04/08/2024
I’ve gone to shows before without Kai, no big deal. When I get home, she was always there to cuss me out for not taking her all while wiggling and kisses.
For those of you that didn’t know her, she was a very sweet dog. Tough, bad ass exterior, but a heart of gold. She was attacked by another dog in agility, not once but 2-3 times because the owner didn’t pay attention to the dog. I pulled her from agility, because her anxiety had gotten so bad she would constantly search for that dog. We started scent working and tracking classes, which she loved. I don’t know why we didn’t continue.
Then comes Kona, she was entered in agility and came into season. I was allowed to pull her and enter Kai in her place. Kai hadn’t been in agility for at least 3 yrs. She did amazing, Qd all her runs. She wasn’t fast but she was very accurate. It was still always a challenge since she was usually on edge with all the other dogs and reactive if somebody got to close. We worked very hard on her focus work and overcoming her anxiety. It never really, fully went away. She managed to earn both her CD and RN, both very boring to her. The sit/down stays for obedience were a challenge for both of us, due to being off leash at the time. She did it and I was so proud of her for keeping it together. She loved barn hunt, she was working on her senior rat title. Our cat had kittens about 7 yrs ago and hid them in the hills. Kai loved her kitties and would love on momma cat and her kittens. Well, kittens all had homes and I needed to find them. Armed with a pillow case and Kai, off we went. Find the kitty! And she found them on my the hill behind the house hidden under a rock not making a peep. Such a good girl!
Kai had 3 litters in her lifetime, her first was 9 sweet puppies, within 24 hrs she lost 7. She was heart broken and kept looking for them. She got to where she didn’t want the last 2. We got through it and both pups are healthy adults. She loved her babies and had big litters. She was spayed after her last litter of 12. Turned out she had cystic ovaries. I can’t imagine how painful that was for her.
There was a time we were loading up out of town and this guy came up to us and she felt threatened. She growled and told him she meant business. Kai was protective of those she loved. She didn’t always greet people in what appeared to be friendly. A lot of barking and then flip around to have her butt scratched.
She did not like to be crated unless it was on her terms. She could get out of any crate until we got a Gunner. As she got older, her anxiety would get worse.
Kai was always a healthy dog. Last November I found what I thought was a tick on her lip. It was a lump on a stalk. I knew it was bad because it wasn’t there a month or so earlier for her exam. We had it removed within a wk. it came back as a melanoma. When her stitches were removed, kai appeared to have a head tilt. I contacted an oncologist in Tacoma that recommended chest X-rays every 3-4 months as these typically metastasis to the chest. Her chest X-rays so far were clear. One day she was hanging her head and her 3rd eyelids were out. It was thought she may have a brain tumor, only way to confirm was a CT at $1200 minimum. Kai was on pain meds. She started having trouble getting into the car and van, hind end was getting weak at times. Head tilt worse and lymph node was swollen. Cytology was done and came back at metastatic malignant melanoma. Chest X-rays still good. During this time, a friend was having a bad day as somebody close has recently passed away. I asked her if she want dog loves. And warned her of the way Kai meets people. Kai went up to her, curled up on her lap and gave her kisses. Kai made a good impression with her.
Recently I had to up Kai’s pain meds as her pain seemed to getting worse and she was skipping meals. Last week she started vomiting, barely eating one of her meals and rubbing her head and face. 3rd eyelids always up and her face showed so much pain, it was hard to look at her. She still attempted a butt wiggle and tail wag. Having migraines, I felt I couldn’t let her suffered with the pain much longer. Pain meds were not helping and she was worse. Such a hard decision to make, I could let her suffer in pain. I don’t know, maybe with her anxiety this was a blessing in disguise. She was an amazing dog, taught me so much about reactivity and resilience of what a dog can overcome with patience, love, consistency and training.
I often wonder how different she would have been what how much more she would have accomplished doing what she loved, if she hadn’t been attacked by an off leash dog not being watched by its handler.
RIP Missy, Baby Girl, Kai Kai
You will be missed. I must say, it is definitely quieter around here without you.
You live on in your pups.
