Bruno - born Boxing Day 25 years ago today

I haven't mentioned much yet about Bruno. Maybe because he is the hardest one of all to talk about. He was my best friend, my soul mate. There could never be another dog as precious again as him. I was there at his birth exactly 25 years ago today, but unlike any of my other dogs, I was missing when he left this World. And almost 15 years later, that still hurts. 

Bruno was born on Boxing Day 1985 at home with me acting as midwife to his Mum, Bliss and looked on by his Grandma Gemma and Sami. Bruno was the son of the Crufts Supreme Champion, Montravia Tommy Gun and like his Dad, he was incredibly proud and handsome. It was love at first sight for me and he was never going to leave me.

Bruno was a wonderful show dog, getting more 1sts at all levels of shows than any other dog I have shown, 2 Best in Shows at open shows and qualifying for Crufts every year I showed him.  He was magnificent and such a great friend to me. He looked after me and I tried my best to look after him.

He produced some marvellous pups, one of whom, Maddi, I kept and she lived to the age of 16.

Sadly Bruno died the youngest of all my dogs. He was just 10 years old and he left us 3 weeks after losing his Mum, Bliss, to cancer. Bruno developed a cough and within just a few days we had lost him. Dad and I sat up with him all night, propping him up, taking him twice back to the vets in the middle of the night, but by the morning he was so poorly. Our vets saw him as soon as they opened and then called for me to take him to a specialist in Manchester. He was struggling to breath and his chest cavity was filled with air. I cuddled him all the way there and it broke my heart to leave him. Dad and I had just got back home when the phone rang telling me he had suffered a massive heart attack shortly after we left him. A post mortem revealed he had pulmonary cysts which had burst and effectively he had suffocated to death.

My heart well and truly broke that day. I felt I had let him down not being with him at the end. I loved him so very much. He was supposed to have been best man at our wedding the following year.

I hope somehow that he knew how much I loved him.

Me and my boy

Bruno and daughter Maddi

My best Christmas present

Today I had the best Christmas present I could ever have wished for Charlie.

I haven't posted for a while as since the end of August Charlie has been battling to be here. After a series of tests and 9 days of hospitalisation when we almost lost her, she was diagnosed with Cushing's disease, pancreatitis, kidney disease, hypertension and hypovolemia.
 Almost 4 months later, the main issues at this stage are kidney disease is the major issue with hypovolemia and hypertension mixed in. So, you can imagine my joy when this morning, she picked up a squeaky toy and brought it to me to play with it. I know Charlie cannot "get better" as such, but with the wonderful care of our vet Adam and the team of nurses at Calder vets Charlie is doing ok.
I haven't stopped smiling today - she truly is the best present I could have wished for.

Tim bought me a new camcorder to record her and of course Lotte who at 7 months old is now bigger than Charlie.

Will post more very soon.

Wishing everyone a very happy Christmas