The Information on Gracie Lynn's Passing

September 12th, 2005-October 17th, 2013
8 years young
Gracie Lynn Slimmer
Baby Girl Forever

Dear wonderful Blogville family,
It came as a great shock when yesterday shortly after 11:25am the veterinarian assistant, Miss Erin, called to inform mama CJ (I was at work at the time) that our dear, baby girl was no longer of this earth but one of heaven's many angels running around the rainbow bridge.  To know she is suffering no longer from her anomalies is of comfort.  I'm sure there will be days I will  be in a deep sadness, need I say depression...but right now to me and my family, all that is felt is shock.
Around 2:30pm in the afternoon, I came home to my mother walking to my car to meet me.  Her nose was red...something was up I told myself.  I was hoping that she was just meeting me to let me know that Gracie's dental (after all, that is why we dropped her off at the vet this morning for was a tooth cleaning and to see why her gums were bleeding) went well and it was time to pick her up.  Occasionally, I had a morbid thought during the day that Gracie Lynn died...don't ask why...I just had that thought...like I think anyone who has a baby under anesthesia would...but I thought I was being silly.  When we went to visit the vet shortly after 3pm, Dr. Jennifer, not Dr. Mike who performed the teeth cleaning procedure, met with us and told us what happened on the operating table.  They had just finished cleaning the right side of her mouth when they worked as a group to flip her over and to work on her left side of her mouth.  During the turn, her vitals took a sudden turn for the worse.  They did everything possible to restart her heart...but she died within the quick moment in which she went from fine to not fine.  Thankfully, she died in her sleep.  The doctors' believe that she had a genetic heart defect and that she would have probably died off the operating table if she had not died on it.  We feel extremely blessed to have such wonderful caring vets at the Augusta Animal Clinic.  When I went to hold my girl, it was not my girl I was holding...it was just the vessel of which her soul once occupied...I had no attachment as she was truly not there.  I went home to get Toby prior to actually holding Gracie, as Toby was the closest to her, and we, the vet and me and my mom, felt that he needed to understand that his sister/mama (remember they are only 9 months apart and she was nicknamed "Little Mama" for a reason) was no longer with us.  I am concerned how all the pugs, especially Toby will adjust over the coming days, weeks, and months.  Toby sniffed her well and then started breathing hard...he was stressed.  Mom (Mama CJ, my mother) had been holding Gracie while I was getting Toby and she was ready to leave.  I held on to my girl a bit longer and explained my fears for Toby to Dr. Jennifer...not just the fact that he will mourn, and probably mourn hard, but for another reason. 

I guess at this point, if you do not remember the story of Megan Noel Slimmer, you need to hear it now to see why I have a fear for Toby.  Megan, Gracie, and Toby all have the same genetic mother "Ollie."  Megan died at 3 1/2 years (we rescued her at 3 years and she lived 6 months before passing away) from a congenital heart defect.  Our fear at that time was getting the three pugs (Lily & Mimi were not born yet) just past the 4th year and felt that we would not have to worry about them having the same defect after that critical juncture.  Gracie just died of something similar if not the same congenital heart defect.  Our, my mom and I, concern is that Toby might have present the same congenital heart defect and we want to be proactive and not surprised by anything.   If he has a congenital heart defect, then at least we will know what signs to look for and maybe ways to enhance his current quality of life so that he is able to live longer and well.  The doctors are recommending sending us to the Kansas State Veterinary Hospital in Manhattan, KS for Toby to get an Echocardiogram.

BTW, when we had her teeth cleaned, we marked all the extras...she was on a heart monitor, she had blood work done prior to her procedure, and she also had iv drips and a warming blanket.  Even with all the precautions and life-saving techniques including oxygen and two shots of Eprin to start her heart, our angel's soul had departed.

By the time, my mom and I took the 5 minute drive home (yes...we live that close to our vets), we realized we had all that unopened food that only Gracie was eating.  We called the vet and asked if the others needed to be on the d/d Science Diet (as Gracie was on this for high levels of crystals in her urine) and the vet confirmed we did not...bring it in for a refund.  I turned around in my little car and brought up the food...that's when Dr. Mike, Gracie's main doctor and the one who performed the procedure gave me a hug as I was leaving.  I told him my concerns for Toby, which he said he would look into for our family.  As he was leaving to go back in the building and as I was about to head to my car, our eyes locked and I told him, "Thank you for taking care of my girl."  For he really has been a great vet and it was not his fault at all that Gracie passed...it was just her time...and our time table is not the same as Gods.  I will try not to understand why my baby girl is not snoring under my desk as I type this post...I just know that I'm glad she no longer is in pain, as you all know she was suffering from some terrible arthritis and possible back problems.

God Bless you for reading this long post and I hope you all are not blubbering as I am.  One last thought, before we dropped off Gracie at the vet this morning, she both gave us, me and my mom, kisses.  I feel that we said our goodbyes whether we realized it at that moment or not.  Nothing was left unsaid.  She was loved...and always will be.



Much Love,
Mama Mindy (& Mama CJ...whether she types the blog or not...this was her little girl, too)