Date of Death:
With extreme sadness, I want to tell you that we had to send Jasper to the Rainbow Bridge this morning, after 9 months of his struggles with DM. Complications due to DM and the horrible impacts it had on his ability to move and relieve himself got to the point where he was no longer able to control his bowels. His hind legs became completely non-functional. He was a great dog and we'll miss him dearly. We had three wonderful years with him, albeit a short period of time. My heart is broken and our house feels empty without him. Our veterinarians at Bayside Animal Medical Center in Severna Park, Dr. Oliver and Dr. Buchanan got to know Jasper quite well up until the very end, as we did everything we could to make sure he was as comfortable and healthy as possible, and received the best medical care we could provide.
Jasper was very special to us and we developed a very special bond. Near the end today, as he was being sedated prior to the final shot, I laid next to him and, while stroking his head and telling him what a good boy he was, he gave me two gentle kisses on my cheek. I have a huge hole in my heart right now and it's going to take me time to heal from this loss. Today I cried and cried. Losing a dog like Jasper to DM, a very cruel disease, hurts. I watched Jasper decline physically over time, while mentally he remained alert and aware of his surroundings. His brain was all there until the end, but he was robbed of his physical abilities to enjoy life the way a dog deserves to.
Here's an attachment picture of Jasper that we took today before taking him to our vet:
And lastly, I want to thank you for giving us the opportunity to adopt Jasper and make him a part of our family. Although there is pain in losing him, I'd like to think that our reward lies in giving dogs like Jasper a loving home and a chance to live a good life.
