In Memory of My Dog Missy

[dhill757]

In Memory of My Dog Missy



Missy was born in March of 2003 died December 26th of 2014. She was a good little dog, a brown and black pekinese, and, up until she got sick, never had a bad day. She gave birth to ten beautiful puppies, one of which died shortly after being born, the rest, still around and happy, for the most part. She was always first in line for treats when I came home from work and, up until two weeks ago, used to run downstairs to help me with laundry. A favorite habit of hers was waiting for me to pull out the clothes from the dryer so she could rip apart the dryer sheet. She had a mischievous streak.

The illness came on all of a sudden, lack of appetite, nervousness, then, the diagnosis, liver disease, all of a sudden she had only days to live. A dull pained look entered her formerly bright eyes, she had trouble breathing, in the end, was bloated from fluid build-up. She died in the vet's office, just as I was paying the bill for her latest visit. She was in pain, at that point nothing could be done, and I am glad she is not suffering anymore. I will always miss her dearly.

But I remember a perky little dog that came into our lives in 2003, helped my family out in another difficult time in our lives, and that is how I like to remember her. As the saying goes, if love could have saved you, Missy, you would have lived forever.

[April Kincaid]

What a cute little dog! So sorry for your loss.

[Behold, I am Death, Destroyer of Worlds]

Dogs are far more loyal than people ever are.

[Kara Sundstrom]

What a cute dog, poor little Missy, she will be in my prayers.

[April Kincaid]

Top 10 longest-living dog breeds
Sep 27, 2013
Diana Bocco

by Diana Bocco Follow
Top 10 longest-living dog breeds
Long live Fido
Fido forever! The Guinness World Record organization was set to give the title of “world’s oldest dog” to Max when he died in May 2013. He was three months short of turning 30 — a very impressive feat for a dog.

Max was special for another reason: he was a dachshund, beagle and terrier mix. Why is that significant? Because Max was a mix of three of the breeds with some of the oldest recorded life spans.

Breeds that reach 10 to 25 pounds as adults tend to live the longest, according to Dr. Jon Woodman, a small-animal vet in the Twin Cities. “Generally small breeds live longer, but it seems that doesn’t hold true for the toy sizes,” Woodman says. “I don't think I can give you a specific reason why smaller breeds live longer, but I would suspect a lower incidence of genetically determined disease and stronger organs,” he adds.

So without further ado, here’s a list of the longest-living dog breeds:

[April Kincaid]

1
Chihuahuas



Life span:  18 years

Besides their size, one of the reasons Chihuahuas live that long is that they’re not prone to a lot of genetic illnesses. For example, the list of most common genetic disorders to affect Chihuahuas include luxating patella (or floating kneecap), hypoglycemia and teeth issues — none of which is fatal if addressed properly.

[April Kincaid]

2
Lhasa apsos


Life span: 18-plus years

Lhasa apsos live impressively long lives, with the oldest on record dying at the age of 29 in 1939.

[April Kincaid]

3
Beagles




Life span: 15-plus years

Butch, a purebred beagle who lived in Virginia with his family, was a reported 27 years old when he died in 2009.

[April Kincaid]

4
Maltese dogs



Life span: 15-plus years

Maltese pups suffer from few genetic diseases, which contributes to their long life span.

[April Kincaid]

5
Pomeranians



Life span: 15 years

Pomeranians suffer from few life-threatening breed issues. The most common problem found in this breed is luxating patella (a knee problem).

[April Kincaid]

6
Boston terriers


Life span: 15 years

While Boston terriers can suffer from respiratory problems due to their flat muzzles, the most common health problems of the breed have to do with the eyes (cataracts, corneal ulcers), which are certainly not life-threatening.

[April Kincaid]

7
Poodles



Life span: 15 years

According to Woodman, poodles or poodle mixes have one of the longest life spans. “The oldest dog I remember treating was a 22-year-old poodle. That was just an estimated age. He may have really been more like 24 or 25,” Woodman says.

[April Kincaid]

8
Dachshunds


Life span: 14 years

One of the Guinness World Records’ oldest living dogs was Chanel, a dachshund who died in 2009 at the age of 21.

[April Kincaid]

9
Miniature schnauzers



Life span: 14 years

This hardy breed retains much of its "puppy spirit" into the senior years, staying active and healthy until late in life.

[April Kincaid]

10
Pugs


Life span: 12 to 15 years

Pugs are prone to respiratory issues and overheating, but other than that, they have few major genetic problems.