Currently (late August 2004, when I wrote this song) there are three extremely geriatric Bouvier living with me. Duke, now aged 14 and getting very feeble, whom with the help of the Bouvier internet community I rescued off Death Row over 5 years ago. Sage, aged 13 and a bit wobbly at times, who was given up a few months ago when he ran up a big vet bill. Princess, aged 13 , recently diagnosed with Lymphoma, but responding wonderfully to treatment, who was given up a few months ago by owners moving to Hawaii.
Then a couple weeks ago , a friend invited me to a delightful production of Pirates of Penzance. So I have been on a Gilbert and Sullivan jag lately.
Three Ancient Bouvier Are We (to tune of "Three Little Maids from School", |
UPDATES :
Duke, the eldest of the 3, after a long period of gradually declining quality of life, rather abruptly became irreversibly unable to walk without great pain and was euthanized Sept 9, 2004. He was born sometime in April of 1990, thus was 14 years and 4 to 5 months old. He was rescued from absolutely certain death in spring of 1998. This song was written about two weeks before his sudden decline and fall, at a time when he was still able to enjoy life in a very low keyed way.
Sage, after a long period of gradually declining quality of life to a level that was getting pretty iffy, suddenly suffered another severe crisis , that although treatable could not have allowed restoration to an acceptable level of comfort and enjoyment and so he was euthanized on April 17, 2005. He was born February 15, 1991, so he was 14 years old. He had been rescued 13 months earlier in dreadful condition.
Princess, rescued in April of 2004 and diagnosed with lymphoma in August of 2004, has been living in comfort since then despite hitting a few potholes in the road of life. She is still alive as of April 2005 at the age of 14 years, having been born February 19, 1991. She has currently come out of remission twice and is now on a salvage protocol that we hope will give her another couple of months of quality life.
Update : Princess disease retreated briefly and then advanced again. On 5/9/05 it became clear that I could no longer assure her of comfort and that she was ready to give up , and one 5/10/05 she was euthanized.
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| site author Pam Green | copyright 2003 |
| created 9/01/04 | revised 4/19/05 |
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