Noah passed away this afternoon. His suffering was too great and pointless and I felt it was time. From the day we met Noah brought love, laughter, and his special peace into my life and the lives of so many other. We must all face the loss of our animal companions sooner or later, but it is never easy. He will be in my heart always.

Again, I want to thank you all for your help and support through this journey.

We got back to Dodge this afternoon and took Noah straight to see the vet. Some of his bumps had gotten a lot bigger during the trip. The vet drained a lot of fluid out of them, which has seemed to help him feel better. She is contacting a specialist to see if chemo might help. We should know something by Monday. Noah is definitely happy to be home.

Trying to get fluid out of Noah’s big bump didn’t work out. The vet said there is swelling in the tissue rather than in a pocket. She did give him a second pain med and an antibiotic. The additional meds seem to be helping Noah feel better and a little more willing to move around. I’m starting to feel more confident that we’ll make it home.

Leatha and Noah

Noah is still drinking and eating with a little coaxing. Apparently, peanut butter makes dog food taste great. The swelling on his side is getting really big so we’re going to the vet this afternoon to see if they can drain it or something.

All your comments touch my heart. Noah appreciates the hugs and tummy rubs.

The word from the vet wasn’t good. Combined with Noah’s growing weariness it seems he may have only a few more days. My hope is that he can hang on until we get home so we can bury him in his yard, but that’s 10 days away and it may not be meant to be.

I truly appreciate all your support, prayers, and good wishes.

Leatha and Noah

We’ve made it to Oregon, visiting my daughter. Sadly, things with Noah haven’t been going well. The day before we left I saw that Noah’s amputation site was swollen and hot. He had slip getting into the car a couple of times and banged his side so I thought (hoped) it was a minor injury. Over the days of our trip Noah seemed more and more tired, the swelling seemed worse some times and better others. In Oregon we took Noah to my daughter’s vet. She took several x-rays and saw something on Noah’s sternum but she  wasn’t sure what it was. We are waiting for the specialist to come in on the 12th to look at the x-rays and give his opinion. In the mean time he is taking Rimadyl for pain. That seems to be helping quite a bit. Noah went to the river today and walked a fair way with no problems.

Just waiting for the news now. I fear the worst and hope for the best.

It’s just about time for our road trip. Noah has seemed a little tired lately. He can walk around our big block and a half but likes to lay down and rest about half way. Maybe it’s just the heat. We put a laminate floor in one of the bedrooms instead of carpet and Noah thinks that’s the best thing ever. Nice and cool. The only problem is it’s very slippery. It’s like he’s on roller skates trying to get back on his feet. Then Grace, the little beagle comes in to lick his teeth. He can’t get away from her fast enough. What a pair!

Noah had a great time last night at the municipal band concert in the park. My son plays the trumpet in the band so we go every week and Noah usually goes with us. There’s always someone in the crowd who comes over to visit him. Last night he had a whole group around him telling him what a great dog he is and petting him. This is Noah’s idea of a party.

He also thought he was having a party yesterday during his walk. He was all over the place, going where he wasn’t supposed to go and ignoring me when I called him. He must truly be feeling better! Since he was so full of it yesterday I put him on a leash today and we walked around a block and a half. The next step in his recovery I expect to be knocking over the trash can or getting something off the kitchen counter. But, it’s all good.

The past 2 days Noah has made it around the whole block during his walks. Hooray for Noah! The weather has been cooler here so it’s a lot easier for both of use to get around.

One more picture of Noah and one of our cats, Domino.

We have been taking our daily walks but Noah still has to lay down and rest before we get back home. Holding steady at halfway around the block. The neighbors are defiantly  getting used to seeing us. I like to think his happy face brightens everyones day.

One sign of progress is Noah has started doing his happy dance again. At certain times when he’s really happy and excited he used to bounce back and forth on his front paws. Now he’s figured out how to do it with one paw. It’s so great to see him bounce up and down, wagging his tail, and giving me the “Noah Smile”.