Our late Buddy, Beast

Dogs are man's best friend, well that is true for me.

They can be our companion, best buddies, and family too. I am a dog lover since I was a kid, I love dogs and more comfortable with them. It was 2017 when my partner and I decided to go back home to my hometown. After we went home I told him that something is missing. Our home was lacking something, a dog. I said, having a dog at home made our residence more secure and energetic. After that though, I asked my mom, who lives in the city if they have some puppies and luckily, their dog Sandra gave birth to her 6 puppies.

Two weeks after, my mom brought us two puppies, male and female. I named them Beauty and Beast. Honestly, their names weren't inspired by Disney's “Beauty in the Beast”, but it was from the movie “The Hills Have Eyes”. The protagonist there has a dog named Beast, who loses his partner Beauty.

Beauty and Beast are both “Aspins” or Asong Pinoy. Beauty was clumsy and more hard-headed than his brother Beast. She always wants attention from us, unlike Beast who always wants to sleep, nap, and get wet by the rain. But, Beast was more intimate to us, he was always ready to accompany us wherever we go especially a partner.

My partner and Beast have more adventures together, every time my partner goes to the market, Beast always followed him. He always ready to guard my partner every time he withdrew in an ATM.

Then late at night last July 26, 2018 Beast suddenly showed up. He went home weak and spitting out and vomiting saliva. We were having a late-night party that day, it was my cousin's birthday. The mood drastically falls after we saw Beast. We don't know what to do in that situation. It was late at night and the veterinary was closed. My partner gave him water and he drank it but he was struggling. Beauty sits beside him the whole night. Beast then suddenly, became silent and his breathing stops. My tears fell like rain that night, we lose him.

I chatted with my mom about what happened. Here's our conversation, sorry it was in our dialect “Ilonggo”. I'll just try to summarize it.

My mom asked me if how was beauty that night and she told me to give Beast and Beauty some water with added sugar because she suspected that Beast was poisoned by monosodium glutamate.

I told her that it was too late, Beast was already dead at that time.

My cousins suspected that he was poisoned because one time one of my cousins saw Beast went to a barangay nearby to look for his mate. Maybe the owner of Beast's mate poisoned him. I cried the whole night, it breaks my heart to witness our buddy die in front of us, and we haven't helped him as he battles life and death.

This time, I do have regrets that I have done nothing to save our buddy, I don't want to let it happen again. Here are the things you need to do when your pets are poisoned.

What to do if your pets are Poisoned

1. Identify the Poison

First, try to identify the toxin and how your dog came into contact with it. Was it eaten, inhaled, or absorbed through the skin? Was it a poisonous plant? Could it have been a harmful food? An animal such as a toad? or was it a toxic chemical? Try to determine how much of the toxin your dog ate, inhaled, or otherwise came into contact with. Obtain the original packaging of the toxin (if applicable).

2. Get Professional Help

Your next step is to call for veterinary medical advice, even if your dog is acting normal. You should not wait for your dog to show signs of illness because it may be too late by then.2 Never give your dog a home remedy or other treatment without speaking with a veterinary professional first.

This is what lacked that time, it happened late at night and unfortunately there's no clinics nearby our municipality.

3. Be Ready for an Emergency

It is a good idea to keep your dog’s medical records including vaccination history, current medications, food and drug allergies, and identification (such as a microchip or tattoo) and other important items in an accessible area in case you have to go to a new veterinary clinic.

In my case, they haven't take any vaccination except for anti-rabies.

4. Prevent Poisoning

You should do everything you can to prevent toxin exposure in the first place. Keep away dangerous items, and keep them out of your dog's reach (this includes your garbage). Try to use products in your home and yard that are known to be safe for pets. Take care not to drop potentially harmful food items while cooking. Choose pet-safe plants and flowers for your home and yard. Prevention is the best thing you can do to protect your dog. However, poisoning can still occur, no matter how careful you are. Fortunately, you now have good information and resources to help you in case your dog is poisoned.

Now it's been 2 years since Beast died, Beauty is still with us, and actually, she gave us puppies several times already. But we just gave those puppies to the people who want to adopt them. And now, Beauty is pregnant again, and she will deliver her pups soon.

This is the photo I took a week before he died. He was sleeping, and I thought he was cute in that position, but I never thought this could be the first and last picture of him that I have.

Those who poisoned him has no mercy. Even Beast was just a dog, he has the right to live. Dogs don't deserve cruelty, they deserve to be loved and cared too. I can't forget how good Beast to us. He is more than a pet to us, he is our companion, and a part of our family. There are times when we used to talked about him, about our memories we had with Beast.

We will never forget our late buddy, Beast.

@eommaZel ✍🏻