Goldie Hawn, the Collie Girl – Rest in Peace
Goldie Hawn will arrive here on August 29th. She is 4-5 months old and gorgeous! I’m anxious to see her interact with my dogs and my family so that I can evaluate her personality.
Update 09/21/09: I almost lost Goldie this morning. I noticed she was having a hard time breathing, but it was alarming. She has been on antibiodics for a while for Kennel Cough, and last week Doc Wayne changed the medication, and felt she had pnemonia. Even though I did not hear her cough last night, she scared me today. As I was on the way to Doc Wayne in Sanford, knowing it was at least a 20 minute drive, Goldie’s gums turned grey, then white, and she could not breath at all. I turned back and went to a vet that is very close to my home. Within minutes, I was seen.
They informed me that Goldie should undergo testing to identify what is wrong with her, identify the type of infection, undergo a series of xrays, be hospitalized with fluids, and a host of other procedures. While I agreed with the vet, I simply asked for an immediate breathing treatment of oxygen and medications that would open up her airways. They were not interested in treating her immediate problem. I believe they were asking me to approve thousands of dollars worth of expenses, something that I knew could happen, was not prepared to do at that time. At that time, I just wanted her to breath, and not die on me.
After I called a friend to go with me, I waited in the parking lot for him to arrive. At first, I drove and he held Goldie. Then, it happened again, she was going to die, she could not breath. I pulled over and sat in the backseat with Goldie, lifting her up, putting her paws on my shoulder and putting her body in a position where she could breath. Then… it happened again. I screamed out loud that she was going to die. Somehow, I managed to keep her under control. She calmed down, I maintained her body in a vertical position, and when Mike and Doc Wayne saw me pull into their driveway, they ran out and grabbed her from my arms.
Before I could enter the exam room, Doc Wayne had administered a shot, and the Vet Tech was giving Goldie Oxygen with other medications. Then, Goldie did it again, gasping and turning white,  I held her over my shoulder while the Vet Tech continued the oxygen. Within an hour, Goldie was resting, she had eaten, she was on IV fluids, and xrays were scheduled after a few more oxygen treatments could take place.
Doc Wayne agreed that all of those medical procedures should be done on Goldie, but only if she survives and only if we can get her breathing again. What good is an xray if the dog dies on you? You give the dog an xray after you make sure she can breath and live to have an xray.
I am not sure if Goldie will stay with Doc Wayne tonight or not, or if she will be able to come home. I will be able to borrow the oxygen and administer it to her if she does come home with me. I appreciate Doc Wayne’s common sense approach. If I would’ve continued, and not turned around, I believe Goldie would’ve died in another block or two in my car. Because I turned around, was not given the emergency treatment I needed for Goldie to breath, and waited for a friend to help me, she made it.
Close… too too close.
10/06/09 Update:
Collie Pup, Goldie Hawn Travels to the Rainbow Bridge:
It is with deep regret and sorrow that I inform you that Goldie Hawn lost her life-long battle today at 12:20.
The entire morning is a blur to me, but around 2:00 AM I received a phone call advising me that fluid was being removed from the chest cavity, followed by a 3:00 AM phone call indicating that her lungs had collapsed, and I gave permission to insert a breathing tube. At 4:30 AM her heart stopped, and they successfully necessitate her, however, permanent brain damage was suspected.
I held her in my arms, and talked to her, until she died, but I’m not sure if she was fully aware that I was there. She was slipping into a coma.
They have requested that I allow an autopsy to identify why. Two teams of doctors, six weeks of unanswered questions, and still no one knows why. The lungs were suspected, then ruled out, and the trachea was suspected, and ruled out, the esophagus was suspected, and ruled out.
When I spoke to Holly Ryerson this afternoon, she comforted me by saying that Goldie experienced a wonderful life here with us during her last six weeks on this earth. She slept in my bed every night (until the pneumonia prevented that), she had a few days of wonderful puppy play, and was happy to greet everyone. Her two favorite things was sleeping with her head on my tummy, and lying on the grass in the full sun. Without people who can foster and rescue, Goldie may have passed away on a cold cement floor, never having the chance to experience joy.
I miss her terribly, and her loss has greatly reduced my enthusiasm for rescue. Hopefully, this will pass.
I named her Goldie Hawn before her transport with Pilots N Paws, because I thought she would be a mischievous and comical pup. This was not the case. Instead, she was quiet and weak. No matter what we did, it was always 2 steps forward and 3 steps back.
Last night we were preparing to take her to the teaching hospital in Gainesville. We were excited.
I have received donations, and I want to thank you. We are still in the process of totaling all of the bills and I will post this information on this blog when it’s available.
I don’t regret the expenses incurred for giving Goldie a chance. She deserved to be supported by a group of loving people who cared enough about her to give her a chance. Considering how horrible her first few months of life were, she sure had a great team behind her during the last few months.
Again, thank you.
Gisele Veilleux
Update 10/12/09: The day after Goldie passed away, the L.A. Times reported a new strain of influenza that mimics kennel cough. I wish I could’ve and would’ve done more for her.