Now, I’m half ready to tell the whole story about her passing away, no photos on this, their very sad.
Cha-Cha was given as a present to my sister by a friend in June 1998 she was so cute like any other puppy, energetic and fat! She doesn’t have a name yet at that time, but since we were obsessed with the Japanese cartoon named Akazukin Chacha, it fits her so much; she even has the kulet attitude of the character!
4 weeks later her sunny personality became gloomy not to mention the loss of her big appetite… our poor baby was not eating, slowly her kulet was fading. There was blood in her poop and that was the time the vet knew what made her sick… it was “Canine Parvovirus” you may click this to learn more about it.
Cha-Cha was taught to potty in the garage, though week, she still tried to get up and drag her body to the garage only to poop. Ever since, she really showed exceptional intelligence.
Canine parvovirus was hard to cure it is very fatal and only 10% of puppies infected survive. And Cha-Cha survived it! She showed signs of wanting to live and she did! She fought the virus and won! (And her BIG appetite was back!) Ang takaw nya eversince grabe! Ü
After that, many happy years came but only occasional colds and fever each time she plays under the rain!
2008 was sort of a revolutionary year for her! Jan 5 of 2008, I decided to rehabilitate her by introducing her to a basic dog-owner bonding (to us it was a brother-sister) the “Walk” hehe. I think I even made an entry here in my multiply blog about that, it was her first experience to go outside of our gate just to look around and see what’s happening, sniffs here and there was all she was doing, but when we reached the end of our next-door neighbor’s lot, she wouldn’t go beyond it, no amount of pulling will make her follow you, she wasn’t ready yet… but about the whole experience…? SHE LOVED IT!
The next day, people weren’t even over the new-year spirit and still had to use their left over fire crackers and Cha-Cha hated it, she’s scared of fire crackers! But I said what if I bring Cha-Cha out for a walk while fire crackers were going off? She was hiding under the kitchen table but when I showed her the red harness and leash that she loved, to my surprise, she went out from under the table and wanted me to walk her! Just when people are using their fire crackers like crazy! Haha! She loved walking and it didn’t stop there! March 14 of 2008 I decided I’d bring her to (where else!?) the UP sunken garden! I called my sister to join us and have a “Feliciano siblings” bonding for that afternoon which never happened before and we even called up some friends of ours to play Frisbee there and spend the day with our makulet bunso! It was Cha-Cha’s first car ride, first journey very far from home, I remember she only goes out of our house because she had to go to the vet for monthly shots and check-ups but boy oh boy my little sister’s gone a long way!
Now the sad part, late last year she became sick and no longer makulet, it was exactly November 11 2008 when we recognized her loss of appetite and we knew there was something wrong, of course she was brought to the vet right away, we (and the vets) thought it was just fever, she as given the necessary shots and we went home, after having the shots and medications she would normally be back to her kulet state and her love for food will be back too, but this time it was different, she still didn’t want to eat and tries so hard to wag her tail to acknowledge our presence, I said shit, this might be something serious, and it was, our vet took blood samples and after the laboratory test it showed she has heartworm a parasite that lives inside the heart and may be a cause for cardiac arrest, like canine parvovirus, it too is very fatal. My vet said there is still hope, we should just wait until she’s strong enough to take the medications for the heartworm and a little prayer, we can defeat heartworm, and she said we had to wait for a month till Cha-Cha is healthy enough because at her age (10 years old) the treatment may also be fatal for her.
The plan was to feed her anything she likes even the ones she loves but is allergic to, but there’s something wrong, she wouldn’t eat, and showing signs that she was in pain, what could it be this time? I can’t imagine what could go wrong this time? Few days earlier I noticed some discharge from her female opening, it was pus, (now for the 5th time in 7 days) we went back to the vet and told her what happened and what we saw, she had to be admitted and it the pus from her vagina that she was suffering from Pyometra an infection in the uterus that a female dog will get through mating or even un used reproductive system. Cha-Cha was a virgin.
8 days running and she’s slowly giving up, we go to the vet to visit her everyday and she’s just generally fading, my mom went to the vet on her own to say her goodbye and thanked her for keeping her company for 10 long years every single afternoon, she was her afternoon telenovela buddy everyday, my mom knew she as going to leave us, because I told her… yes I did, many years working with dogs I know how a dog would look when their tired and want to give up, it was so hard for my part coz I knew, I KNEW.
9nth day (November 20th) my dad called me up in the office and said if she’s going to leave us, its better she leaves us in our house, in her room, in her bed, I said ok. Little by little I tried to introduce the option, an option that will remove all the pain and suffering Cha-Cha was having, it as euthanasia, I never thought I’d be suggesting it to be done to my sister. Till now, I’m still feeling guilty.
She’s home and lying on her bed, my father was going nuts, my father was her alpha, because my father was the one in charge of taking care of her when were out and that’s 20 hours in a day. That evening friends came to visit her, friends close to our family and even closer to her, she gathered her little strength to wag her tail just to acknowledge them up to the last hours of her life, she wanted to please us. 3:30 AM she was crying we thought she might be in pain because of her IV we had to call the vet and had the vet assistant to come and fix it, he said the IV was properly in place, it was a gamble for him to leave the clinic because he wasn’t allowed to leave it at that certain time. 4:00 AM she was still crying and very much in pain, my dad was asking her if she wanted to go… my dad said if she’s in pain and would like to leave us then first thing in the morning we will let her go… instantly as if she got the permission she wanted, so softened her cry, and tried to hide her weep, I knew she was in serious pain because after all she was still weeping, I couldn’t stop crying too, I kept on saying she will be fine in a few hours, her pain will go and in return she will grow wings, the hardest part was to watch the clock tick, time was running very fast for us because it was torturing to know she will leave us forever in a few a hours, her schedule was 9am that day (November 21st) and it was 7am.
Its now time to head to the clinic, and give her the rest she wanted so bad to end her suffering. Everyone couldn’t stop crying, my eldest sister said goodbye before she left us in the clinic for work, my dad and I were the ones left, my dad was stalling time to proceed to the procedure. The vet said Cha-Cha only has about 2 hours more, I said I cant give her that kind of death, with pain and suffering, we promised her a death with dignity and we must oblige.
My dad made all the excuses to leave the clinic and left me alone to painfully see everything, the doctor allowed me to be beside her till she was asleep, I couldn’t stop talking to her telling her not to forget us and how much we love her and how much we are thankful for her existence, while she still hears me, I was crying the shit out of myself. Now she’s asleep, time to put her in the deepest sleep. I was sent out of the room but could still see from the door.
A few minuets, she’s gone, I couldn’t touch her, I couldn’t look at her, I felt so guilty for having her put to sleep, but what can I do? I couldn’t stand her being in pain, nobody in our family can.
My dad was back and cried a lot now that his bunso already left us, it was Cha-Cha’s body’s last journey… I went to get what’s left of my savings and had her cremated, we went home from the clinic so my mom would see her the very last time, and off to the crematorium. The next day (November 22) I went back to where we had her cremated and brought her back home, finally, she will be home forever, before that we visited my sister in I brought along an industrial size mayonnaise container as her urn inside it together with her ashes are her favorite stuff! I was carrying her in that container in Megamall! It was her first time in a mall, and then we went to our sister’s place until finally we went home.
Now my family passed the stage of being in denial, were now in the phase of acceptance, a few tears every now and then is common, 10 years is no joke. I even cut my hair for her, wouldn’t bring her back but to me it was my own way of grieving Every night we pass her urn around to the person she will be sharing the bed with, the same order she was doing when she was still with us.
Cha-Cha, Cha-ching, Baby, budgie, budging… the names we call her are endless but she knows it when we wanted her attention. Or call her for dinner when she’s busy hunting stray cats or rats in our yard. Haha memories, memories, we sure miss her and this spot in my blog is for you babe, we will never forget you, but slowly we will accept that your in a better place now than all of us, always remember though to wash your mouth after eating and chocolates are bad for you!
Special thanks to the following fiends:
Migs and Aissa for simply being there thank you so much.
K3 team especially Cynts, Jov, Triska Mack boy and Jody, salamat sa suporta.
Monster family: F and Hersh, Chris and Papot, Dan salamat ng marami.
Toda team, special mention to Pia who was so excited know about Cha-Cha's activities and Connie and Doie, kahit may sakit pa si doie talagang grabe and support nyo salamat!
Ateneo / Philippine daily inquirer: Sir Ernie Sarmiento thanks for allowing me to mourn, Ma’am Luz maraming salamat po, Kara Santos salamat sa suporta at kay Faye Ferrer din na kasama ko sa saya at lunkot ng pagka wala ni Cha-Cha maraming salamat sa inyo.
Geronimo Photographico: Jen, Jo, Mark and Jeff, salamat sa suporta.
Adver Uno: Tonki, Jem, Issa words will never explain my gratitude sa suportang binigay ninyo.
Ate Reema, salamat dahil kahit umagang umaga ginugulo kita para iyakan at hingan ng tulong tunkol kay Cha-Cha. Maraming salamat!
Sa lahat ng di ko na alala, maraming salamat, mahalin nyong mabuti ang alaga ninyo, be a responsible friend to your pets at susuklian nila kayo ng unconditional love.
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