Max, the writer's beloved pet. Photo: Jeannifer Sonia Vijeyaselvan
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Max, our beloved Golden Retriever, gave us much joy.
He was part of our family – a brother and a friend.
We got him on my brother’s fourth birthday. Max was a birthday gift for him.
We had so much fun with him and Bob, a Beagle. They shared a special bond together.
Many times, snakes and monitor lizards entered our house. The two of them would do anything to protect our family from getting harmed.
He was a friendly, stubborn, wobbly dog who had a special smile that would make us happy.
During the Covid pandemic lockdown, we started bonding even more with Max and Bob. We bathed them, took them for walks and of course fed them.
One night when it was raining, Max fell into a drain and fractured his leg.
The next day we took him to the vet. She gave us some medicine to help with the pain and a massage oil to apply and rub on his leg.
As you know, all dogs don’t like taking tablets. We had to hide them in his food so that he would eat them without noticing the medicine in it.
In 2021, Max kept on barking on purpose with his eyes closed. My dad asked the doctor about it. She said that maybe he’s in pain or dreaming.
We went to check on him. My brother saw a hole in his elbow and there were maggots in it! We took him to the vet again. She gave us medicine that would kill the maggots. So twice a day we would apply it on his elbow. And before we knew it, two or three weeks later, the hole closed. And after that, he was able to walk with ease.
But when it comes to running, we need to hold a treat in our hand – only then would he run to get it from us.
The months passed and he looked like he was losing weight. It’s because of the walking and the diet control, we thought.
In December, after coming back from a trip, we took Max and Bob for a walk. Suddenly Max just fell although we were walking slowly.
He didn’t walk to his food.
He was defecating in the kennel itself where he was lying down.
My dad knew there was something wrong with him. The next day, we took him to the vet. She told us that he had fluid in his heart and lungs.
The doctor put him on drips and then we took him home with the medicine she gave. She told us to monitor him for two to three days. If his condition were to get worse, he may not be able to survive. But we and Bob didn’t give up on him. We took him for walks every evening, gave him medicine and fed him.
Two weeks passed and he was so much better. We continued taking him for walks.
On April 16 this year, we went to KL to celebrate Easter with our family. Before we left, we looked at him, said our goodbyes to him and Bob, and left for KL.
The following Monday, my father was rushing us to pack our bags and leave KL as soon as possible. We were confused but we just did it anyway.
When we reached our house, my dad stopped at the gate and told us that when our cousin went to check on Max and Bob, Max just looked at him through the kennel. He did the same thing the next day. It was very unusual because he was on his feet before we left.
At 8:30 on Monday morning, my cousin went to check on them again. Bob was fine but Max was found at the side of the drain and not making any movements.
My siblings and I didn’t want to believe it but as we entered the house, we saw it for ourselves: Our beloved dog had left this world and gone to a better place. He was suffering no more. We were very sad; Bob was very sad too.
For the last time, we cleaned Max, wrapped him in a blanket and buried him.
At 7 o’clock in the evening, we lit candles and put flowers on his burial spot. He was happy living with us until the age of 13 years. We are also glad to have shared some beautiful memories with him and Bob. I want to thank Dr Inderjeet for helping us cure him through his journey.
His love will forever be cherished by his “brother” Bob and by us all.
