Clover, the dog that loved me
Clover was the cutest red wheaten puppy. She was all legs and scraggly hair. The first ride was a difficult one. She howled all the way home from the Hutchingson's and for emphasis eliminated a humongous bowel movement in the crate.
Clover never forgot. Whenever Denise would bring a" wolfie" in for treatment, Clover would respond to her voice in the driveway. Irish Wolfhounds bond to their people permanently. People that live with them understand the allure of puppy love and the relationship of permanent love. The breed should be called "Irish Leaners" for their tendency to lean on your thigh. This breed is not an exciting designer breed. They like a reasonable schedule. Clover would whine when I was away at an evening continuing education meeting or doing an overnight shift at the Animal Emergency Clinic in Ann Arbor. She would light up with an animated tail wagging happy dance when I came home. It is a humbling experience when you would see her respond to our grandchildren's arrival. They would get additional features, a face lick, use her as a horizontal biological TV pillow, a horse to ride or be a giant canine Lazyboy to snuggle with.
I thought it was about me. Clover had an adoring public wherever she went. I have never been with such an attractive canine blonde. People were drawn to her animal magnetism. She definitely was a head turner. Clover had a way of bringing out the good in the people she met.
You have heard the story of her osteosarcoma and her valiant ride through amputation, GDV (bloat) and chemotherapy episodes. Last night I humanely euthanized her. She went to MSU VTH oncology section and they found metastatic lesions in her lungs, a bleeding mass in her thorax. A metastatic pathological fracture was found on her 9th left rib and a 6 cm (2.3 inch) cavitated mass was detected on her left kidney. When she came home her PCV (a rough measure of total red blood cells) dropped 7% more from 37.1 to 30%. Her PCV was checked here less than 24 hours before. This indicated an increasing RBC loss and rapidly increasing anemia. Two weeks ago I wrote an article on euthanasia for DMN. Writing was tough, it did not compare to saying good bye on such a personal level. Premonitions are such a bother when they turnout.
The staff and personnel at the MSU VTH Oncology service doted on her. They treated her with love, compassion, optimism and truth. They do a marvelous job giving hope and most importantly a chance for a quality life to those they serve.
I wish not to focus on her end but the way that she brought life and joy to the people she interacted with. The void she leaves will take some time to fill. Dog drool is such an addicting substance.
There are things you may not know about her. She was in the Milan Christmas Parades wearing a blanket with the United Methodist logo on it. She could not figure out the reindeer. She went to schools when I gave talks on veterinary medicine. They outright told me I could talk IF I brought Clover. She went to "Safety Town" and was the center of attention. I did presentations on dog bites , animal safety and how kids should be careful approaching dogs they did not know. She was instrumental in our church, Marble Memorial United Methodist, starting up an animal blessing service. She had her picture taken for the church directory. That caused the photographer to mutter some vague phrases. They did put her in near the title page though. She had her picture in the Michigan Christian Advocate. She participated in "Relay for Life" previously as a walker and this year she was in the survivor walk. She had her photo in the Milan News and this year in the Discover Milan News. She was a grief counselor for people that lost their pets. She liked to greet people at our clinic. She was a universal blood donor and donated for our client's dogs, blood drives, and at the Animal Emergency Clinic in Ann Arbor.
She was a terrible food mooch. Clover loved cookies, potato chips, our church's "Mission rolls", and my supper. Nothing seems to drool like an Irish Wolfhound. She counter surfed with all four on the floor. She must have had the Guinness book of record for fastest time of butter consumption. A quarter stick of butter would be gone at the speed of gulp. She hated rain and the wet grass she had to urinate on. She caused a variation of Milan crop circles in the lawn. They really were yellow where urine killed the grass. She would do wind sprints in the driveway. She used to stop traffic in the summer; there were unbelievable expletives from open driver windows. She loved to chase squirrels invading her space. I believe she did cause a couple pedestrian underwear changes when she "gorilla" hopped down the driveway. People did not believe the Invisible Fence sign posted that she was contained, really.
At the Animal Emergency Clinic she loved and was loved by the staff. She always got the "room with a view." Clover liked getting her picture with Santa in December. Some of her other likes were going for van rides, our grandchildren and spending time sleeping in arms reach so she could get an extra stroke. She liked to play with cats. Inside Clover would toss her toys in the air and run through the living room. Strutting down Main St to the Post Office was a favorite outing. Checking the clinic for cat food or bumming treats from her friends in our clinic was almost a nightly ritual. She was not fond of boys on bikes, hot weather, men in hats, or bright sun.
I am thankful for the time and love she gave to everyone. I keep reviewing the list of things she reminded me of: devotion to duty, to handle cases with care because they are someone's pet, and to share compassion when clients are faced with life ending issues, tolerance of non-animal people, and the time to love.
The best thing about Clover was how she took my heart like a stick of butter.
Mike Sweet, DVM
10/23/08
