Garth Warren

Born ~ January 14, 1994
Died ~ January 22, 2002

Garth was a loyal and trustworthy companion his whole life. He filled my life with love and joy. To know him was to love him, he would lick you to death. Garth loved company, whether you were visiting him or not, you ended up visiting him. His tongue was always hanging out. He never like to be alone, so were you went he went. His Favorite words were: FLASHLIGHT, LASKA, GIRLFRIEND, BOAT RIDE, and always COOKIE.

He loved his Veterinary Doctors - every time I told him we were going to see Doctor Bob (Dr. Robert S. Madenjian) or Doctor Dawn (Dr. Dawn M. Tauro) he ran to the car and waited for me. Garth had his cruciate ligaments replaced on his left hind leg at age 3. And, he had his right hind leg cruciate ligaments replace at age 4 - a year to the week. I spend many a nights asleep on the floor by his side. He was "My Boy" and that is what "Daddy's" do for there kids. Garth also had a Disk in his neck that would press against his spinal cord. This was relieved by taking steroids for a few weeks and then he would be fine. This happened when he was 6 and again a month before he died. He still loved his Veterinary Doctors.

This last trip to the Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital - who knew it would be his last! Garth stopped eating and drinking on Thursday, January 17, 2002. He also was not active, mostly lying around the house. We scheduled an appointment and visited Doctor Bob on Friday, January 18, 2002. He had blood work showing he was anemic, his Red Blood Cell count was 28. Normal would have been 35-55. We thought the steroids for his neck problem had upset his stomach. We put him on Pepcid, Antibiotics, Stomach soothers, etc. Garth was feeling a little better on Saturday, January 19, 2002 and actually got up and went "Potty" on his own. He drank water and laid back down. Sunday morning, January 20, 2002, Garth was not moving. He was lethargic, laying on the floor drooling We tried to stand him up to go "Potty" but he dropped back down. He went right there on the floor in the kitchen. I rushed Garth to the Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital. There we took more blood tests, x-rays, and gave him Antibiotics, Steroids, and started him on IV fluids. His Red Blood Cell count at this point was 18. He spent that night at the hospital. I called the next morning, Monday, January 21, 2002, to see how he was doing. He was vomiting, not any stronger and his Red Blood Cell count was 20. That evening after work I spent with him, by now he was Jaundiced and very sick. The roads were a sheet of ice so I decided to wait until Tuesday, January 22, 2002 to take him the 50 miles to Tufts Veterinary Hospital in North Grafton, Massachussetts. Tuesday Morning I picked him up at the Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital and started my trip to Tufts Veterinary Hospital. We arrived at Tufts around 10:30 am and immediately they began to work on him. He was very, very sick I was told. I filled out the paperwork and began my wait. I was kept up-to-date on his condition and met with a fourth year student to get additional information. I then met with his Doctor, Doctor Kadar. She was impressive, sincere and very knowledgeable. He was getting the best care available, but it didn't look good. Garth had more blood tests, x-rays and was given more medications to help him fight his illness - not yet diagnosed, but thought to be Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (I.M.H.A.) I visited with him in ICU for a short time and then drove home for the afternoon. Doctor Kadar phoned me around 4:30 PM. She said the ultrasound showed a mass in his abdomen and his Liver enzymes were very high - 5200. His Red Blood Cell count was 14 and he had a long blood clotting time. They would not be able to biopsy the mass until his clotting factor was more normal. I waited until 6:00 PM and then began my drive back to Tufts. I met with the Doctor and visited with "My Boy". He was so, so sick - I was told they had never seen a dog in his condition pull through, but they would do everything they could to get him well. His liver was failing from a blood clot, his kidneys were failing, his urine contained blood, he had the mass in his abdomen, his blood clotting factor was null, his Red Blood Cell count was low and his liver enzymes were still 4200. They were going to give him experimental human blood factor treatments, but I just couldn't let him go on like that. Even if his blood was stabilized we still had the liver and kidney damage, the mass in his abdomen and his chronic neck injury. He was 8 and his life was good - IT WAS GREAT!

I decided to let my boy rest. If, a big "if", he pulled through this we had major medical problems and a long haul ahead of us.

I visited with Garth for a short period - holding his head up and scratching behind his ears. I told him Uncle Taxi and Aunti Marcia loved him and wanted him to rest. I told him I loved him and he needed to rest. At 8:59 PM, while I was holding his head up they put him down. He took one last breath and he was resting.

Garth at Brooklyn Veterinary Hospital on Monday, January 21,2002