Name: Toilé (Sasha)
Lived: Born during 2006
Loved: 19th of January 2015
Lost: 30th of January 2015
For the sake of fair warning:
Toilé has had the saddest story to date for No Hairs Ark
I hope that it is never exceeded - readers' discretion advised
Toilé in the outdoor run. She would like to spend time curled in the sun.
About: Toilé arrived in our care in a bit of a state. For the entire drive from NSW to VIC, she lay and did not make a sound. When we arrived at The Ark, she would not move from her crate, even with a lot of coaxing. When we tried to physically remove her to bring her inside, she panicked and flipped around spraying urine, biting at anything she could reach (hands, leads, blankets) - it was at this moment that we thought things could be wrong. She would urinate when you picked her up, called her name or looked in her direction. When you moved near her, she would flatten herself down and pretend she couldn't see you. It was truly heartbreaking to see a dog like that, yet we still persisted with her, despite the bites and flip outs. Fear can do strange things to an otherwise agreeable dog and seeing as she was 9 years old and knew nothing else... well, you have to work with them, not against them.
At her veterinary check up the day after she arrived, we took bloods. Her teeth were painful, coated in thick tartar and dental disease. She was very underweight, was very nervous and had a systolic heart murmur of grade 4-5. She had iris degeneration and had faeces caked to her anus. She was covered in sebaceous andenomas and she was obsessively chewing at her feet, which were red and hurting. We took home pain killers and antibiotics. Soon her blood results came back which indicated she had cancer. During the next week, she regressed further, taking every opportunity to bite us, even as we placed her dinner near her (which she usually ignored until no one was in the room) - we got the feeling she was giving up. On the Tuesday, we found her lying outside in the rain, curled in a tight ball. As was her way, we picked her up and she dribbled urine over our legs. We bundled her to the vet. Upon analysis of her urine, we realised she was probably in renal failure. We tested her urine for a few days before confirming it.
After the vet sedated her, she ate roast chicken out of my hands and allowed me to run my fingers through her white fur for the first time. I gently picked her up and she did not urinate. On the 30th of January, we gave Toilé her wings and I sat with her until she passed. It was a hard decision to make, but not one that was taken lightly. I only wish I could have met her earlier to help overcome her issues before they got this bad. Toilé now rests in our yard, where she is remembered.