Dear Teepoo,
I remember the moment I first held you in my arms. Your eyes had barely opened and you weren’t much interested in the world around – not as yet – you just snuggled close and continued to sleep with your little head on my palm.
You walked in a slightly wobbly manner and slipped once when running too fast after a squirrel. That made us laugh and we decided to call you Tipsy. True to your name, you loved to lick up drops of beer that spilled to the floor.
‘Tipsy’ was soon lovingly distorted to ‘Teepoo’ — spelt with a double ‘e’ and double ‘o’ to distinguish you from ‘Tipu’ – the brave Sultan of Mysore, who died defending his fort of Srirangapatna against the British — for you did not display any signs of bravery and hid under the couch whenever the boy of the house unleashed his hexbugs on you.
Your days were spent running up and down the stairs, giving futile chase to squirrels and sometimes going on long drives with the wind in your face and ears flapping in the breeze.
Then one day was different. You stayed put in bed too long and seemed to have difficulty walking afterward. We thought it may be a tummy ache from the donuts you’d slyly stolen the evening before.
But days passed and we decided to let your doctor have a look at you.
“IVDD, Intervertebral Disc Disease,” he pronounced. “Pretty common. Dachshunds are the breed with the highest incidence of IVDD due to their long bodies and short legs.”
You had to go for an MRI followed by a surgery. You were in hospital for 3 days and the house felt sad and quiet without you.
We have you back home now but you can’t walk yet – your hind legs are paralyzed and it’s hard to watch you drag your back around.
You no longer scamper off after squirrels or jump onto my bed – ignoring the roll of my eyes and the stern NO – like you used to. Neither do you plonk yourself on the sofa, right on top of the TV remote where no one can find it.
But you continue to fill up our lives with love and light just the same as ever. I hope it is only a matter of time before you will be up on all fours again. Meanwhile I am happy to carry you around in my arms, just like the time when you had newly come into this world and looked up at me with barely open eyes.
This post is the fourth in a series of 26 posts that I am writing throughout the month of April as part of the A to Z challenge 2016.
Such a beautiful and endearing story!
Best Wishes!
Lori
My A2Zs @ As the Fates Would Have It & Promptly Written
Follow Me (Ravyne) Twitter|Facebook
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Thank you Lori..means a lot!
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What a lovely post! I know what it’s like to watch a beloved pet suffer. We watched as our saint of a dog battled cancer for three months before passing away in February. Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery for your little angel!
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I am so sorry for your loss Susan. There was a time when people spoke of putting Teepoo down as she’d become a paraplegic – but the thought was too much to bear. But I am also sure your saint is very happy wherever he/she is now 🙂
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What a lovely and heart touching letter. Your love for your “baby” shines through every word…
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Thank you for your kind words, Donna.
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I had to smile. In the Malay language, ‘tipu’ means liar!
Open Minded Mormon A-Z
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hahahaha….
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Sending Love to Teepoo. Very well expressed Durba
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Will pass on Sukanya 🙂
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Heart touching..Lots of love to Teepoo !! Get well soon Cutie !! Lovely write up..
@Subhmohanty from
And Life Unfolds…
A*Alone B*Butterfly C*Curry D*Dance E*Edge
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Thank you so much Subh 🙂
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My pleasure , waiting for your next !
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What a cutie Teepoo is! Your love for him shines through. Best wishes for a speedy recovery.
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Thank you Debbie. Great to have you stop by!
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Awe, so sweet!!!! My heart melted 🙂 My theme for A to Z is love letters, so I greatly resonated with this letter.
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So glad to hear that 🙂 Thank you!
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Oh my god these are one of my favourite dogs. Thank you for writing this blog post.
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Glad to hear that! Thank you for stopping by 🙂
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So glad to hear that! Do you have a dog? Thank you for visiting 🙂
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I have two cats
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Dachshunds are wonderful dogs, so cute and so much personality! It’s so difficult when our furry friends are not well. Hope he is feeling better soon 🙂
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She’s much better Marie, thought I’m not sure if she will run again. Thank you for stopping by! 🙂
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Teepoo’s story is so sad. She’s adorable – I hope she gets to enjoy a life free from pain.
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