Last month I gave Lily, my tricolour, her wings after she reached a point where she was struggling with a number of sudden health issues. She'd been a part of my dog family for over 10 years, but as she came from the pound, I don't know how old she was -- at least 12. She had a vestibular episode in early summer and never really fully was herself after, though she was happy enough in herself. But it was clear she was slowly declining. She became very listless and poorly and we found she had a right side heart murmur (the usual MVD murmur is on the left side, so this wasn't MVD), and some problems with her kidneys and perhaps something else going on, as no one thing seemed to explain her symptoms, the vets said. We'd hoped she might rally with some targeted meds but she didn't, and I knew it was time to let her gently go, while she was already at the vets.
Lily was the third cavalier I added to my little group -- she was a rescue who came in to one of the pounds and through a few shenanigans, she ended up with me
. Someone in rescue who was in the pound noticed a suspicious-seeming woman who put her name down for Lily and another purebred dog and the person guessed she was looking for young potential breeding dogs. So I came up with the story that she belonged to my grandmother! It all was rather elaborate as I had to get a friend's mother to pose as my 'grandmother', but I got Lily out, and a bedraggled, filthy, enormously fat little dog she was too. :lol:
She went on a diet and exercise regime, learned not to chase my cats, and settled in as one of the gang. She was more like a terrier than a cavalier, and quite a personality. She was also very smart -- I regret not having done more with her, as she was easy to train and always so eager to please. I am glad she got a last trip to one of her favourite places, the cottages we go to in Yorkshire, in June. She enjoyed a couple of good hikes and lounging in the sun.
It is so strange not to have her around anymore -- she had a distinct yappy bark and I always expect to hear it still. Lily adored Leo, who passed away exactly a year and a day before her, so I hope she's found him somewhere, and is busy cleaning his eyes like she used to, and barking at him. *ng*l I always thought Lily would be the last one standing of all my cavaliers -- she had a very good heart on her last check with the cardiologist, and always bounced back from anything.
I like this picture of her, not long after she joined the group. That's Leo on the left and then Lily, and Jaspar on the right -- my original group of three dogs for quite a long while -- and cats Jessie and Pippa in the background. Only Jaspar remains of this group; I lost all of the other four in the last two years. :cry*ing:
DSC03142.JPG by Karlin Lillington, on Flickr
Lily was the third cavalier I added to my little group -- she was a rescue who came in to one of the pounds and through a few shenanigans, she ended up with me

She went on a diet and exercise regime, learned not to chase my cats, and settled in as one of the gang. She was more like a terrier than a cavalier, and quite a personality. She was also very smart -- I regret not having done more with her, as she was easy to train and always so eager to please. I am glad she got a last trip to one of her favourite places, the cottages we go to in Yorkshire, in June. She enjoyed a couple of good hikes and lounging in the sun.
It is so strange not to have her around anymore -- she had a distinct yappy bark and I always expect to hear it still. Lily adored Leo, who passed away exactly a year and a day before her, so I hope she's found him somewhere, and is busy cleaning his eyes like she used to, and barking at him. *ng*l I always thought Lily would be the last one standing of all my cavaliers -- she had a very good heart on her last check with the cardiologist, and always bounced back from anything.
I like this picture of her, not long after she joined the group. That's Leo on the left and then Lily, and Jaspar on the right -- my original group of three dogs for quite a long while -- and cats Jessie and Pippa in the background. Only Jaspar remains of this group; I lost all of the other four in the last two years. :cry*ing:
