In Memory of Mac
December 14, 2005

 

Mac came into rescue after five years of life outdoors in Arizona as part of a breeding program, then a short time with an adoptive owner who decided she couldn't handle his medical problems. He'd never been housetrained, and, on top of that, he was suffering from stress and a terrible case of diarrhea and no ability to control his bowel movements.

  His first foster mom got his diarrhea under control with the help of some canned pumpkin and some emotional stability. Then he moved to southern California to live with some experienced FBRN volunteers to get some much needed socialization and training.

For a while, it looked as though, with acupuncture and diet changes, his health problems might have been turning around. His foster parents were enjoying Mac, Mac was enjoying the southern California lifestyle and being able to be a pet.

But it was not to be.  Little eight year old Mac would never again have that opportunity to be someone'se beloved pet.  In the last month of his life, Mac's health, never very stable, began to fail.  His foster mom, our southern California state contact Carol Shenk, struggled to keep him comfortable...

"He had to be bathed at least once a day, sometimes only his rear end. I would dry him off and put medication on his back legs, because the diarrhea sometimes seemed to scald him. I didn't use a diaper because that really scalded. We used any number of things to try to firm the stools. Just when I thought I had an answer, the diarrhea would some back.

About 2 weeks before his death, his backbone really started showing and I knew we wouldn't have him much longer, but I didn't think it would be so soon. The vet said it looked like his internal organs were just tired and had started shutting down.

He had stopped eating on his own a few days earlier and I spooned food into him, trying to keep up his strength. He was usually so good about it, but he fought me a little the night before so I told him he didn't have to eat it if he didn't want to. A few hours later I could see that he had decided to let go, and at around 3 AM, he passed quietly over the Rainbow Bridge."

Godspeed, little Mac...