Skylar the Dog

22/11/2023

Memories of November 2020. BTS released their song "Life Goes On". It's a song about, well, you know, but it fits well with all of life's sucky moments. I loved our mom and doghter dates 💜

31/10/2023

The cutest unicorn. Skylar's first Halloween.

I better be getting a lot of good treats tonight.

20/10/2023

One week ago today, we said goodbye. Today, she came home.

17/10/2023

❤️😢

Getting used to the new normal of walks without my big sister, but using her hot pink flamingo leash to keep her close.

16/10/2023

Hello. This is Skylar's Mom. I have heart-breaking, sad news to share. We gave our final kisses to Skylar and said goodbye on Friday night.

Skylar had been doing really well since her last update in September. We apologize for not sharing more stories or photos since then. We did a post-Labor Day dog swim. We went to a BBQ competition. We did lot of sniffing walks around the neighborhood. She had so many chicken nuggets and good treats. She was doing so, so well, considering the cancer, and we didn't have any reason to suspect things were going to suddenly take a downward turn.

When I woke up on Friday morning, she was acting differently. She turned her head away from a piece of rotisserie chicken, and I knew something was wrong. My girl never said no to roti chicken unless she was feeling very bad. As the day progressed, she became weaker; she could barely hold up her head. She did her best to walk, but it seemed so hard, and she would lay down after one or two steps.

We're grateful for a last-minute appointment with her friends at Burke Animal Clinic. I went into the appointment optimistic that she's just constipated but worried that maybe the high calcium levels returned, similar to what she experienced in May. Instead we got a devastating update after a chest xray. There was a lot of stuff going on around her lungs and heart.

If Skylar had felt anything bad before Friday, she fooled us. Even up to Thursday night, she was picky about food, as usual, but eagerly scarfed down the chicken, tortillas, cheese (the humans were making enchiladas), peanut butter, eggs, various treats, and even the pill pockets hiding her medication. She climbed the stairs to go to bed without an issue. She freely gave out kisses, and her barks were full of energy. Thursday night was so uneventful, I can't remember exactly how we spent the final good hours together.

To make the day a little more meaningful and easy to remember in the future, Friday was also Skyar's 12th adoption anniversary. October 13 will forever be a day to remember as one that brought the greatest joy and the worst sadness.

Thank you for sharing in Skylar's adventures for the past 12-ish years. I have photos and videos to share of a few things from the past month, but I'm not sure how frequently I'll update in the future. In the meantime, I hope to give more attention to chronicling the life of Skylar's sister, Maybel the Dog.

We are forever grateful to Skylar's besties at The Oncology Service. The Springfield and Leesburg teams gave her so much care and attention through her chemo and radiation treatments. I know they did their best to help her live her healthiest life. I hope to never need to introduce their doctors to Maybel or any future pups, but I'm glad Skylar was in their good hands.

If you knew Skylar, or if you feel like you knew her through this page, Mom, Dad, and Maybel would love to read your favorite Skylar stories in the comments.

Forever My Best Girl, 2010-2023.

08/09/2023

Had another check in with the dogctor and ... (drum roll) I'm still the sweetest, most perfect dog (other than the cancer). My tumor is a tiny bit smaller, and my poo has a clear path to exit! 🥳 💩 My new tradition with Mom is that we celebrate the visits with a shared ice cream. She gets most, and I get what's left!

06/09/2023

Hello from the woods! My pesky little sister and I had super fun this weekend hanging out with our family. Can you believe this scenery is a fenced-in forest just for us dogs?

24/08/2023

Mom is excited because she bought a matching one. She said we'll be twins. This is mortifying. Send help!

21/08/2023

Sad: Mom left me again to go work someplace else. 😭
Rad: She came home!!! And I had perfect poops! 😁

18/08/2023

After three of the best years ever, I am the saddest of all the sad dogs. Mom has to go and leave me alone three times a week now! Look at my sad eyes! I know she needs to go so she can get the money to buy me all the best food but whyyyyyyy. Stay home forever, Mom!

12/08/2023

Family fun day at Paradise Springs Winery, Virginia, one of my favorite places to go with mom and dad. Mom wouldn't share her wine but she gave me a little cheese! We then got ice cream (grown ups) and pup cups (dog kids) at Peterson's Ice Cream Depot, but Maybel and I ate our pup cups too fast for Mom to take a photo. Best day ever!