My Marleys and Me

If you read the book or saw the movie Marley and Me, you understand the unique predicaments a dog owner can find themselves in. Shortly after Edward and I moved to Ohio in 1991, I was co-erced into getting a dog. Though this was before Edward was diagnosed, I still played the parental role by making him promise "you will walk him, feed him, bath him and pick up after him." Of course I will came the reply. Of course I was duped came the later realization. We located a book about selecting the right puppy and narrowed our choice down to three which best fit our parameters - fast learner, does well in an apartment, pleasant demeanor and most importantly - small poops. The trio of choice were Lhasa Apso, Maltese and Japanese Chin. The Lhasas we looked at where much bigger than expected which I dubbed Dogzillas and the Maltese always had sever overbites which meant expensive retainers and braces for years to come. Though Japanese Chin's were hard to locate beyond the west coast we finally found a Midwest source and fell in love when visiting a breeder outside Columbus.
Our little black and white bundle of joy came home with us and was given the name of Kibo - the Japanese word for hope. I think you should always give a dog a name from his native language. Rather fortuitous choice considering Edward was diagnosed a few months later. Because we moved to Ohio for Edward's career, I wasn't working when Kibo joined our family. As he wasn't quite house broken, when I had to go out, I would put Kibo in the kitchen behind a dog gate. After a few days this fur ball was out and about when I came home but with the dog gate still in place. After repeated experiences I discovered that the little evil genius had bit through the plastic mesh to the shape of a letter U which made an escape hatch that would fall back into place after he escaped to wander and mark the apartment. just imagine cutting a similar shape into a cyclone fence. When it falls back down, from a distance, one can't easily tell it has been altered. As a solution I wired the mesh flap back into place but a few days later, Kibo was out and about again. In order to solve the new mystery I put on my coat, and slammed the door pretending to leave but simply hid around the corner and watched what he would do. And behold, there was my four legged friend using the holes in the diamond pattern of the fence mesh as slots to poke his paws through in order to climb up and over. To this day I am convinced that this dog had special ops training.
About a year or so later, Edward convinced me to purchase another dog so that Kibo would not be lonely when we were gone. Lonely? Hell, for all we knew, he was leaving the apartment while we were at work and having kibble keggers with the neighbor dogs. Returning to the breeder from whom we purchased Kibo, we then purchased a rare tri-color Japanese Chin. The breed comes in black and white or red and white but this one had all three colors. We pondered over name choices and then Edward found out about a co-worker's great uncle who was in World War I, was a diver, a big game hunter and a merchant marine. A classic movie style adventurer. So, the new puppy was named "Cosmo." A few months later, Sharon, the co-worker and her husband came over for dinner and when Edward told her that our dog was named after her uncle she replied, "are you referring to my Uncle Cyril? Cause I didn't have an Uncle Cosmo.

And that is why our second dog was officially named after - nobody.

Part II

Over the years and after we had moved back to California, the puppies were a great joy to us, especially as a balance to the trials and tribulations of Edward's fading health. Two days before Christmas, 8 years ago, we lost Kibo due to heart failure, unware before then that he had a heart condition. It was devastating to Edward and I. I insisted that we would not get another dog because i was a stay at home caregiver for Edward and could, in no way take on the task of retraining another puppy. With the loss of Kibo, Cosmo's health was closely check and he was put on heart medications. Eventually the number of pills increased and at one point Cosmo and Edward took three of the very same heart medications. We had a running joke that I would know if I gave Edward the wrong pills if I found him rubbing his but on the carpet.
About once a year Cosmo had to spend a few night's at the vet in order to address water build up and kidney problems. In December of 2006 he I was admitted to the hospital with Diverticulitis with majory surger 3 days later during the time of another of Cosmo's vet stays. 10 days later I came home the same day Cosmo was being released after for his second vet stay over those ten days. He hadn't been eating and was vomitting but was being released without much improvement. As a matter of fact, I was told not to expect too much and that he might not survive the week. Because I'm stubborn or don't believe in the word no, I spent much of those next five days on my hands and knees, with 38 surgery staples in my abdomen, hand feeding Cosmo with an eye dropper of apple juice. On the fifth day, he finally ate a little solid food, and more that night and we rejoiced in signs of improvement despite being to expect the worse. After all, back in 1992 Edward was given only two years to, as the doctor put it "put your affairs in order." it was a bit confusing because Eward wasn't having any affairs and neither was I. :0)
Cosmo made it through but 4 weeks later Edward was in the hospital and as you know, died a few months later. To this day I belive fate intervened to allow Cosmo to stay with me and comfort me through the grieving period. Staying on top of his health issues, adding more meds and seeing the vet about once a month was productive. But with 5 different pills twice a day for a dog that had become a finicky eater was a challenge to say the least. Almost every day was a test to find what what type of food Cosmo might find appealing that day. Canned food never interested him so it was --- will he eat the turkey lunch meat, cheddar cheese, spam, scrambled eggs, ham, tuna salad, peanut butter, cottage cheese, vienna sausages, and more. Once I found a food that he'd taste and then eat it was a matter of taking small pieces of it and hidding the pills inside. Just my luck, I'd prep all the food with pills in it and then he'd change his mind and wasn't interested.
In December he went back to a new vet for new concerns, skin rash and increased coughing. The vet added another heart drug and though the coughing seemed to subside a bit, it was still pronounced. as weeks went by, he went back and forth to the vet, the vet ER clinic and finally to the UC Davis Veterinary clinic. Then, Eureka a new hope. The cardiologist at UC Davis said that on a 6 scale, Cosmo's heart was only a 2 and he didn't need to be on all those heart pills. WOW, I didn't need to spend $168 a month on dog medication. I told Cosmo that with the money we'd save I'd take him to Disneyland. As the cardiologist didn't have an explanation for the coughing she theorized that maybe all the heart drugs had caused some iritation to his throat and wanted me to return and see internal medicine in two weeks.
The following Friday the coughing had increased to the point of waking me up many times throughout the night but most of all, my worry was the lack of improvement. I took Cosmo to a new and different vet (due to bill and refill errors I encountered with the prior vet). She though his heart murmur sounded more pronounced than the UC davis reports described from earlier in the week. She perscribed another cough medicine and urged me to get another appointment with UC Davis Internal Veterinary Medicine asap instead of waiting another week as previously told. We went back the following Monday and I was shocked to learn that Cosmo was in both kidney failure and heart failure and needed to be admittted. I should have known better. I should have known that a tumultuous emotional roller coast ride would never end so easily. And now to discover, a hole in the tracks. The Vet (another one) explained that there was still hope and we'd know more after seeing if Cosmo responded to a series of treatment and medications. He remained there until Wednesday and was released with a positive diagnosis. That perspective continued when we returned on Friday even though he had distinct tissue swelling on his right side and bruising on his belly. It was attributed to the side he was sleeping on since he was sleeping a lot since coming home.
On Saturday, February 7th, Cosmo would eat and though having been finicky for so long, I had to force pills down his throat for the very first time. I noticed that he was restless, wouldn't lay down and would just stand in the middle of the room. By 11am I noticed that his breath was becoming increased, much like our Kibo had experienced those 8 years ago. After two months of gut wrenching fear that the end was approaching and in the wake of over $5000 in vet bills, 7 different doctors at 5 different practices, Cosmo was failing. We were sinking and my bucket of determination was full of holes. I wrapped Cosmo in a blanket and driving with one hand while rubbing his ears with my other, to comfort him as much as possible, we returned to UC Davis Veterinary. Through the 20 minute drive I felt I would be making the return trip home - alone. Yet one more vet to ad to the list, took Cosmo to an exam room and returned shortly thereafter to say that Cosmo was in complete heart failure. I asked him to stop his suffering which would take away my cherished friend and child of 14 years. My Cosmo he stayed with me 2 more years longer that he was destined. My little furball who comforted me over those lonely months since Edward passed, is gone.