Luna – A Labra-Dane
11 July 2012 – 10 July 2020
For the first time in over a decade, since our Giant Schnauzer Toryn came home with us in March of 2010, our family is without a canine companion. The last surviving member of our furry family herd, our crazy little Labra-Dane, Luna, has been really struggling for the past 10 days or so now. When we rescued her at seven months old in February of 2013, she appeared to be full-blooded Dane, but as she aged, the Labrador features were apparent.
When she was just two, she got bitten by something at my father-in-law’s farm while all the dogs were there exercising… She was knocked off her feet, and we were not sure she would make it, but, after a few minutes lying on the ground, as Kim was sitting with her and I went to get the van closer to her, she got up, seemed to shake it off, and soon was her old self.
When we took her to the vet, they diagnosed her as having contracted Lyme’s, and we ran her through the full course of treatment. But, as she started to get older it clearly had affected her joints, and for some years now, she’s had a labored walk, and going down any stairs was especially challenging. We’ve seen a decline in her activity levels over the past two years as well. And, Lyme is known to impact the heart and kidneys, and as well as possibly having some neurological effects, it is known to shorten a dog’s lifespan.
But about 10 days ago, she just lost her appetite and stopped eating. TOTALLY out of character for this big (160 pound) eating machine. I could entice her, only occasionally, with some hamburger or some Arby’s Roast Beef, one of her favorites. But she had not eaten anything between Tuesday evening, and last night, and she was drinking less and less. She did eat some hamburger last night, but not much, and I had to feed it to her as she rested on the love seat. She had also become more and more despondent, even though her tail wags when I sit and talk to and pet her. That is so unlike her, she has always been on the hyper side of the activity scale. Yesterday, Kim noticed blood in her stool.
Her quality of life was so diminished over these past two weeks that we simply cannot stand by, unable to help, and allow her to suffer so. Kim made an appointment with our Vet for 8:00 AM this morning to release her from her misery…
With the Covid-19 Pandemic, they make you wait in your car, check in, and then call you in by cell phone. Also, only one person is permitted to come in with each animal. So, I went in with her, got her comfortable on the blanket and towel they had ready for us in the treatment room, and tried to calm her down. She sat and started to eat some of the treats we offered her.
The vet gave her an IM sedative shot, and she fought it…just like she fought everything during her life. She was always obstinate and difficult, the little stinker! But after battling the sedative for about 25 minutes, it finally bested her, and she was still, with measured breathing, and let her eyes droop. All the while, I laid on the floor with her, petting her and talking to her to make sure she knew I was there with her.
After struggling to find a vein in her rear leg, the vet administered the final solution in her front left leg, and within a matter of minutes, at about 8:50 AM, pronounced that she had no heartbeat and was at rest. Our baby, the youngest of all our canine family members was gone…tomorrow, July 11th, 2020, would have been her eighth birthday! While we can find some comfort in knowing that she is no longer struggling with the discomfort of her failing organs and joints, I feel trampled. This is the third dog we’ve had to say goodbye to in the last ten months. It just seems so wrong that these beautiful, caring, noble, and loving creatures have so little time with us. I’ve no idea how I will be able to deal with the rest of my Friday and weekend. We love you, Miss Luna…
Meet Luna
February 15, 2013 was notable for several reasons. It was the day that the asteroid 2012 DA14, about 150 feet across, missed our planet Earth by just 17230 miles. That same morning, in an unrelated event, a meteor that streaked over Russia exploded about 10 miles above the surface, creating a powerful pressure wave that injured hundreds of people. While these were both very rare phenomenon, the most interesting to us was the arrival of a 7-month-old Great Dane puppy named Luna.
We found her by way of a Dog Foster home run by a kind and caring person who prefers to remain anonymous. Luna had been in a family with another Great Dane, a harlequin, but the husband and wife had recently divorced. So, Luna went to Jenny to Foster on Sunday, February 10th, just one day before she would be seven months old. Just 5 days later, she came to live with us…
Just seven months, four days old, Luna seemed to love our back yard!
While she seems to delight in annoying Lily and Aerie with her near incessant playfulness, she is still a puppy after all, she clearly means no harm to them and is equally annoyed when they do not always want to play with her. But, that hasn’t stopped the older girls (Lily is 5 and Aerie is 2) from being upset about it and barking and scolding the young girl!
Takin’ her first jaunt in her new back yard, amid some light flurries…
Aerie (left) and Lily (right) wasted no time showing her where she fit in the order of things…
Foolin’ with Aerie
After she had eaten, we took her to Kim’s dad’s “farm” where she ran with Aerie and Lily till she was pooped!
Napping in the living room with Aerie…
Sniffin’ the fence line at the Robert L. Nelson Dog park…
No, she is NOT a marsupial, but, in this shot, she kinda’ resembles one, no?
Trotting at a leisurely gate, again at RLN Dog Park…
Here she is running with Reilly, convinced that the chunk of ice in her mouth REALLY does belong to her…
Playing with a ball is one of her absolute favorite things. She throws it in the air, chases it down, swats it with her big paws…she thoroughly amuses herself!
