Remembering Our Spice Girl

This is a very difficult post to write but one that I want to share with all of you. There will be many tears shed during this writing so just bear with me.



As many of you know, in January 2013, we went from being the truckin' duo to the truckin' trio. Our sweet little Spice girl joined our trucking team. She loved to ride...in cars. This was a first for her and we weren't real sure how she would like it. It took her a little while to adjust but she quickly began enjoying the trips as much Carl and I. She was always the happiest little girl so it really didn't matter where or what she was doing as long as she was doing it with us. Spice girl was a south GA baby but she sure did love the snow. Carlos and I would get so tickled at her prissing and prancing around in that cold, wet white stuff.  She went from playing in the snow to trying to get a little taste of the salt from the salt flats in Bonneville, UT... to trying to jump in the water at the Jersey shore... and to hiking in the mountains of Northern CA while daddy worked on the truck and my oh my how that little girl loved to go for walks with me around the truck stop parking lots. She met friends from the east coast to the west coast. She quickly became a truckin' baby and loved it but when it started getting dark she was ready to stop. Her work day was over and she would aggravate the mess out of us until we stopped. Her philosophy was...work and ride during the day...stop, rest and sleep as soon as the sun started going down.

She always sat right here waiting and watching for us to return...even if it took 2 hours.

Playing in the snow. Not sure what she called herself doing but she
had nose all buried down in it.

I just love this picture of her running in the snow!

Checking out the salt flats in Utah.

This is what she would do when she was ready to stop.

Spice girl had the sweetest little face and a tail that was always...always wagging! She wasn't a lap baby but she was definitely a foot baby. She loved to be right under our feet. If I took 500 steps a day, she took 500 steps a day. If Carl took 500 steps a day, she did too.  If our feet hit the floor, hers did too. I believe she slept with one eye closed and one eye open. That way she could move if we moved. She loved to run and play outside and there was something about pine cones. She loved to run by and just reach down and grab one in her mouth. It seems like she was always carrying around a pine cone. How in the world her mouth didn't stay cut up and sore I'll never know. She also loved to go for daily rides when we were home and even if it just meant going around the block that's what we would do. She would get so excited when she saw us grab our keys and some how or another she could always tell if if was a trip that she could go on or not...without us even saying a word. She would start hopping, jumping, bouncing, walking sideways and turning every which way in pure excitement. The best part of the ride was when the window was down so she could feel the wind blowing in her face. If the wind was blowing while we were taking a walk, you might as well hang it up...she was not going to get in a hurry. Feeling the wind in her face was a glorious thing to her. She was always concerned about where Carl and I were. She liked for both of us to be in her sight at all times. Oh my goodness, if I had to get out of the truck for some reason she would worry herself to death looking for me. It didn't matter if we were home or in the truck she wanted us all together at all times. And if Timothy was home during the same time we were...that little girl had her paws full...keeping up with 3 people was a job...but she did it.

Enjoying the nice weather while waiting on me to finish up in the shop.

Enjoying the wind in her face.

She and I stayed home from Thanksgiving to the first of the year to enjoy all the family activities that we have during the holidays. On Wednesday, January 1 we packed up all our stuff and hit the road for Minden, LA. It was time to go trucking again. When we left home, she was feeling good...wagging her tail, following our every move, eating, drinking and prancing her little self around...and then...in the blink of an eye it all changed. Wednesday night she began having trouble walking...she would not eat or drink, began throwing up and became very lethargic. We made it to Minden during the early morning hours on Thursday and quickly found a vet. Our world as we had known it came crashing down. Our sweet little Spice girl was very sick...suffering from renal failure. When I asked the vet what we needed to do...now, I am expecting her to give us some meds and all would be good again. Oh no...she recommended that we tell her goodbye. "WHAT? She was fine yesterday and now you're telling me I need to say goodbye!" I just looked at Carl..."We can't leave her here! I'm NOT leaving her here!" Quickly, Carl left the room and called my parents and told them what was going on...without hesitation they jumped in their motor home and made the 10 hour trip (one way) to bring me and Spicy home. Spice was given something to help with her nausea and some sub Q fluids Thursday and again Friday morning. This was to help ease her discomfort for the ride home. When we left Carlos, he didn't think he would ever see his little "Cooter dog" again.

Before I go on, I just have to say that I have the best parents...EVER! No matter what the situation or the circumstance they never hesitate to be there when one of their girls needs them...even if they have to drive across country to get them. This by the way is the second time they have made a lengthy trip for me. The first was a 12 hour trip and then this 10 hour trip; one way both times. Love, love, love them!

As I said, Spice girl was a sick, sick baby. We headed home Friday morning and on Saturday morning we had an appointment with our vet. A visit I was not excited about but then...things began to change. On the way home I began to see a little glimmer of hope and improvement in our baby. She wanted to eat and she wanted chicken. Mama and Daddy had some boiled chicken in the frig for their little baby but I'm sorry to say...my little baby got that boiled chicken! She also had her own piece of grilled chicken from Wendy's. She was gobbling that stuff up faster than I could give it to her. She began drinking water and her walking began to improve. She was still a little wobbly and slow but when we stopped for restroom breaks you would have thought we were stopping for a little stroll in the woods. During the stops on the way home I never did put her leash on because she was moving slowly and was always right by my side...but Friday night...I had to threaten to put the thing on that little girl. She started having a little pep in her step and I was having a hard time keeping up with her. Daddy and I got so tickled at her walking off from me. I just knew in my heart that this was not the end.

We made it home late Friday night and off to the vet we went Saturday morning...for a second opinion and to see what could be done...NOT to say goodbye. I have to give a huge shout out to Spice's doctors because they are the BEST. Dr. Kidd agreed with the test results from the Louisiana vet but she recommended that Spice stay in the hospital for a couple of days and get some heavy doses of fluids. That my friends is exactly what we did. I went home and got her special pillow, her treats and some CHICKEN to help her stay be a little more comfortable.

Talking about lonely...oh my goodness...I was sooooo lonely those 4 1/2 days. I picked her up on Wednesday morning and brought my baby home. I must say, when I brought her home I just knew that I would be bringing my old Spice girl back home...but...I didn't. She was better but not the way I was hoping. Her walking was still slow and wobbly and now she decided she DID NOT like chicken. Let the fun begin. That little girl started getting her own special cooked foods...hamburgers, hot dogs, roast, Hamburger Helper...but not just any hamburger helper...it had to be the Three cheese lasagna Hamburger Helper and cube steak...which by the way...she didn't like at all. She quickly turned her nose up and walked away. I know...some of you are probably thinking I can't believe she is letting her eat table foods. We didn't up until now. She wouldn't eat any dog food, can or dry and she had lost so much weight that I was going to do whatever it took to get some weight on her. That was the most important thing...weight... not how she got it but that she got it.

We went back to the doctor on Monday to check her blood work again. Her numbers were still high and Dr. Kidd recommended that I start giving her sub Q fluids at home. Well of course I would. I could see so much improvement in her since that awful night on January 1st. Her tail was wagging again and she looked and acted happy. There was no way I was going to let her start going back down hill or even say goodbye when she had pep back in her step. So the fluid giving began 500ml twice a day for 3 weeks. We gradually moved up to 1500ml 3 times a week for about 5 weeks and then the last 2 weeks she was getting 2000ml every other day. The fluid is given under the skin and is absorbed into the blood stream to help with dehydration and to help flush the toxins through the kidneys. Oh, and it is not painful.We had the large bags, needles and iv tubes and for 10 weeks I was a pet nurse and would do it again if I needed to.  Just like us though she didn't like seeing that bag, tube or needle coming her way. It usually took her a few minutes before she would lay down on her pillow but once she did she was a perfect little patient. She laid still and waited patiently for it to be over. Again, some of you are probably thinking "That is just crazy!" "Lynne, why would you do that?" "Just go ahead and say goodbye all you are doing is prolonging her life!" My answer to that is...YES, it did prolong her life but she lived those last ten weeks abundantly and full of joy. She was just like her old self again. When we are sick, don't we take any measure possible to help us get well or to at least feel better? Then why shouldn't Carl and I offer that same advantage to our baby girl. We could and we did!

Now, back to the eating. Talking about a challenge...now that was a challenge! I said she reminded me of my niece...one day she likes it and the next day "I not wike it!" Thank goodness Carl was able to come home during some of this time. He was home for several weeks and between the two of us someone was always in the kitchen eating...which meant Spice girl was in the kitchen snacking and trying new things. Nilla wafers, town house crackers, chips, pound cake, the crust from an egg custard pie, bread...but only the crust, steak, pork chops, sausage...not the meat just the skin, spaghetti and Vienna sausages and vegetable soup...of all things can you believe she liked the vegetable soup...vegetables, meat, juice and all. CRAZY, CRAZY little girl. Oh, and get this, one night she ate french fries and tater tots but wouldn't eat them the next night and then Carl remembered...salt. He forgot to put the salt on them...she wanted her food seasoned...she didn't want that old bland mess and she didn't want leftovers or want it cold. It had to be freshly cooked and she wanted to make sure we could and would eat it also. Can you say "SPOILED!" But that's ok because she was eating and she was gaining weight. Each trip to the vet received a positive report. They always asked about her eating and got tickled at the eating stories I had each time. The vets told me that as long as I was willing to keep trekking along so were they. They wouldn't stop until I told them to. One of the vets told me that we had ourselves our own homemade remedy for dialysis with the fluids. I said as long as it worked I would keep doing it but the day it quit working is the day I would stop.

She had her a little smorgasbord almost every night.

Loving her some vegetable soup!

This was her Valentine's Day meal! The steak was a huge hit!

Loving her Valentine's Supper!

On March 15 that day came. It was a day that I hoped would never come but knew it would. I won't go into any details because I want to remember her the way she was and I want you to have the picture of her tail wagging, her sweet, big brown eyes and her little ears all perked up...not the way she was the last day and a half. The vets always told us that we would know when it was time. And on a cloudy bittersweet Sunday morning of March 16, 2014 we said goodbye to a sweet reddish blonde, brown eyed, fluffy tailed Springer Spaniel named Spice who had blessed mine, Carl and Timothy's lives for 16 wonderful years. She was a loving, devoted, loyal, friendly, prissy and even sometimes a bit hardheaded companion. We always told Timothy he had a sister and her name was Spice. 

Isn't that the sweetest little face!

During those ten weeks, we prayed for Spice and we had friends and family that were praying for her. I believe that I will one day see my Spice girl again. The things that we love and enjoy on earth will also be waiting on us in heaven. The beauty of the trees, the sparkling of the waters, the singing of the birds, the love of family, the fellowship with friends and the companionship of our beloved four legged babies. Only in heaven, it will be in a perfected manner. C. S. Lewis wrote, "All the things that have ever deeply possessed your soul have been but hints of [heaven]—tantalizing glimpses, promises never quite fulfilled, echoes that died away just as they caught your ear. . . ." The real thing is heaven.  Job 12:10 says "In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind." So you see our little Spice girl is in the hands of Christ. I can just see her now with her ears perked up and wagging her tail as she is prancing herself around on the streets of gold and as Timothy said she's probably telling Ginger and Cheyenne about all the rides and home cooked meals that she had.

Thank you LORD for bringing that little bundle of joy into our lives 16 years ago on a cold December night. We love you and will miss you dearly but look forward to seeing that precious face again one day.



"And EVERY creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and ALL that are in them, hear I saying, "Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the lamb forever and ever."  Revelations 5:13