Sunday, January 28, 2007

Eulogy to the Badger

(Eulogy to the Badger, By his owner and best friend, Ross S.)

"


Dogs are amazing animals. You can scold or spank them until you are blue in the face, and they will come back and love you like it never happened. Maybe that's because they know how flawed we are as people, and need to remind us that killing someone with kindness goes further than ordering one into submission.

Badger was a sweet one. He would wait by my garage door upon returning home each day once he heard the garage door opening. I was than expected to play ball with him each evening rain or shine; you could set your watch by his eagerness to go outside. He would follow you by your side because he only wanted your attention and to make you happy by his showing of commitment to you.



But he had a demon, one that came in the form of abnormal firing of nerve cells in the brain, aka 'Generalized' seizures. It was interesting to learn how little the veterinarian community really knows about this over the last two years, it was only in 1964 that human classifications began to be formally theorized. Thus the solution, throw money at the problem until the drugs no longer work.

At 7pm last night he began to cluster seizure, already on a constant level of potassium bromide and Phenobarbital (with a dash of xanox) which would keep most 175 lbs. humans in a state of bliss. Once the clusters begin you must increase the Phenobarbital to levels that knock him on his ass for 24 to 48 hours, except this time he was drugged to an unconscious state, however STILL having seizures. After witnessing this for 5 hours you know the quality of life is zero. Badger was unplugged from this world at 2pm today unfortunately, a little doggy who didn't ask for much more than a ball to be thrown or a rub of the belly.

Damn I love dogs. I take this next gulp of beer in a cheers to the B.
Ross, my thoughts go out to you and Angie.

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