It Isn't Fair

It just isn't fair.

Many things in life aren't fair. But something happened last evening that really brought home the unfairness to me in a very personal way.

My 2-year-old golden retriever, named Jett, died. He was diagnosed just two days ago with an autoimmune disease called masticatory muscle myositis. In simple terms, this means his body was attacking the muscles of his jaws.

MMM is not common, and none of my golden retriever-loving friends had ever heard of it. And as with so many other health issues that plague goldens, goldens are among the breeds more frequently afflicted. Still, MMM isn't common.

Jett was seen by a veterinarian on Tuesday and again yesterday. He was prescribed steroids to reduce pain and inflammation, and gabapentin to help with pain. Something happened, and Jett acted drunk. And then he died. I hope a necropsy will provide some answers.

Jett was young, and he had joined my family less than a year ago. So needless to say, this all came as a real shock.

What struck me as so unfair was the fact he was so young when he died. It was unfair. It was unfair that after a life of neglect, he found love and stability with me, only to have everything go horribly wrong. It was unfair that he never got a chance to really live. 

What else was so unfair was that my dog Jenny, not a fan of most dogs, loved Jett from the moment they met. 

It was unfair that golden retrievers, the most wonderful breed in the world, are beset by so many health issues. These intelligent, beautiful, loving dogs, once referred to by a man with whom I used to work as 'America's dog,' typically live only to the age of 10. Only one of my six golden retrievers made it to 15 years old.

It isn't fair that Jett was finally with someone who not only loved him, but who also had the desire and the financial resources to provide medical care for him. And it is so unfair, that despite that advantage, he died.

It isn't fair that my other dog, Jenny, has been deprived of a friend she loved and with whom she loved to play and chase. It isn't fair that this big blond boy was taken so soon.

And it isn't fair that I have lost a sweet, loving dog who used to put his head on the side of my bed every morning for his daily ear rub and kiss on the head.

That was our daily early morning routine. It isn’t fair that I will forever be deprived of this gentle early morning tradition.