Two years ago, a pit bull terrier puppy came into my and my husband’s lives. The puppy’s name was Shocker. Contrary to his name, he was the cutest and sweetest pit bull I’ve ever seen. He loved to sit on my lap, and he always wanted to be carried along.
We only had one dog (a beagle named Chester) at that time, and he and Shocker got along ver
y well. They played and slept together…and they even drank together in the same bowl! I didn’t see them quarrel over toys or food.
For being first-time pit-bull owners, we thought it was necessary to have his ears cropped. Most of the pit bulls we saw in our area had cropped ears. So, we thought we should have Shocker’s ears cropped, too…
Now, looking back 2 years ago, I still have this pain in my heart knowing that the decision we made for Shocker will make him gone forever. He died of tetanus.
About 3 weeks after Shocker’s ears had been cropped, he showed signs of tetanus like stiffness of limbs, “bug eyed” look, trouble swallowing and his face had a tight appearance. I knew there was something wrong with him, but I didn’t expect it would be tetanus. We brought him to the same animal hospital where he had his ears cropped, and the veterinarian suspected that Shocker had eaten something so she scheduled Shocker for an x-ray. X-ray results were normal so she told me I could bring Shocker home. The following morning, Shocker couldn’t stand up anymore and he had locked-jaw already. We rushed him back to the hospital and that was the only time the vet said that Shocker may have tetanus. As much as I wanted to blame her for not giving a proper diagnosis earlier, I just focused on letting them cure Shocker in the best way they could. But, the toxins had spread too much because Shocker didn’t get any better and they didn’t have enough facilities in their hospital to cure Shocker thoroughly.
Shocker stayed in the hospital for 3 days. On the third day, Shocker even tried to get up although he was in pain, and he wagged his tail to greet me. It was a very painful sight for me, seeing him in pain yet managing to greet me. I went home that day not knowing that it would be the last time I could see him wag his tail for me.
The most painful part is, Shocker died on the eve of Valentine’s Day, and that was the saddest Valentine’s Day of my life. The memory of my beloved Shocker is still so vivid. I miss him so much. If only I could turn back time…
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What a tragic story. I am sorry you lost Shocker when he was so young.
It’s so hard to lose a pet, I’ve also lost a beloved pet and it’s never easy. They stay in your heart forever.
Oh, I’m so sorry for your loss. I almost cropped my Nala’s ears when she was little because I too thought that was what you did. Luckily I had a great vet who talked me out of it. Shocker was a beautie!!
That is so horrible, I am so sorry for your loss.
The anniversaries of our pet’s deaths is so sad and to have it attached to a holiday is even worse – you can’t forget it. I too have regrets about decisions I’ve made in the past with a pet, so I understand how you feel. It must have been a horrible thing to go through, and I’m so sorry.
Thank you guys for all your replies. It took us months to finally accept that Shocker was gone. My husband and I planned to have a dinner date on that Valentine’s day but we postponed it and cried the whole night through. Even Chester, our beagle, missed Shocker so much and didn’t eat his food the entire day…he just stayed in Shocker’s sleeping area.
Now that Valentine’s day is coming again, I’m missing him more. Even if 2 more dogs came into my life after his death, I can never and will never forget about Shocker.
[...] share your story with others. On our sister site, Feathers Fins and Fur, one of our writers tells the story of her puppy, Shocker. Reading this will remind you how strong of a connection there can be between people and [...]