Oreo Has Gone Over The Bridge, We Are Devastated.......

Nobody could have guessed 11 years ago watching Oreo noshing on a tennis ball, being quite calm while her siblings raced about, that she was destined for greatness.  Oreo grew up to be an " inspirational instructor" that said, she taught people to live well.  Early on, going to dog shows and watching her sib's running around the ring, she sat on a folding chair at the judges table making friends and influencing people.  Even at 4 month's she had the smooth way of drawing people into her view of things.  I have cried, it's hard to hit the keyboard without Oreo here beside me, big button eyes on the monitor. She always sat in the wicker rocking chair which amazed me, how she managed to not fall on her butt is beyond me.  But she never took the role of observer, she participated fully in life. She was the official greeter on trails and in dog parks, the first to run up and drop her ball for inspection by her new friend.
 In her later years she picked up a fascination with Rattlesnakes that made me very nervous, and resulted in her being run on a 25 foot rope.  No sooner would we hit the wilds than her nose would go up, and then I would hear the dreaded rattle. I would throw her ball in the opposite direction and off she would go, letting the Rattler be.  At Rancho the ball would whiz through the air and she would fly on winged feet, if a closer dog got the ball, she sat politely waiting til he gave it back, or she trotted back to me for a replacement.  I taught her early there were always more balls where that one came from, and they were never worth being rude over. She had more social graces than most people I know.  She loved to run along behind my bike on the trail along the wetlands, she thought that was absolute heaven.  She got to race full tilt, and still keep an eye on Mom, best of both worlds.
 Oreo struggled with several health issues after a cruciate repair, the general anesthetic had a strong effect on her, and we had to change her life style a bit.  She lost her tear production and the vet worked for a year,trying everything, before a new product came on the market that allowed Oreo to live in relative comfort for 5 more years. We had a full tube of it when she passed away, so we gave it to some other clients, Oreo's version of being a "donor"...... Working for a vet, and having several dogs in the last fifty years, I know that animals often have reflex movement after the heart stops, I had never seen more than a gentle movement, much like a dog sleeping.....Oreo, however, opened her eyes, turned her head, and looked at me for a second, put a paw on my foot and gently lowered her head, closing her eyes again.  I have always believed those movements were directed by impulses from the brain.  A reflection of the brains last intention if you will. At home, here at the computer, when ready for bed; Oreo would curl up, give me a look of love and put one paw and her head on my foot. I am crying again.
I guess what I wanted to share with the gentle reader is the importance of having a steady relationship with a vet.  Not everyone is as blessed as we have been to go to the same vet hospital for 30 years, but keep a visit going, it reduces anxiety.  Oreo was always a little different after her cruciate repair....she sensed the rest of her life was changed that day.  Prior to that she had walked in like she owned the place, after, there was some trepidation., not really fear, but an awareness of her vulnerability.  But on the day, the final day, there was no fear, only Dr. Janet, a familiar face, in a familiar place.  Do that for your guys if you can..........
Pictured is Oreo shortly before her death, an old gal, napping in the sun...