By Dr. Kuhu Roy
I had known White Collar ever since he was days old in 2007, when he and his entire clan had come under Maa’s care. There was little interaction with him since we met occasionally but he thought the world of Maa since they met everyday.
We began to bond on the second of April 2022, the eve of the fourth loss at home since the beginning of that year, when White Collar started to have epileptic fits. His age and the midst of the traffic clutter he lived in, made him vulnerable. With red swollen eyes, I had gone to pick him up. One has to pour from an empty cup too when it comes down to saving a life. A vet visit and blood test later, diagnosed with age related neurological issues and a cornea that was gradually turning opaque, White Collar came home. He adjusted at home in no time because he had known Maa all his life and he became my second room mate, much to the annoyance of Kaanu. With the bare minimum that he was able to see, I became the centre of his world. He was the first one I always opened my eyes to and the two of us would begin our day together, he, right behind me. He was mamma’s boy. He would watch me work, clean the house, wash the utensils, tend to other children at home and always ensure to create a ruckus with Zenobia when I would be on calls. He was not friends with anyone other than Baldev and was always more interested in what Kaanu was given to eat. Life was good. The grand old man of the house had a charming personality that floored all our close friends he met, either in person or via video calls. He was my constant who stood all along with me in all my ups and downs ever since he came home. Even after turning blind, which is very disturbing for any dog, he was at peace because he knew he meant the world to me. We were there for each other.
In a sudden turn of events, White Collar was restless two nights ago. Neither of us slept and I asked the vet for a home visit ASAP to get him checked. A blood picture later, his liver function and kidney function were normal, so was his complete blood count, other than WBC which was mildly elevated. He had a minor chest infection. It soon turned to respiratory distress yesterday afternoon although his treatment had already begun. Despite being nebulised, his condition worsened and at one fifty six in the night today, he left. The vet suspects the heart got involved although White Collar had never shown any symptoms of cardiac irregularity ever.
We were eleven days short of celebrating his first year of home coming. I had special plans for him, given the foodie he was. My room feels empty and my bushy tail shadow is gone.
Run free, White Collar, my most handsome boy ever.
