Our tragic loss

[Bernadette]

Hi to all fellow Frenchie lovers out there. I have always loved coming to this site and seeing all of the gorgeous Frenchie babies and their owners and knowing there's such a wonderful group of people out there who share the love our family has for this one-of-a-kind breed.
I'm posting this comment with a very heavy heart because we recently lost our pride and joy, our beautiful brindle girl, Misty. She was just one month short of her 4th birthday (Oct.16) when she passed away on Sept. 11th. I wanted to let everyone know what we went through so you can keep watch for the same symptoms Misty had.
We noticed she was twitching and looking glassy-eyed for a couple of seconds each day, around Sept. 3rd. I called our fantastic vet and she said to bring her in on Saturday for a look, so we did. Misty was a little "out of it" at her exam and not her usual loving and rambunctious self. Some bloodwork was done (which came back normal) and we were given an antibotic to be given every 12 hours. Misty seemed to get better on the medication and on Monday she was feeling more like herself, running in the yard, so we believed all was well.
On Wednesday, however, she was having trouble using her back legs and didn't want to walk. A call to the vet suggested she was having joint pain and a baby aspirin would help. Ran out to get baby aspirin and gave her one. She didn't want to eat or drink all day, which is very unusual, of course.
By Wednesday night she still wasn't walking and seemed to be getting worse, so we (my husband, daughter and I) took her to the Univ. of Penn animal hospital emergency. She had a seizure during her exam (which she hadn't had in days and was probably brought on by the stress of the situation) and she was admitted to see the nuerologist the next day.
Thursday was a living nightmare. The neurologist was wonderful, however, calling me with updates, sometimes only 15 mins. apart. At one point Misty stopped breathing and was put on a ventilator, then she began breathing on her own again. They wanted to do an MRI to get a diagnosis so she could be treated, but she couldn't seem to stay stable enough for the test. Her blood pressure dropped and was brought back up with medication, and it was determined she would need to spend 24 hrs. in ICU to stabilize and have the MRI on Friday.
At 7:30 Thursday night, I received a call that a technician had noticed that Misty's eyes weren't focusing right, so an EEG was done and showed that she had no brain function at all. The ventilator was breathing for her and her heart was beating and we were asked if we wanted to be there for her at the end, which of course we all did.
Misty's life ended just 24 hours after she was brought in, never having a diagnosis. She was so strong and healthy she showed no symptoms until a week before, and even those were minor. An autopsy was performed on Friday the 12th and the preliminary results showed it to be a brain tumor, a type common in Frenchies, pugs, bostons and other "short-nosed" breeds.
Misty was such a huge part of our family, and truly a baby to my daughter, who is heartbroken beyond words. She has Misty's ashes in a wooden box on a shelf next to her bed now. Misty was the answer to her prayers 4 years ago when she came into our lives. She'd been saving coins in a jar for her French Bulldog for three years when we finally found the right one and surprised her with Misty. Our family will never be the same without her.
Thank you all for reading this. Sorry it's so long, but I needed to tell our story to people I knew would really understand and care. Please keep an eye on your Frenchies for any, even tiny, signs of seizures as they can mean something very serious very quickly.

[Cathie]

I'm so sorry for your loss :( ..
I lost my 13 yr. old Pug in Jan. he had some of the same symptoms as your Misty. He would have a "spell" and then would be ok a couple moments later. At the end he too lost control of this back legs, and went into heart failure.
Cathie

[Bernadette]

Thank you, Cathie. I'm so sorry for your loss, too. Do you know if your pug had a brain tumor? I guess it really doesn't matter in the end, does it? When you lose your dear little friend the cause is not really that important, only the loss. We did need to have the autopsy for the sake of Mia and Buddy (Misty's baby girls) so we could be sure it wasn't hereditary and thank goodness it isn't, just breed related. Misty had been vet checked for health before being bred, of course, so we were pretty sure but nothing is ever definite. Thanks again for your caring words.
Bernadette

[Carol]

I am so sorry for your loss my thoughts and prayers are with your family. Thank you for the information.

[Bernadette]

Thank you, Carol. We appreciate your prayers. Our hearts are broken, and Mia is so lonely without her mom around!
Bernadette

[terry]

We are so sorry for your loss.

[Bernadette]

Thanks, Terry. Your kind words mean a lot to us all. :o)

[sarah]

Our prayers are with you and your family. Our family changed when we got our frenchie and we can empathize with your loss. Thank you for sharing your difficult story with us.

[Bernadette]

Thank you, Sarah. Yes they sure do change our lives, don't they? What an amazing little breed they are! I am so glad we still have Misty's little girl, Mia, in our lives. She misses her mom, though, and really misses having someone to play with. Day by day we'll get a little stronger and feel a little better, but it will take time. Thanks again for your kind words.

[Angela Chance]

Thank you for sharing, but I am so sorry for your loss. She was a darling little brindle girl, with a cute little smile. It's never easy loosing your beloved pet. Remember all your happy times.

So this is where we part, my friend, and you'll run on, around the bend, gone from sight, but not from mind, new pleasures there you'll surely find. I will go on, I'll find the strength, life measures quality, not its length. One long embrace before you leave, share on last look, before I grieve. There are others, that much is true, but they be they, and they aren't you. And I, fair impartial, or so I thought, will remember well all you've taught. Your place I'll hold, you will be missed, the fur I stroked, the nose I kissed. And as you journey to your final rest, take with you this....I loved you best.

[Bernadette]

Angela, thank you so much for your poem. It made me cry! I love it. Misty was so much a part of our family that nothing feels quite right without her here. And yes, she did have the cutest smile, thanks for noticing. I am going to share your poem with my daughter. She's been coping with her sadness by journaling and writing some poems of her own and I know it will make her sad, but also make her feel better to know others understand her grief. Thank you again for sharing.

[ittybittybullies]

Hi Bernadette, I am so sorry for your loss. I too recently lost my Little Red to a Tumor inside her nasal cavity that destroyed her bones and eventually took her life. My poor little girl was a brave little soul too and she was determined to live to the end............. sorry I still tear up when I think of her. I feel your pain and I love the photo you put up. She was a doll. I am at a loss for words....... It is so sad to lose a frenchie or any doggie for that matter. I too have my first dog and now my little girl Sunny's ashes in my living room on a mantle. Both my babies are still with us in spirit. It is so important for everyone to know what signs to look for incase this happens to someone else. I thank you for sharing your story with us and please know that time will heal your wounds. I can assure you that Sunny is playing with Misty in the doggy park in the sky. Did you know that the roads up there are paved with cookies and treats, the grass is so green and soft and the air smells of freshly baked cakes. They lay about and frolic when ever they please. They have no pain and are always happy.
Keep that in mind ok. My prayers are with you guys through this hard time.
Take care and if you ever need to talk just email me ok.
Erick Cervantes

[Bernadette]

Oh Erick, thank you so much! I love your image of the doggy park in the sky... such a perfect place for Sunny and Misty to play and I just know they are. I think there's a very special place in the doggy park in the sky for all Frenchies to get together and play as only they know how. It made me so sad to hear about your loss of Sunny. I hope she didn't suffer too much. Frenchies are the bravest, aren't they? I still don't know how Misty could have been so sick and showed no signs until about a week before passing. She was always very healthy and lively and had unstoppable energy. In July she was chasing crabs back into the ocean on the beach at night. We couldn't see them, but Misty could spot the little things way back and would run them into the water. It was just hysterical to watch. She taught Mia how to spot them and chase them, too. Mia is very lonely now, missing her mom and playmate. It will get a little easier each day, I know, but we'll always remember, as you do, the pain of our loss and I know it will always make me tear up, too. Thank you so much for your prayers, Erick. They are very much appreciated by our whole family. Take care.
Bernadette