Kodi Went to the Bridge

In Loving Memory KODI

We lost our brother 'Kodi Bear' yesterday. Kodi was almost fourteen years old and has been posting here since he was just a "whippersnapper" of a few months. He quit eating and wasn't feeling well last week so Mom rushed him to the vet. They did blood work and said he was a little anemic, had a high white cell count and one of his liver enzyme numbers was high but that could be due to the anti inflammation pills he was taking for his arthritis. The vet gave him antibiotics and told Mom to bring him back when he finished them for another round of blood work. The only thing Mom could get him to eat, and just a little tiny bit, was cheese and a little milk now and then. She tried everything ........roast beef, chicken, ham, pudding, yogurt, ramen noodles, all his favorite treats but he wouldn't touch them. Finally on Thursday the vet suggested a special prescription food so Mom rushed right down and bought some. They gave her a huge syringe to squirt it into his mouth with. When Mom gave him a taste he started eating it but could only take a little. Then Mom let us out to pee and said "Kodi do you want out?" He was laying on a really thick comforter but his back feet were hanging off. Before Mom could get to him to help him up he tried to get up by himself; his feet slipped on the tile an he fell really hard. My Mom just screamed and we came running back in cause we thought something had happened to her. He was breathing really hard and had been so sick. Mom just thought it was the sickness but when she thought about him not moving much she later said she wondered if maybe he broke something and couldn't move or if he was just so weak from not eating that he couldn't move. Anyway, Mom knew it was time to help him on his way to the bridge. She had prayed and prayed that Kodi would go on his own but she couldn't let him continue suffer. Mom lay down on the floor beside him and kissed him over and over and told him how much she loved him and how much she was going to miss him but that the vet was going to give him a shot to make him go to sleep and the pain would be gone. She explained to him and to us that when he woke up he would be in a beautiful place with all our brothers, sisters and cousins that had gone before us and that he would be young and healthy, able to run and play again. She told him to tell our brothers and sisters that she loved them and that Dak and I would join them one day and that she would be at the bridge to pick every body up before too long. She also told him that she knew no one could take as good care of her as he did because he was the 'MAN', but that he had taught Dak and me well and between the two of us we would take good care of her so he could go in peace. Our Mom was crying and crying and then I started howling like I always do when she cries and Dak went over to her and was nudging her and whining. Kodi always went and put his head in Mom's lap when she cried but he wasn't able to this time. Mom said she felt like her heart was being torn out and she didn't know what she was going to do without her 'Baby Bear'. She got some neighbors to help her load him into the back seat of the van, cause we are all BIG boys, and took him to the vet. Our vet came out to the van and gave Kodi the shot. Our Mom was right there with him the entire time petting him and telling him that it was OK and how much she loved him. We buried him in our back yard with our seven other brothers and sisters. While we were burying him our Mom said that she realized that her whole heart wasn't being torn out because there were already seven pieces buried in the back yard and that Dak and I also had our own piece of her heart so there had to be a little left. We gave Mom lots and lots of loves cause we were worried about her. We are so sad and are really going to miss Kodi. He was a good brother and taught us to be 'Bad Dogs" and lots of bad stuff to do.............and lots of good stuff too, like loving each other and loving and taking care of our Mom. Rest In Peace Kodi. We all love and miss you Baby Bear. Ghost and Dak of Brat's Pack