Lilypad
(Ch. Satori Lightning Strikes x Ch. Uwharrie's Summer Solstice)
Dec. 11, 1996 - May 13th, 2004
Lily was out of a litter of 5 pups. She was this solid white girl with dark blue markings on her face and a sharp kink in her tail.
She was my first Italian Greyhound and would soon become one of the great loves of my life.
I entered my first puppy match with Lily when she was 4 months old and from that day I was hooked on wanting to show dogs.
When she was of proper age at 6 months, we started to exhibit at AKC dog shows. It was great fun for me, but I don’t know if Lily felt the same way. She did however like to travel with me and loved all the attention she received outside the ring………..plus I think Lily thought the liver treats were worth the trip.
The Final Gift
Lily’s last dog show would be on her first birthday. Lily developed a condition known as Addison’s disease. For the following 1 &½ years we struggled with coping and trying to stabilize her. At one point I felt no hope and stuffed her inside my coat and took her into my church and blessed her with holy water. I asked God to keep her alive. She was one tough cookie and pulled through. After what seemed like forever, she finally got better and maintained herself on special medicines. One of which was an injection called DOCP, she received this once every 30 days. She also developed Hypothyroidism, and took daily medicine for that as well.
Lily had crashed many times through her 7 & ½ years of life. For anyone that knows of Addison’s, it can be a constant struggle to maintain and stabilize. The vets had brought her back from the brink of death more times than I care to remember. But this time would prove different. Lily finally succumbed to what I knew would happen someday, and so the Final Gift I gave her was eternal peace & rest.
Lily was a happy dog when she felt good and brought much joy to everyone she met. Many people at my Mom’s nursing home knew and loved Lily, she shared from her heart.
Lily had another purpose in her life. Because of her illness she would be at the vet’s office quite often. My daughter (Danielle) would go with us many times. Because of this exposure with veterinary medicine and the guidance of my good vet, she decided to study veterinarian medicine. She is now working as a vet at Florida Veterinary Specialists, focusing on small animal Cardiology Medicine.
Lily was meant to be with our family so that we could learn, share and find our way in life. She was truly a blessing and we will cherish all the happy memories she has left us with. Those were her Final Gifts!
Here is a great link to information about Addison’s disease.
k9addisons.com
