Our Pretty Suzie

July 23, 1997 - May 19, 2007 This page is dedicated to our beloved friend, Line Dancing Pretty Suzie. We just called her Suzie. She is in Heaven now.

My hubby, Rick, and I made the extremely difficult decision to put our beloved companion, Suzie, to sleep. She had been in terrible pain for several months and was reluctant to eat. This was VERY unusual for her. She would also eat whatever was not nailed down. BTW - Line Dancing Pretty Suzie is her registered name. She was a Miniature Schnauzer. We scheduled it for a weekend since Rick was an OTR (Over-the-road) truck driver and was only home on weekends. We wanted to let him spend at least one more weekend with her before we took her to the vet. Awhile back we had noticed that she started limping, favoring her left rear leg. We took her to the vet and she said that Suzie had a crucia (torn ligament) in her leg. The vet said the surgery would cost at least $2,000 and may not be successful. Well, Rick lost his job in 2006 and I lost mine in 2007, both due to corporate layoffs. There is no way we can afford this type of surgery and follow-up care. Suzie had also suffered from severe bladder infections, and she was prescribed special dog food and high powered antibiotics. So, the vet started prescribing pain killers. She was on two pills, plus an anti-inflammatory. We got a pill crusher and mixed the pills into her food. The pills just seemed to dull the pain, they never alleviated it. We made a ramp for her to get outside to pee - we just bought a 3/4" piece of plywood, painted it and put non-slide strips on it. We did this because she was unable to make the jump from the patio to get into the house. As a side effect of her injury, Suzie only wanted to eat and sleep - this resulted in her gaining weight rapidly, even though we restricted her food intake and treats. The extra weight only aggravated her injury. This caused more pressure on her leg and the injury. Also, any type of extra activity, such as baths, grooming, etc, caused her great pain and usually resulted in her having a couple of bad days after these types of incidents. Her last couple of weeks she declined very rapidly. She was almost unable to get up to walk - I had to lift up her bottom to help her stand and then hold her until she got her balance. She also ate very little. It seemed the only thing she liked to do was to sleep and lay outside to watch the neighbors. I made the calls to the vet and the local pet cemetery to make the arrangements. I was never able to finish the phone calls without crying on the phone...This was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. My brain knew that this was the best thing for Suzie, because she was in constant pain...but how do you make your heart understand that?? Anyone who knows me knows that my dogs are not just dogs - they are my kids. I rarely refer to them as dogs - I always call them my babies. How do you deal with putting one of your babies to sleep?? Rick also had a difficult time with this since he was gone so much. We decided that we have to think about her, and not us. She didn't have much quality of life. We had her cremated and brought her remains home. At least that way she will always be here with us. Rick and I agreed to slightly increase her pain meds her last week to make her remaining time a little more manageable. For several months I had a crying spell every day - I loved her so much. I hadn’t cried this much since my Dad passed in 2000. I have never seen a dog like Suzie before. She had the gentlest demeanor. She was the kindest dog. She was also very smart - she could read our moods much better than our other baby - Reggie. I always called Suzie our 'big teddy bear' because she was so gentle and had the softest fur. She loved everyone she met, unlike Reggie. There will never be another Suzie. May she rest in peace.

Suzie and me

Rick, me, Suzie and Reggie


My beloved Suzie


Suzie and Reggie enjoying the sun


Suzie and Reggie relaxing

Until we meet again..We love you Suzie..