I’m deeply saddened to share that Sam passed away naturally two days ago at the age of 18. His health declined rapidly—in less than 10 hours—due to a pericardial effusion. Just two days before, he was happily playing with his ball. On the way to the vet, we stopped at the dog park for one last cheeseburger, but he couldn’t eat it. When I looked into his eyes, I knew I had to do everything possible to help him. I chose not to put him down but instead to drain the effusion, hoping it would buy us a few days for further testing. However, as I was signing the credit card payment, the ER vet rushed out to tell me he was passing. The procedure, which was meant to relieve him, was too much for his body to handle. In a way, I believe his passing was perfect—he didn’t suffer much and fought bravely until the end. I opted for a DNR because I didn’t want to put him through the same ordeal again. I feel we both found the closure we needed. I’ll miss him terribly, but I’m grateful we faced it together, fighting and loving each other until the very end.
