This may be the most difficult piece I’ve written in nearly 50 years as a journalist.
It will bring a few tears; surely a chuckle and a laugh or two and hopefully some life-saving advice.
Once again, my family has lost its best friend. And each time it happens, it becomes more difficult. Death is something we have to accept when we lose a loyal friend. You know that going in when you own a dog. The joys of having a canine member of the family far overshadow the pain and sorrow that come at the end. But it is so excruciating to accept that fact of life and especially so when it comes so unexpected.
Winston was the latest of a trio of outstanding dogs that were part of the Smith family. A yellow Lab, this incredible joy was known as a “people puppy.” He never met a person he didn’t want to pet him or give him an ear scratch. We often referred to his smiley face because he was such a happy dog.
He was a legend in the neighborhood. He might get a biscuit at a handful of places on his daily walk. He and an octogenarian, who weighed barely more than he did, became fast friends. She would be awfully disappointed if we didn’t see her on our daily route.
Coming from an intelligent breed, he was trained to sit before being petted or before crossing an intersection. By the second day we had him, he was learning to go to the door when duty called. He had his puppy mistakes, but was by far the easiest dog we’ve trained.
He was a dog that loved to walk and run, chase a ball (what Lab doesn’t) and ride in a vehicle. He would wait patiently (most times) before going on a walk, but his patience was tested if a duffle bag or suitcase came out. He knew we were headed to Port Clinton of Lafayette, Ind., when those things appeared. Once ready, he would bark and circle the vehicle before getting in it he was so happy to be going somewhere. He would sit in the back seat and stare out the window the entire trip. We often wondered what he saw and what he was thinking.
He had his idiosyncrasies.
He might start barking and we couldn’t understand why. Then in a bit a UPS truck would come down our street. Something about that truck irritated him. He would hear it blocks away.
A dog’s tail can tell a story and he was a guy who could wag his tail normally, but he also made it go up and down, diagonally and around in a circle like a helicopter blade. I had only seen one other dog that would helicopter its tail.
And like many dogs, he could tell when one of the family vehicles came home. If you left him out to greet the returning person he would gallop across the back deck and enthusiastically welcome whoever came home. If humans only had that disposition on a consistent basis.
If one of our daughters was coming home, he would constantly check for them out of our huge picture window. He understood his “buddies” we’re coming. And he literally jumped for joy when they arrived.
He was the chef’s assistant and loved pizza night. Winston would sit by the stove as my wife prepared chili and as it simmers with its variety of smells and aroma, he looked as if he were in food heaven. He may have smelled pizza from the vehicle after one was picked up on many Fridays. He anxiously sat by the table, waiting for one of us to finish a piece before getting the end crust.
But he loved his exercise, too. He would run sometimes up to 30 yards ahead of me, then come charging back. And then run off again like that for much of a walk where he could be off a leash. Often he covered twice the area I did. Over his lifetime, we covered more than 10,000 miles together. That number was much more considering he walked with my wife and daughters as well.
But many dog owners can tell you stories like this. Now they will only be memories.
If there is a legacy Winston can leave, it is the possibility the malady he encountered may be prevented in other dogs. A “flipped stomach” caused his death. We had never heard of such a thing. But it occurs mainly in high-chested dogs like Labs. And he was a tall dog. It is more prevalent in males than females and is the second-leading killer of dogs behind cancer.
So what is this malady?
Technically it is called gastric dilatation and volvulus (GDV).
In simple terms, the stomach twists and literally flips. When this happens, a dog cannot get rid of trapped gasses in its stomach. There is enormous pressure from this and the esophagus can become closed off. Blood may not flow to the stomach and other organs if the major vein that passes through the stomach is pinched. Consequently, there is a reduction of blood flow to the heart. The stomach as well as the spleen may be cut off from blood circulation.
In Winston’s case, he began a coughing-like noise as if he had something caught in his throat or stomach. This began less than 2 hours after we returned home from vacation. We called and then rushed him to the Northeast Indiana Veterinary Emergency Specialty Hospital in Fort Wayne. They quickly diagnosed his problem and did the surgery to reposition his stomach. However, he had to have his spleen removed and part of his stomach and removing part of the stomach decreases chances for survival. We were cautiously optimistic since 80 percent of dogs survive this operation, although it is harder on senior dogs. And at 9, Winston was considered a senior dog although he did not act like one. A little more than 24 hours after his surgery, it became evident he would not make it. Euthanizing him was the obvious choice so he would suffer no longer.
What causes this malady and how do you prevent it? No one really knows.
Ask your vet for any information he or she has on it. You can take one measure that most likely will prevent a “flipped stomach.” When having your pet spayed or neutered, ask your vet to do a procedure called gastropexy. During this procedure, the stomach is attached to the abdominal wall. This should prevent the stomach from twisting or flipping. It some day could save your dog’s life and keep you from unexpected heartache.
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