Community Activity

Hi. I am grieving the passing of my dear, sweet, mischievous, fun-loving toy schnauzer, Bear. He was given to me by a dear friend that runs a rescue. I got him at age 2. At age 3, he started exhibiting bladder stones so he had surgery to remove them. The vet office kept an eye on his liver enzymes, and the numbers kept rising. She recommended for him to have portosystemic shunt surgery. A referral was sent to the University of Minnesota. I did extensive research on the topic, asking other schnauzer owners about their experiences with this operation, reading articles about it on line and prayer. I decided for Bear to have the surgery because he was overall, a happy and healthy pup and did not exhibit any of the shunt congenital symptoms. He went in on 8/12 and had the surgery. However, 24-48 hours later, Bear was showing signs of frequent seizuring activity. On 8/14/25, Bear was put down because the Critical Care Vet felt Bear was cognitively brain dead and there was no hope for him to return as the dog that he once was. With two very good friends by my side, I held him in my lap and told him how thankful that he was in my life and how much I loved him and will miss him. I am grieving terribly. He was my baby Bear and I truly loved him with all my heart and sole!!! I also feel guilty for putting him through this. If I hadn’t, he would still be alive and with me.😢