Jasmine

They say that a dog is man’s best friend, but they also say that diamond’s are a girl’s best friend.  I would have to say that Jasmine was a friend more precious than diamonds.  It was love the moment I saw here waddling up the sidewalk with her litter mates.  She was barely 5 weeks old, and her owner’s most enterprising daughter was walking them around the neighborhood.  Once she figured out which neighbors fussed over a particular puppy, that puppy only walked in front of their house.  I never had a chance.  At barely 6 weeks, she came to live at our house.  If I knew then what I know now, I would have asked them to keep her with the litter a little longer.

Life with Jasmine was an adventure.  At 9 weeks, she managed to fall off our deck and break her leg. It was the beginning of a long relationship with veterinarians. Keeping her calm and quiet was not an easy task, but she healed up nicely and had suffered no ill-effects from the break later in life.  Next she developed an interest in socks.  We figured this out one evening when she was sitting on the couch with us.  She gave a small cough, and then with a second cough, a tube sock appeared, as if by magic.  One day I found her laying on my bed, moaning, with a box of tissues strewn about the room.  Once again we rushed her to the vet.  They considered surgery, but in the end they gave her a very strong laxative, and asked us to take her home.

In 2003, we took a trip to Pasadena for Thanksgiving weekend.  Our son came home to stay with the dogs.  He called late Friday to tell us that Jasmine was very ill, and that he was worried about her.  He called again in the middle of the night to let us know she was getting worse.  We rushed home on Saturday, and barely recognized her, because she was so weak and dehydrated.  We rushed her to the vet, and spent an anguished night waiting to find out what was wrong.  The next day we finally learned that she had blockage in her intestine, and required emergency surgery.  They removed a section of corn cob that she has stolen from the garbage.  Things were touchy for a couple days, but she recovered, and after that, every day with her was a gift.

We were blessed with 5 1/2 more years with her, but eventually she experienced mitral valve failure.  One day after her twelfth birthday, she followed me around the house panting, and looking at me with a “you really need to do something for me” expression.  Not knowing what else to do, I called the vet.  I took her in and everything seemed fine.  They suggested that I leave her for an hour while they ran some tests.  When I returned in an hour, I was sent to a room.  I thought that wasn’t good.  When I saw Dr. Martinson’s face, I knew it was bad.  She told me that Jasmine has lost 90% of her lung capacity to fluid build up.  She was on oxygen, and needed to be taken to an intensive care facility.  We rushed her to a hospital in Lynnwood.  They were able to save her.  We had 10 more precious months before she let us know she was ready to go.

She was the “spotted love of my life”.  My best friend.