Sluggo the Miracle Boy

Sluggo: a true fighter til the end!

Posted by: N Gilbert

About a year ago, I fell in love with a good friend of mine's dog. I don't know what it was about him that touched my heart. Was it his playful eyes? His big floppy ears? Or was it that addicting smile that he was always wearing? I can honestly say, ALL OF THE ABOVE! This is the story of a dog who suffered through pain and neglect at birth and yet ended his life knowing and feeling what true love is, for he showed many people his own love and to never give up.
This is the story of Sluggo: the Miracle Boy, in his Momma's words!

Sluggo as a puppy ♥

Sluggo  ♥
"Let’s see where do I start? Okay, how about the first time I saw him!
I went to a shelter to see Pony who was listed as Special Needs and after adopting her and filling out the paper work, I waited outside for them to process everything and bring her out as I knew if I stayed inside I would see another dog I had to save. Lol. So I was looking to the left and when I turned around I saw this adorable little guy! He was doing what I call his “Leprechaun Dance” to another dog and I just fell in love!
I told one of the workers I wanted to adopt him too, but he was not up for adoption yet…he was an abuse case and still needed a bit more time. He was 6 months old and that was December of 2002. So I kept calling and calling and finally a few weeks later he was ready to be adopted! I brought all 3 of my dogs to meet him and all went great. I paid the adoption fee and they scheduled him to be neutered.





A few days later I picked him up and brought him home but he wasn’t feeling well after the neuter so he had to be kept separate for a few weeks because of some kind of infection that was hard to get rid of. He was so pampered! He deserved it after the start he had in life. I was told that this was an abuse case and when rescue got to the home he was in, his mommy and all of his litter, except for him and a brother, were starved to death. On the way to the hospital, his brother died. Sluggo stayed at the hospital for quite awhile as he was so very ill and after time went on the hospital told the rescue they had done all they could for him and at best he had a 50/50 chance and that was being optimistic but there was nothing more the hospital could do, so they had to decide to have him put to sleep or take him from the hospital but he would need to be cared for 24/7. The rescue decided he fought this hard so he deserved the chance and they took him from the hospital and he got care 24/7 until he was healthy. The Birth of my Miracle Boy!

From day one he was just the happiest pup I had ever seen…always curious and playful and excited and smiling that big beautiful Pittie smile!  He loved car rides! He was happiest when there were cars behind us that he could bark at so he could feel like he was a tough guy even though everyone that knew him knew it was a show and he was a sweetie and Mr. Affectionate.  When the little 13lb Westie, Sarah, came to live with us, things went south for poor Sluggo for a short time as that little dog terrorized him! Lol She would chase him around the house and he would try and hide behind the couch...no matter what she did to him he never fought back...he was always a gentle boy.  I soon taught her that terrorizing him wasn’t allowed (Lol) and they were able to live in peace.

Sluggo with his best friend Monty ♥

                       


His best friend is a cat named Monty. They would cuddle together all the time and Monty would bathe Sluggo and Sluggo would return the favor by giving Monty kisses.
Then last March I took him in for a dental appointment. His teeth were always clean but he was a senior so I wanted to get them cleaned once before he got too old and anesthesia could be a danger. It was at that time our world changed. Out vet called and said Sluggo had a mass in his soft palate. I called a dental specialist at a hospital that one of my other dogs used to see for a rare condition she had and he said to bring Sluggo in the next day so off we went! Sluggo had some tests done and they informed us they weren’t even sure what kind of tumor this was…they had never seen it before but if it didn’t come out at some point he wouldn’t be able to breathe. It turns out the tumor was what is called a Right Carotid Body Tumor..very rare in dogs and very dangerous to remove. They did remove the tumor and all went well with surgery but the next morning he aspirated and was in an oxygen chamber in ICU. After 2 weeks in ICU and me staying at a motel nearby so I could sit in the waiting room for 10 hours a day so I could see him as often as they would let me, Sluggo was discharged from the hospital with his surgeon not believing Sluggo would survive. I told him he was wrong and Sluggo WILL survive because Sluggo told me so. He came home and he needed very intensive care for quite awhile but he did survive and had a wonderful quality of life and was loved and adored and pampered every single day.

Sluggo under the covers ready to get his beauty sleep ♥

         



Then last November out of nowhere, he started having cluster seizures. We could not do tests on him because of the Mega Esophagus that resulted from the surgery as he could aspirate so we had no way to know what was causing them and if the cancer had spread. He was put on medication for the seizures and he did great!

Then on April 23rd,  Sluggo went to sleep as usual. His head on my pillow while he was under the blankets and he had his usual smile on his face as he was getting belly rubs…he drifted to sleep then he started seizing and the seizure never stopped so he was rushed to the ER and there was nothing that could be done for him, so we had to say good bye to the Miracle Boy. The blessing was he never came out of the seizures so his last memory was of being comfy in bed and being loved.   He left a huge gaping hole in the lives of many but memories of him filled with love help fill that hole until we see him again at The Rainbow Bridge." ♥

It wasn't until April 24th, that I got the shocking and most devastating news I've heard in a long time. My Smiley Pants had left us. When I heard, I couldn't even breathe from crying so hard. My head was hurting so bad and my eyes were drenched in tears. No longer would I be graced with that ever so loving smile on Facebook every day. No longer would I be able to tell Sluggo's Momma to give him kisses for me. No longer would my little Marley Mae have her Uncle Sluggo. For he was gone. I cried for over an hour and even into the night when I was going to bed about this boy. I was in such shock!

I couldn't even imagine how his Momma felt and what she was going through as I know that he was her heart and she loved him so very much. Losing a pet is exactly like losing a member of your family. They grow with you, they bond with you. They are with you through good times and bad. They cuddle with you, they hurt with you. And most of all, they love you without end! Even though Sluggo wasn't my dog, he occupied a space in my heart and I will never EVER forget him. He was such a good boy. A TRUE fighter til the end.
Sluggo my Smiley boy, I know you're up there right now playing your heart out and visiting with all your relatives, but just know that you are still so very much loved and missed more than anything. You brought so much joy into many lives especially your Momma who misses you more than words can express. I didn't want you to leave us, but I know that you had to and it was your time. I'm so happy that I got to see your face daily and I thank you for bringing me joy! I love you Mr. Smiley Pants. ALWAYS LOVED & NEVER FORGOTTEN!!!!! ♥♥

     This has always been my most favorite picture of Sluggo.
         A true Gentleman and lover boy at heart! ♥♥
       


♥RIP SLUGGO!!! Have fun up there handsome! ♥