26/09/08:
Hi all. Sad news I'm afraid as our much loved Mabel passed away this afternoon. Her decline over the last couple of days was very sudden and so it was decided today that it was time to let her go to sleep. Her passing was very peaceful and dignified - exactly how the charity intended it to be and I am so grateful that I was there with her right until the end.
For anyone who has made donations with Mabel in mind, I want to say a huge thanks. Your contributions have ensured that she received fantastic medical care and more than a few treats along the way which I'm sure helped to make her last months happy ones.
Many thanks again, Sally Update on Mabel - 16/09/08:
Here's the latest update on our little Mabel. Our fave girl has continued to astound us over the last couple of months. Her appetite never seems to falter and she has acquired a whole new range of foods that she adores. This includes pizza crusts, doritos (especially the cheesy ones!) and she is partial to an extra tasty chicken thigh! She continues to gain confidence in the house, loves to potter in the garden (occasionally breaking into a run!) and we are so pleased that she has been part of our family.
The bad news however is that the cancer has now spread to her lungs and whilst all of the above is true, her breathing can be quite laboured at times so we know that her days now are numbered. At times, her breathing sounds atrocious and yet within a couple of hours the symptoms have subsided and there she is wagging her tail when I get in from work as though she hasn't a care in the world (although I guess she is seconds away from her next meal when I walk in. Maybe that's it!) I now just hope that she'll tell me when the time is right and that I will be able to make sure that her passing is as peaceful and dignified as she deserves.
On a lighter note - Mabel and I attended the Greyhound Welfare dog show in Cardiff on sunday and Mabel entered the Best Rescue dog category and she won!! I was so proud and it was lovely to see our Mabel getting the recognition that she deserves! I have included a couple of shots of our star with her rosette.
It goes without saying really that the medication that Mabel receives to help with her breathing comes from the donations that we receive and so to that end Mabel and I would like to thank everyone who has donated to the charity. It is very much appreciated.
Update on Mabel - 27/03/2008:
All is well with Mabel at the moment. She has an occasional wobbly day where she loses her appetite for a while and prefers to spend her day in bed but boy does she make up for it the next day!! You can pretty much guarantee that if the cats don't get in and finish their food quick Mabel will eat her own and then devour theirs!!
She is much more relaxed around the home now and the picture which I have included today is not a particularly spectacular one but it is a really important one, mainly because it shows that Mabel's confidence has improved so much she is now happy to look people in the eye instead of averting her gaze if she catches someone's attention. It's fantastic to see how much more comfortable she is around the family and she appears to have turned into a bit of a diva! Mabel used to hover around outside the back door and panicked over the idea of coming into the house, running around in a frenzy at times. Now, if we don't open the door quickly enough she makes a noise remarkably similar to something out of the Hound of the Baskervilles and I love it!! It's fantastic to see her personality coming out at last and I hope she'll be around for a lot longer. Promise to keep you all updated!!
Update on Mabel - 25/02/08:
Mabel is doing really well at the moment - in fact, she's turning into quite the little minx!! She has discovered that the empty dog food tins are kept in the recycling box in the conservatory and takes great pleasure in stealing the occasional tin from the box and giving it a good clean in the garden just to ensure that there is no food left in there! However, where other dogs are reprimanded for stealing, Mabel just gets more praise!
She also gets the occasional burst of energy during which she loves to bomb up and down the stairs with her tail going ten to the dozen all the while! When this happens we know she's up for a proper walk and so on a couple of occasions this week she has joined us on a walk round the forest which is great as she gets to smell all types of new things. I'm amazed at how much distance she can cover - she can quite happily walk for an hour with appearing at all tired.
The best thing though, is that during the evening where in the past Mabel used to love squidging up in her bed in my bedroom unless we carried her down to be with us, she has now started choosing to come downstairs and sit with us. This is such a breakthrough and hopefully shows that there is now a greater level of trust between us. Until now, whilst I felt we were doing the right thing by keeping her alive a while longer and pampering her during her last days I never really knew whether Mabel herself was benefitting from it. I can now say hand on heart that she is and am so pleased that we got to spend this time with her. Even the cat is grateful for an extra body to cuddle up to!
An update on Mabel:
Mabel has recovered well from her first operation and has even started coming out on walks with us now that she has gained a little weight and is generally in better health. Coming in from the garden is slightly less tortuous than it used to be and rather than sleeping in her crate at night Mabel now chooses to come up to bed with the rest of us which is fantastic! The sad news however, is that tests on the lumps which were removed before Christmas have confirmed that Mabel does indeed have cancer.
Bearing in mind Mabels age and the potential risks caused by her having further surgery (not to mention the stress it would cause), we have taken the decision to allow her to spend her final days just enjoying as much love and affection and as many sausages, preferably battered(!) as we can give her. When the time comes we will also be able to ensure that Mabel is able to die with dignity and knowing that she was loved.
It is in no small part due to the donations that Four Paws receives that we will be able to ensure that the end of Mabel's life is a happy one and Mabel and I would like to thank you for making that possible. If you would like to donate to Four Paws please use the paypal button on the left hand side or contact us.
Mabel is a lovely old collie X girl and we think she is 8+ years old. We found Mabel in the pound and at the time she was severely malnourished and suffering from chronic bronchitis. She also had two large mammary lumps and was clearly distressed at her surroundings.
Mabel has now been in foster care for three weeks. She is still a very scared little girl and even now is too afraid to make eye contact with me. Once she is out in the garden, walking back into the house is too much for her if there are humans around and she will run away if you so much as look at her. As a result we just have to leave all the doors open and just wait until she's ready to come in. I can't imagine what Mabel has experienced that would leave her so traumatised. Thankfully she has forged a bond with our other little girl and if she lets me pick her up I can lift her up onto the sofa they will snuggle up together which is just a joy to watch!
Her bronchitis is now completely cleared up and she has gained 3lbs in the last couple of weeks which is great news! She also had an operation to remove the mammary tumours yesterday which went well although she is now a very exhausted little girl. Unfortunately, there were more lumps than we anticipated and so Mabel now faces more surgery. As you can imagine, complex procedures such as these are not inexpensive and so we desperately require your support to help us get Mabel back on top form.
We at Four Paws would be incredibly grateful for any donations you are able to make to help Mabel continue to receive the amazing level of treatment that she has had so far. Whether it be an unwanted Xmas gift that we can raffle or a donation all are gratefully received.
If you would like to help mabel please contact us. Any donations are greatly appreciated, you can donate using paypal - [email protected] or contact us for an address.
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