It’s true you can be sad and relieved at the same time. That’s how I feel. No more panting and struggling to breathe, sweet Gracie made her way to the rainbow bridge yesterday.
Along with old age, Gracie developed laryngeal paralysis. Basically, the flaps of her larynx stopped working properly and she panted to breathe. Not just panting — this was sucking in air sounds so loud you couldn’t hear TV in the same room. Of course, the more labored the breathing, the more scared she would get which made her try even harder to get air.
Her mobility was also declining rapidly — generalized paralysis is just part of the path of this particular health problem. The last couple days were rough and it was obviously time.
Not sure how old Gracie was when we got her, but she was part of our family for more than a decade. I miss her loudness and her neediness — but am relieved she’s not struggling. She sure was a good ole’ soul.
