Panther is my black dog. My beautiful black dog that would be 10 months this month if February contained the 29th.
My beautiful dog had distemper. We think it started exactly five weeks ago from yesterday. At first it seemed to just be a hack, hack thing. And I wasn't too concerned. But when she seemed to get worse and worse, of course I got worried.
The next day, I went outside to feed them and couldn't find Panther. I called and searched. And searched some more. Nearly in tears, I looked around some more. Soon my dad came out, he started looking for her too.
But all of a sudden, there she was. Right there. I was very happy that she wasn't gone and wasn't dead. I raced over to her and started to pet her and coo over her. Then, a thought came to my mind: "Feel the knot,"
I reached over and my hand went straight into the wound. The two holes and the side of her neck. I was crying then. I raced inside and washed my hands while my mom and dad looked Panther over. My mom came back inside and said that she thought it was a good thing.
I asked them later if that was really true. Margret pointed out that often babies are covered in them. But they survive.
That put me in better moods than before. I was very happy. And then when I showed Panther to Margret, Panther actually started barking at my friend! Instead of telling her no, that they were our friends like I had always had to do before, I was petting her and telling Panther, "Good girl,".
For a couple more weeks she seemed to be getting better and better. I thought she was nearly better when she started to fight for her food again.
But then about a week ago she started to twitch. And not just some twitch every couple hours or whatever, it was two seconds between each twitch.
That's when I started to get scared for her life again.
And now, she can't walk straight. She doesn't move a ton. She doesn't bark. She doesn't even eat right. She can't even open her mouth right.
And yesterday morning, if I slid either hand under her stomach she moaned. I'm scared. She's not doing well. At. All.
Since moving to Papua I have had a total of five dogs, three are no longer with us (one died; the other two disappeared), and we only have two.
As I remember it, they were all so painful. Honestly, I didn't want to love the two dogs I have now. But who can refuse two adorable puppies that you've known since they were a day old? I'm the one that fed them and gave them water and raced with them. And it's most painful for me.
Now Panther doesn't even move when we come near. She can't drink or eat. Her muzzle just lays in her food.
So, my parents decided they would rather have her out to sleep than to watch her slowly slip away, suffering. Of course I think that this is better, but they're having it done today.
This afternoon, someone will come and take her away. Then, it'll be how we started, Brownie will be a loner. I'll only have to feed one dog at night. I'll only have one dog to tie up. I won't have to stay out there with them and make sure they don't kill each other over food. It's just going to be Brownie...
So, I was wondering if ya'll could pray for me--and my family. This already is very tough, and it's only going to get tougher when they take her away.
I copied this from my blog Indonesia Around Me which was posted yesterday. Now she's gone, and i don't want to go in the front yard. Ever. Again.
