Dogs are man’s best friends . Three years ago, I bought a dog and named it Cebest. He was a mini schnauzer. The reason why I named it Cebest is because I want it to be the best dog. In fact this is my second dog in my life and really is my best dog I ever had. I love him so much. I have never expected him to leave me so early and so soon…. so sudden.

Cebest was borned on 2nd May 2003. When I bought him, he was 2 months plus going to three months old. I carried him home happily after I purchased him from the pet shop. The reason why I choose him is because my husband like Schnauzer and in fact he like it and I like it too. It is a birthday present for my husband. But the main reason is because I love dogs. I cannot live without dogs! When my children see it, they love it too. Probably this is called destiny. The whole family love him at first sight.

On the way home, I carried him most. The children carried it for a while because I am afraid they might not carry Cebest properly and dropped him. When we reached home, I put Cebest in a basket laid with blanket. He is so small and light, so furry. He began to be our family’s attention, especially the children.

Every night, Cebest will sleep with me in my room. The children at first was afraid of Cebest, for fear that he will bite them. Whenever they ran, Cebest will chase after them and they will yell and scream… and I will need to go carried Cebest. We feed him dried food, cooked food and we toilet trained him on newspaper. In the beginning was hard and in about 6-9months after training, he was getting better and he was totally well-trained in about a year’s time.

For the next two years, Cebest was such a intelligent boy. He is very smart. He always followed me whenever I go. He knew every steps I going to make. And by the second year now, he even know how to go to the bed himself to sleep there alone when I on the air-con at night.

This year his yearly vaccination was due on 20 may 2006. However, our family sent him for vaccination on 24th May 2006. He was so happy on this day, wearing his favourite blue clothes and shoes. He was jumping around after wearing his shoes, knowing that he was going out. For three years he was doing fine, energetic and cheerful, lively and alert. But something unexpected happened to him. Because of this trip to the clinic, he was no longer the same usual self anymore once he came back from the clinic.

At the clinic, the vet (the same one who claim he is overweight - during his second year annual vaccination checkup) said that his weight never increased - it’s well maintained this time ( because the second year, he told us to controlled his diet). Cebest likes to eat. His appetite is very good. And sometimes it pains my heart not to let him eat his favourite food. After checking his body, the vet said he wants to give Cebest a jab on the body for some of his skin rashes. And he recommended antibiotics for him, advice us on a change of diet, we were asked to stop feeding him Chicken meals. Furthermore, he said that Cebest ears got ear mites. And we need to put some medications on the years. He also gave us a cream to put on his skin rashes. In order not to let Cebest lick on the cream, he advice us to put an Elizabeth Collar for him till he recovers.

Back at home, Cebest began his medication and we put the Elizabeth Collar for him. At first he looks cute to us. However, I began to pity him for having have to wear it everyday, knocking here and there on things. And we have to change his diet to lamb meals as advice by the vet. Everyday when we eat chicken, he can smell, but everyday he was disappointed, waiting for no chicken meals. I give him the lamb dried food instead. And everyday, when its time to eat medicine, he knew it as well. He will go hiding. However, I still need to feed the medication given and advice by the doctor.

Everyday, I saw him wearing the collar and he ate new lamb meals, the same disappointment when I have not given him any chicken meals. One night while watching television, I observe that he was very ‘funny’. He was ‘bowing’ repeatedly several times slowly. I wonder why he did that. Until now I do not know why. I did not expect that his health is in danger gradually.

On Saturday, 3rd June 2006, I noticed that he was eating lesser lamb food that we had given to him. On Sunday, 4th June 2006, I discovered that he was having a fever. As it was Sunday, we decided to bring to him to the vet on Monday. On this day, he was eating even lesser, a few pellets of lamb meals only.

On Monday 5th June 2006, before he went to the vet, I gave him his last dose of antibiotics. Again before we left the house, he wore his favourite blue shirt and shoes. This time he was not like the day on 24 May 2005. He seems to be more tired. There is not much strength in him. At the clinic, we told the vet what happended — his loss of appetite, fever, and we really don’t know why after vaccination and his previous ‘funny’ behaviour all means what and cause by what. Is it due to change of diet so drastically? The vet said it shouldn’t be. He said it was a bacterial infection. And we did not know infection from where. He gave him a jab and another dose of antibiotics and some medication for the next 6-8 days. We were not informed of any risks either. And I trust him, and thinking that he should be fine after taking the jab and medication later.

When we reach home, he seems to be not improving. I gave him medication and food. He refused to eat too. On this day (Monday 5 June 2006), he never ate anything, only duck meat a little bit (which I tried since everything he refuse to eat). In the afternoon, his fever seems to come down. However in the night time, the fever seems to come back and when I gave him his medicine, his mouth was ‘very hot’. I was thinking the medicine will take effect slowly. Normally children fever lasted for three days. Probably that’s why the vet gave so much fever medicine also. That night, Cebest was trembling and shivering. He got no appetite to eat though we gave him. So that night, I carried Cebest to the bed to sleep. He was quite weak (normally at night, he would jump onto the bed himself to sleep on the bed, but now I need to carried him to bed, he wants to sleep, he can only sleep near the bed floor. When I saw it I carried him on bed.)

The next morning, Tuesday, 6th June 2006, when I woke up, Cebest was lying on the floor at a corner of the bed. Obviously he had jumped down to go urinate and coming back, unable to jump back to the bed. Walking out of the room, I saw that the food was left there till the next morning and nothing was touched when I saw it the next morning at all. Following behind me, I carried him up and found that was still having fever. I did not know whether the fever is back or the fever had not subsided since the last night. I was worried for him. As the medication the vet gave, need him to take food before eating, I cooked rice with pork for him. He refused to eat despite I carried it to him also. So I feed him myself but he spitted out everything. This time I was really at odds ends. I did not know what to do and I called up the vet. I told him he was still having fever and refused to eat. The vet never told me Cebest would be in danger or anything at all. He told me to at least feed him something. He told me to feed him with glucolin, milk or honey if he refused to eat anything. And he told me to monitor him and bring him back for blood test and drip if he still refuse to eat in a few days or see how. Thinking that we can monitor for another day, I followed his advice, after answering the phone, I feed him with glucolin. And later on, he never drink or eat anything at all. He seems weaker by evening time.

On Tuesday night, 6th June 2006, Cebest nose and mouth was wet. He vomitted also (despite already given vomitting medicine to him earlier on and the day before). His nose and mouth was like sticky and watery. I clean his mouth and nose with handkerchief and I thought to bring him again to the vet the next day. This time I found that he was even weaker. I carried him and hug him beside me ( that is the last night I got chance to hug him like that).

On Wednesday, 7th June 2006, early in the morning about 7am, my husband was about to sleep and discovered that Cebest was breathing nosily, grasping for air. I woke up, went to the toilet first and then see how he was. He never followed me to the toilet and then I saw that he was so pathetic. He mouth and nose was wet and he was not able to move. I quickly check whether the vet got any emergency number to call. I managed to find it and quickly call the vet. But it was pager! To think that at this time of the year still got people carry pager! There was no handphone! But luckily the response was quite fast. In less than 5 minutes time, the vet called, and we arranged to meet at the clinic.

There were no delay at all, my husband and I quickly rushed off the house, wrapped Cebest in a towel, carried him to the hospital. On the way, he passed out some brownish black loose stool, which stain on his backside fur and on my husband hands and my clothes. When we reached the clinic, the gate was still locked. Nobody was around yet. Suddenly my husband said, Cebest vomitted. Then I cleaned off for him. It was awful smell… the smell like rusty iron (probably some mucus mixed with blood - my assumption, as it was brownish). At that time, it really looks like in television show where people are not going to make it, they vomitted blood and breathe their last. A while later, a guy driving a motor cycle came, I asked was he from the clinic and indeed he was. I was relieved. I asked about the vet. He said he would be coming.

When the vet came, he asked for the medication and asked us to wait while he retrieved the card. It took some time and the assistant cleaned Cebest mouth. When the vet is back, he gave Cebest an adrenalin jab while his assistant gave Cebest oxygen. The moment, the jab was given, the vet told me Cebest stopped breathing. I could not control it already. At this moment, I was very sad. Cebest could not be saved. I had lost him forever.

Cebest was such a good boy. Such intelligent boy. My best companion. He was only 3 yrs old plus and according to dog’s age in human years, he was only 28 years old. I asked the vet the reason for his death, he told me was pneumonia. But until now I still not convinced as he had no coughing at all ever since he was not feeling well or even all this while when he was with me. This is an unsolved mystery to me. If anyone have similar experience do share it with me.