I can't tell you how many times I have sat down to write this post. Each time I try, I just get too emotional. It's been months, and it's still so hard. When we lost Roxy, we lost a family member.
Our last weekend with Roxy was a blast. We spent Labor Day weekend camping in Eastern Oregon with Kim and Loren. Roxy was her usual self. She was happy, healthy, full of energy and loved every moment of our time in the woods. But things changed drastically when we arrived home on Monday September 5th. As soon as she got out of the truck, she drank a bunch of water then spent the evening throwing up in the back yard. That evening she refused to come in the house. Shortly after the kids went to bed, we got her inside and she was shaking. I called Kim to see how their dog Sabby was doing and explained to her what was going on. She said Sabby was fine and told me to keep Roxy hydrated. Roxy wouldn't get up to come upstairs for bed. I spent a moment sitting with her, telling her how much I loved her, how I hoped she felt better in the morning but if she didn't I promised to take her into the vet first thing in the morning. I told her if she needed anything, she knew where we would be. I hugged her, kissed her and said goodnight. Sometime in the middle of the night, she made her way upstairs to lay on the cool tile floor in our master bathroom, her favorite spot to sleep. Her whimpering woke me up. I got up to bring her some water but she refused to drink it. An hour later, I woke up to her whimpering at my bedside. Cody woke up and said he was going to go sleep with her. She followed him into the guest bedroom. When he reached his arms around her body to lift her up onto the bed, he noticed her belly was hard and bloated. He laid next to her for the next two hours rubbing her belly, telling her she just had to make it til morning. At 4:45am, her rapid breathing came to a stop and she passed away with Cody by her side.
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| Picture taken on our hike the day before she passed away. |
Roxy loved hiking, camping and spending time in the woods with us. One thing that brings us comfort is knowing she spent her last weekend doing what she loved best.
We had her cremated with plans to spread her ashes at Crescent Lake this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. A place we have so many wonderful memories with her. Whether we will do that or not, I don't know. A large part of me just can't come to terms with letting her go.
RIP Big Girl. We will always love you.
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