Rest Peacefully, Sweet Cody

This is not the Christmas Eve I envisioned when I woke up this morning. I actually woke up at 3 am from heartburn pain and decided to stay up and get some work done. At 6:30 I went downstairs and took care of the dog, letting him out and feeding him. I then decided to try and go back to sleep.

I woke up again at 9:45 and went downstairs to talk to my husband. Sitting in the corner was our dog, Cody. All of the sudden, Cody started acting strange and then had a seizure. He was foaming at the mouth and his jaw was locked down. At first, we thought he was choking on something, but then just as fast as it had started, it was over.

He seemed okay after that for about a half hour and then all of the sudden, his neurological functioning was impaired. He was confused, didn't know who my husband was, and lost control of his body.

My husband called the vet and there was no answer. We started thinking maybe Cody ingested something poisonous so he called the ASPCA Poison Control Center. Given the symptoms, they didn't have any answers. My husband called the vet again and still no answer, so he decided to take him to another vet, one that actually answered their phone.

By this time, which was only 45 minutes after he had the seizure, Cody's breath was labored and he was howling in pain. My husband called me 15 minutes later to let me know that he had died on the way to the vet's office.

My husband is on his way to take Cody's body to be autopsied so that we know what happened to him. The neurological impairment is similar to what our other dog experienced right before he died, so maybe it is something in the yard...I don't know. We have spent hours speculating but have no answers to explain how a 6-month old dog in excellent health could drop dead like that.

I am doing okay, but when I really think about it I get very emotional and cry. When J. saw me crying he asked what was wrong so I told him, explaining that Cody was in heaven with Cosmo, our border collie who passed away in June. J. looked at me and said, "we can get a new dog, Mommy." Though I don't think he really understands, it amazes me that kids can be so resilient. It is a good thing.

At this point, I really don't want another dog. Especially with a new baby on the way.

Anyhow, I hope our Christmas gets merrier because this sucks.