in the price and savings it took to get that furry hide.
Tig was a great bed snuggler and toward the end I made her special sleep sacks that were soft on the inside but waterproof on the outside with the top half of one side open so that she could still reach out a paw to keep in contact with me or to rest her back directly on me when she slept. She had developed nocturnal wetting and her sleep sack just kept me from having to get wet in the night and needing to change the bed linens every morning. Washing her little sleep sacks were no problem. It was no "big thing" and I didn't want Tig to feel bad that she had wet our bed because she wasn't a bad dog by any stretch of the imagination. Tig was an old dog whose body was failing her.
There is so much I miss about this little dog yet today....it was nearly a year after Tig's death that I knew I needed another Chihuahua in my life. I so love Chihuahuas! Cally, my Service Dog, was getting older and she could help me train her replacement, should the puppy want to work, and thus began my search for that "special" Chihuahua. I eventually found Kim Kincaid of Kamelrose Chihuahuas and knew that Kim was the right breeder. I immediately made contact with her and this is how Whisp came into my life....I only wish that little Tig would have been here to meet Whisp, she would have loved her and Whisp would have loved Tig.
24 July 2008
Another Passing......Lily
Photo of Lily taken last week
Last photos of Lily getting a treat with Whispy (lower left) and Cally to the left of Lily, taken last week
Lily had been diagnosed with liver disease, a heart murmur, seizure disorder and congestive heart failure. Her liver disease was managed with Rx dog food. Her seizures were controlled with medication. Her heart murmur was a 2 on a scale of 6 in February at her routine yearly exam.
Recently Lily began having congestion and in a visit with the vet, her heart murmur had gotten worse...it was now a 4-5, so she was started on a diuretic. Her coughing greatly diminished and she seemed back to her old self.
Then one day Lily coughed once and collapsed on the floor as if dead. When it happened a second time I took her to the vet. Lily was started on a medication that would increase the pumping of her heart.
Lily became very clingy, following me around, checking in with me and very willing to be pet and take treats when offered.
A few days ago she stopped eating her main meals. Because she had medication to take I wrapped it in a bit of roast beef which she gladly ate. She welcomed fruit and veggie snacks too.
This morning when I woke, things were different. Lily was still lying in her little bed and only watched the dogs with her eyes when they left the room, headed for outside then breakfast. I cuold see that Lily was having difficulty breathing as it was faster than normal. When I brought her her pills wrapped in roast beef she ate them, but by the 3rd bite only held the food in her mouth as if too tired to chew and swallow.
As it was very early yet I went to my computer to pass the time as the clock ticked away the hour before the vet office would open for the day. Before that time though, Rainy leading the other dogs came to get me. They were restless and worried. I went to check on Lily and found her sprawled on the floor. Carefully I scooped her up into a blanket and cradled her. Then I went and sat on my bed as I rocked and sang softly to her, comforting and calming her. The other dogs all came up on the bed and one by one touched Lily with their noses, then they lay down as if standing watch.
At 730A I called the vets office and explained what was going on. The vets were due in at 9A. At approx 810A my vet called, he had gotten the message. He had me bring Lily in right away. Meds were administered as well as O2 and I hoped for the best when I left.
At about 1230P when the vet called all was not proceeding well. Although there was slight improvement it was not the improvement he had hoped for. The vet explained that he would taking away the O2 later in the day to see how Lily was doing without it. I told him that if she didn't do well then it was time to put her to sleep but to please call me so I could come to hold her.
At about 4p the call came to come to the vet office to hold Lily. I left immediately.
Wrapped in her blanket, Lily lay quietly in my arms while I sang softly to her one last time as the injection went to work.
Tonight as I sit and type I think about last week when she came over to the computer to beg for treats and tears fill my eyes.
I have taken may beloved dogs to the vet, to help them at the end of their lives. Each of them is so special. Each one hurts my heart but it is my duty to be there, to comfort and reassure them.
Baby Twig was the only one that Lily allowed to wash her face and her ears. I am so happy she got that chance of such caring friendship from Twig and the others. I am so glad that Twig got to know Lily.
Pin, Twig's sister also was able to meet Lily though Pin has only been here 6 days.
Lily was loved by this entire pack and she will be missed.
