Honoring Effie & #Hemangiosarcoma research

My baby girl Effie tragically passed away unexpectedly on March 6, 2021 from hemangiosarcoma, a “surprise-like” and quickly lethal cancer.

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Early in the morning, Effie began to relentlessly pant and pace around. Her breathing was labored and her back legs struggled to support her weight. As the minutes passed, she cried, whined, & howled non stop until she could no longer stand without my help. As her tongue turned white into blue, I carried her 80lb crying body into my car and raced to the emergency vet down the road. They pulled her out of my car and onto a gurney, rushing her inside to figure out the cause of her pain. The vet rushed back outside minutes later to talk to me- Effie had a tumor on her heart that burst and she was bleeding internally. She was struggling to breathe. In streams of tears down my face, I agreed euthanasia was the best and only option to stop my baby girl’s permanent pain. As they went inside, I broke down in my car, repeating I don’t want to put her down, with my face in my hands, struggling to accept what was happening in this moment. I wasn’t ready.

Because of COVID, I was not allowed inside while they euthanized her- I cried and pleaded to please let me be by my baby’s side during a scary, confusing & physically painful time for Effie. They agreed after many pleas under the condition of euthanizing in the outside lobby. I quickly wiped my tears off, put on my strong loving mommy face— I needed Effie to know that I was there to help her and to trust me. And she did. They wheeled her back out to me on a gurney as she continued to cry in pain through all of the meds she was given before it was time. They gave me a momement with her to say my goodbyes. Not even 1 minute passed before I was yelling for the vet to come back out and end her pain. She wasn’t quiet once. She’s not the type of girl to cry or tell you she’s hurting. I knew this was the worst and most painful thing for Effie to experience. It broke and ripped my heart to shreds hearing her cry and not being able to heal her on the spot. I held her paw, kissed her face a million times, told her over and over how much I loved her, I’m helping her feel better, and that it was all going to be okay and she will see her old and new friends soon. I helped hold her in place while her beautiful lanky greyhound body thrashed in pain on the gurney as she tried to catch her breath through her crying. Because she was bleeding internally, her euthanasia took longer as the meds struggled to circulate through her body. The long minutes passed until she stopped struggling and stopped crying. It was quiet.

I kissed her calmed body for the final time and went home with only her collar in hand. Walking into my home felt eerily empty as I walked through the rooms looking at Effie’s blankets tossed all over the floors in my morning attempt to make her comfortable as she struggled to rest easily.

As dog moms, we do anything to make our babies happy, loved, & comfortable. When they’re hurting, we are their voice to heal their pain. Sometimes that means making the difficult decision to walk them across the rainbow bridge in our arms. My heart was as empty as my home without Effie.

Please, consider helping me help other dogs live happier, healthier & longer lives by supporting research through AKC. 

More information about American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, Inc. (AKC Canine Health Foundation): The mission of the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation, Inc. (CHF) is to advance the health of all dogs and their owners by funding scientific research and supporting the dissemination of health information to prevent, treat and cure canine disease.

http://www.akcchf.org/hemangiosarcoma

https://www.akcchf.org/canine-health/top-health-concerns/canine-cancer/hemangiosarcoma/HSA-donate.html