In memoriam

I had to have Piglet, my handicapable Welsh Corgi, put to sleep this morning.

We had a scare in March, and I thought I'd lose him then. But he perked back up again. However, he's been sleeping and dozing more and more. He had a last good weekend while I was at the Charleston show, with Dogmaw's dogs, Ammie and Dozer. But by Saturday there was no way I could sit him that he wasn't inflaming a pressure sore, and he had picked up the worst case of maggots I had ever seen (and I've dealt with them before). The maggots just blossomed on Saturday, and I alternated between picking maggots and thinking about my syllabus. This had happened last year too, and I kept him dry--once the maggots are picked off (yes, ewwww!)he's fine, and they do debride any infected wounds. I planned to call the vet on Monday and get some antibiotics, and all would be well.

But the maggots kept multiplying; the two times he had them before I could remove them all in a few sessions with the clippers and haemostats. By Sunday afternoon they had moved into healthy skin, and started digging, and Piglet stopped being able to sit up on his own--I think he had a small stroke, for he just rolled over, always on the right side (that leg had been weak for a while). There were just too many problems, all at once, and he was no longer a happy dog.

So it was well time.

So he's back with his momma Eilonwy and sister Arrow in the corgipack, and he's running around with my mother and herding all of our past cats and anything else he can see.

The house seems very empty and VERY quiet.