On 28th March, it was Jacob's 14th birthday and we had visitors coming and going all day. Despite all of the attention that he was getting as well (which normally went down VERY well with our little boy!), Hugo wasn't quite right. His breathing seemed a little "off" and he was a bit grumpier than usual.
On the morning of 29th March, Hugo's breathing was still not right so I phoned Highcroft Vets. Unfortunately, Oliver was on holiday but they asked me to bring Hugo in as soon as possible. Sophie and I took him in and, after a quick check over, we were given the news that it was possible that he had gone into congestive failure. We were told that we could take him home but only if he was on strict crate rest to avoid excitement, as that would have him calmer than if he stayed in at the vets. The wonderful machine that is Highcroft was put into action and arrangements were made for Hugo to be brought in the following morning for a chest x-ray, for a specialist sonographer to see him and carry out a heart scan and for another wonderful cardiologist to examine the results of both and give his diagnosis.
We took Hugo home and snuggled him into his crate with his special healing blanket that had been sent to him by Liam, the wonderful son of my friend Loobie. Sophie was feeling poorly herself so led on the sofa with a blanket of her own with Hugo's crate right beside her. Whilst Sophie was sleeping, I monitored Hugo regularly and became worried when he wouldn't eat anything - not even his favourite freshly cooked chicken. He became quieter and quieter, whilst his breathing became more laboured and when I checked his gums, I found that they were grey. I called the vets again and they asked for him to be brought in immediately. Fortunately, our good friends Nina and Tom were staying with us for a few days, so Nina wrapped him in his special blanket and cuddled him as we drove to the vets.
The vet's face was grave as she examined Hugo and rushed him off to be set up in a kennel with an oxygen tent overnight and very careful monitoring of his medication.
I'm not sure that any of us slept that night.
However, on the morning of the 30th, the update from the vet nurse was more positive than we could possibly have dreamed! Apparently, our little fighter had continually chewed out his IV line and destroyed his oxygen tent through the night! He was certainly doing well enough for them to continue with their plans for the day and were intending to start with the chest x-ray.
I telephoned round all of our worried friends and family to give them the news that sounded so good and absorbed the sighs of relief.
Half an hour after my last call, the vet called me with the results of the x-ray.
Hugo's wonderful, amazing, brave heart was too enlarged for his body to cope any more. They weren't going to do the scan and there was nothing more they could do. There was no way they could keep him on oxygen and IV meds for any length of time. He just wouldn't cope.
I realised then that when he'd been chewing out his line and destroying his oxygen tent, he wasn't fighting. He'd been sending a message. "Enough. I've had enough now".
My heart broke as I told Sophie that we had to go to the vets again, but this time we wouldn't be bringing our soldier home with us. He'd fought so hard for so long, but now it was time for him to rest.
We drove to the vets in tears, but laughing as well as we talked about all of the things that Hugo had done in his very nearly 11 months with us.
Hugo was brought in to us wrapped in his blanket. Our poor boy wagged his tail as he saw us, but was struggling to take every breath. It hurt so much to see him in so much pain. Sophie cuddled him tightly as we told him how much we loved him and how brave he'd been.
The last sound he ever made was a growl. So typical for our feisty boy! Sophie is convinced that the growl was because he saw our collie boy Bear coming to fetch him. I pray that she's right.
My brave girl wrapped her special boy in his blanket with his sleeping head still out and we left the surgery with the vet nurse and vet in tears. Sophie held her head high as the tears poured silently down her face.
Then Hugo's bladder emptied all over her jeans.
"He never really did get the hang of housetraining," she laughed. And that was it. Our last memory of Hugo had become one not to cry over, but to laugh over.
So many people's lives were touched by our boy and those who were lucky enough to meet him will never forget the experience!
Our lives will never be the same again because of one tiny little dog who taught us how to tackle life in the face of great adversity - grab it tightly and make the most of it because you never know when tomorrow might not come.
Prince Hugo Roger Hendy: we thank Fionna with all of our hearts for entrusting you to our care and we thank whoever else had a hand in getting you to us because we loved every painful, joyous, heartbreaking, amazing moment of your company and we will love you forever. We hope you're resting easy now, darling darling boy.
