Someone very wise said that you don’t value people around
you until you lose them. Its true and an epiphany I am sure everyone must have
had and maybe got over it too. Time takes it own time but helps you overcome
the biggest losses of your life.
Kyro is my almost five year old dachshund dog. He is literally everyone’s reason to smile in
our family. Our day starts and ends with talking of him, talking to him and about
him to anyone and everyone. Some people find it absurd that our only topic of
discussion is Kyro. His eyes, his cute habits, his gestures, its almost
impossible for anyone to not fall in love with him. There, like I said I could
go on and on about him.
He is the most active and handsome dachshund that I have
ever come across. He can jump and play
all day long and still would want to go for a drive whenever you walk toward the
door. As soon as any of us gets home after a long day or in my case after two
three days, he would run to the door and would not let you in till he has jumped on you and licked you
enough while you rub his belly and his
forehead. If he is in a good mood then he will lie down on his back and will
not let you get in till you have lifted him up and hugged him tight. This treatment
is reserved only for the people whom he loves. No stranger can manage to even
ring the doorbell without him noticing it. He can scare off the biggest dogs
and scariest looking people. Yes as I said he is our pride, our life.
Two days back he started limping suddenly and started wincing
every time he walked. He slept almost all day and didn’t eat anything much. The
next day my parents took him to the vet and the vet gave him a painkiller and
asked to come back after two days. I went to see him that day itself. I rang
the bell and waited for him to bark and come running to the door. I didn’t hear
a sound. Not even his tapping footsteps rushing to the door. It was a sound I have
been used to over 4 years now. The house has never been quiet when he is home. Two
days ago it was. And I hated the sound of silence.
As I entered the hall, I saw him lying on his mini mattress
with a blanket over him. He was looking at me with groggy eyes and I could see
his tail wagging weakly but he couldn’t bark or move. My heart sank looking at
that sight. I could see his frustration as he tried to get up and walk toward
me. He couldn’t even stand and went back to his previous position. I wanted him
to hug me and jump on me. I wanted him to bark, to play, to do anything but not
sit like this. I gave him his favorite toys and tried to play with him but he
refused to even acknowledge anything. My
mom who had brought her own mattress too and was lying down on the floor next
to him told me his behavior w as due to the injection. I prayed to god it was
that and not his pain. The thought that he would be like this forever or not be
able to play again was too painful but not avoidable. I sat on the floor next
to him for hours. All he did was breathe and look away. I wanted to cry and
take him in my arms and never let anything bad happen to him ever. But I couldn’t
do that. I got up to go home. On any other day he would sleep near the door or
follow me to take him for a spin in the car but that day he didn’t even look at
me. My mom is a strong woman and has seen her kids be in pain, so has my dad
but for my little sister and me this was the first time when someone younger to
us and as precious as him was in pain. Seeing
the ones who can’t speak for themselves in pain is the worst sight in the
world. All you have to do is bloody wait.
I held back my tears and walked out of the house. Every time
we were in pain Kyro has licked our tears and has slept cuddling us. He being
not a social being has the power to do that whereas we who have all the
smartness and resources can’t take away his pain is frustrating.
The image of him lying on the floor filled my mind
throughout the night. I had nightmares that I was going to lose him forever. Maybe
I was being paranoid or the thought of not having Kyro in our lives was
excruciating. It was simply
unacceptable.
Yesterday morning my parents and my sister took him to the
vet for his x-ray. It took four people
to hold our little one to get his x-ray done and a lot of strength from my parents
and sister to see him like that. The vet gave him another injection to soothe
his pain. His reports showed early degenerative damage and arthritis. Hopefully
it is all in the early stages and thus curable by medicines.
I went to see him yesterday. As soon as I rang the bell, I
heard him bark and that was the most heart warming sound in my life. A sound of
reassurance that all is almost well. My
eyes were filled with tears when I entered and saw him get up from the mattress
and slowly walk toward me. I sat down
and he hopped onto my lap like he did always.
I sat with him for sometime and then he went to his bed and
slept for sometime. I could give up anything in the world just to see him happy
and pain free. The vet told us to be careful and not let him jump at all since
his breed is highly prone to acute back problems.
As I got up to go he didn’t get up from the bed. He was too
drowsy from the injection. We were happy
to see him take small steps to recovery.
Today morning I called my mom and she made me hear his
squeaking sound playing with plastic balls. He had started walking already and
was almost jumping again and they were having a hard time to keep him still. She
was excited so were all of us to see him being himself again. The last 72 hours
have been the most helpless, and painful hours of our lives. He completes five
years on 25th of this month and I pray to God that he should be
happy and healthy forever and always.
I am on my way to go see him now and the rockstar that he is,
by the time I get home I know there will be my little one waiting for me at the
door.
