by Sarah
Jingle never bit anyone. He was my 3 yr old baby, a "red" golden retreiver. My gentle giant. Ive raised him from a baby. Never a problem always a friend, three weeks ago he became ill and over about 5 days stopped eating and eventually to vomiting and such total weekness they didnt think he was going to make it, but he did! Within a day he was feeling so much better and with all the tests they ran they found nothing. Everything was normal! We brought him home on 2 different antibiotics, huge horsepills that I had to practically cram down his throat. Two days later the growling started at first it was just at my other dog, I just thought he wasnt feeling well still and was warning him, then within a few days it was towards my younger children. They werent doing anything to him, they could walk into the room and he would just start growling at them. With myself and my oldest son, his boy, he was his same happy, healthy, loving self with the others he was a dog I didnt know. I couldnt understand it.
3 days ago as my husband entered the living room he jumped onto the couch which he knows is a no-no, my husband snapped his finger and pointed to the floor and the growling started, he refused. My husband then took a step back towards the couch and said his name and he jumped up on his haunches in definate aggressive mode and would not back down until I stood up and then he seem to come to his senses and jumped down running into my sons room hiding under the desk and although he was ok, I could pet him, he could not or would not stop the growling. The trip to the vet was hard, we get there and my once placid dog could not control himself growling at anyone within his site. Not allowing the vet to even get near him. His best "guess" was a brain tumor or underlying brain disorder that the sickness from a few weeks ago was attributed to or at least caused from. There were lots of options but there was not one that could assure me safety with my children. I thought the drive to the vet this morning was the hardest thing I had ever had to do but I was so wrong, it was the drive BACK. I will always second guess myself, I watched him leave this earth, I saw what was in his eyes and it was not one of peace he didnt understand, I saw the fear there and even though I tried to tell him everything was ok he KNEW it wasnt! I lost my baby today and I will never forgive myself! Thank you for listening, Sarah