Important, Sad News

Brandy passed away today. It's been a rough year for us, a lot of unexpected deaths, and some that were expected. Brandy has been sick for a while now. She started having seizure-like episodes this summer where she'd pass out on the floor, gasp and choke for air, and lie there for a few mintues with her eyes darting back and forth until coming to. The vet said it was due to her collapsing trachea. It's a condition fairly common among small dogs as they get older. the "rings" (so to speak) in her trachea become weaker and weaker and eventually collapse like the sides of a fireplace billow. Then, as she's trying to gasp for air, the strain combined with the lack of oxygen causes her to pass out. Once she passed out, her muscles relax and she could get her breath back. But, there would be several minutes of unresponsiveness. A couple days ago, she appeared to have died in my mom's arms, but then slowly began breathing again. Less than an hour later, she was up and barking at strangers at our door.
Well, today was different. Mom and I went to work together this morning and Dad came over at 11 so she could go with him to have some tests done (that's another thing: he's been having some problems lately and has to have some things done in order to rule out bladder cancer). Well, I came home at lunch and found her lying on the living room floor. Not usual, except that this time she wasn't breathing and I couldn't make out a heart beat. As I was on the phone to the vet, trying to find out if there were any definitive tests we could do to make sure she was actually gone this time, mom and dad pulled up in their car and I had to break the news to them.
If there's anything I can be thankful for, it's that I found Brandy and Mom didn't. I don't think she could've handled that. She's really not doing very well. I had to come back to work for a few minutes to cancel all her afternoon appointments because she's not functioning well enough to talk to people right now. I left Kirby and the boys in charge of her to make sure she's coping. I think I'll let Kirby sleep in their bed tonight to fill Brandy's void. (It's been a long-running joke of theirs to hide Kirby in their bed at night until I come looking for her to go lay with me.)
I was just thinking that this is going to be our first Christmas without Joy, and now it's going to be without Brandy, too. Who would've thought that we'd be down 2 animals in less than a year? (Bro was recently diagnosed with kidney failure, too, and that disease is always fatal. He's still doing OK for now, but we know it's only a matter of time, again.)
I had just gotten used to telling people we have 8 cats instead of nine. Now, I have to get used to saying "2 dogs" instead of 3. I know Brandy was ready to go, though, or she wouldn't have lived as long as she did. She knew it would happen when the time was right, if there can ever be a "right" time for something like this. She had a very long, happy life, rescued from a cruel and neglectful home then adopted by a warm, caring family who loved her and kept her healthy until she crossed over to the "Rainbow Bridge." We'll really miss her here on earth, but I look forward to seeing her meet us at the door again someday.