Ezri (1/26/2000 - 5/6/2010)

Today we lost our sweet Ezri ... It was an awful decision, but we had to make it.  After three back surgeries and a bulging disc in her neck, the problem was again rearing its' ugly head.  And other problems started up too ... wheezing, vomiting, etc.  We knew that today was the day ... and before either of us had lost our nerve, we made the appointment and drove her over to the vet's office this afternoon. 

Having had two separate incidents where she had completely lost the use of her rear legs, I can say that we had been through a lot with her.  We will never forget the day that we saw the tip of her tail twitch after her surgery.  We weren't sure if she'd regain the use of her rear legs at all ... we had not been given very good odds at all.  But we went ahead with the surgery ... Each day we bathed her, gave her the medications, fed her from a small bowl, and helped her with her exercises.  And then one day, there was a tiny twitch, the tiniest little twitch of the very tip of her tail.  The next day it was two twitches, and three the next day, and by the end of the week you could feel some resistance when you moved her rear legs.  Eventually she regained the use of both legs.  Of course she never walked quite the same way, it was more of a waddle than a typical dachshund walk ... but she was mobile. 

I would say more ... I wish I could say more ... but it's just too painful.  We just lost our Archer four months ago, so to lose our Ezri now is just more than we can stand ...