I did not want a pet, I was very clear on that one. But my two young sons were seriously hooked on the idea. It would be fun, they said. We will have another playmate. We will take care of it. We will give it food, we will take it on walks, we will give it a bath, we will take it to the vet… the arguments went on and on. I listed my views — we live in a flat, both of you are prone to allergies, it will take up a lot of time, who will take care of it when you are away at school, and many more on these lines. But the convincing powers of young boys invariably surpass those of their harried mothers. The rest, as they say, is history.
So, three years ago, one fine evening, with great pomp and show, Choco Chip, a one-month-old pug pup, arrived home. I fell in love with the little fellow as he walked around exploring his new home on his wobbly legs, sporting a puzzled expression on his wrinkled face.
Over the last three years, he’s been a fun fellow to have around, providing the family and friends with hours of amusement and entertainment. He has been an ice-breaker with the neighbourhood folks, who would stop to say hello and enquire after him. His crazy antics and mad dashes would have us in splits and he was the best stress-buster we could think of. Just as in the advertisement for a telecom company, he followed me everywhere. If I stepped out, he would wait by the door; if I went to the bathroom, I would almost trample on him on my way out; he napped in the room while I worked on my laptop, and he begged for scraps at the dining table as we had our meals. If we tossed him food that he liked, he would jump up and catch it. My sons would say if Choco were in the Indian cricket team, we would have no missed catches!
Occasionally he also had us worried about minor and major ailments, and we have been anxious about how he fared when we left him behind with carers or relatives during out-station trips. But he usually befriended whoever he was with and continued to charm them into becoming his fans.
So, it was with a sense of bafflement that we watched him become lethargic and unresponsive over some recent weeks. His appetite was still good, he still followed me everywhere, but his pace had become slower, and he stopped jumping up to catch biscuits. Choco’s become lazy, we laughed.
Then one day, I held out a slice of bread to him as he sat before me, but he continued to look at me blankly without reaching for it. My heart stopped for a moment, while I digested it — and things fell in place with chilling clarity. I slowly moved the slice of bread nearer and in front of him. Still there was no response, and he continued to look at me with those melting eyes. I held the piece of bread at his nose, and it was gone in one gulp.
The next day, my husband and I were at the vet’s. The vet examined Choco and said his eyes were not responding to light. It looked like the cells in his retina were damaged and this was usually an irreversible condition.
How is it possible, we asked: he has shown no discomfort, no signs of pain. It could be due to genetic reasons, the vet said, or causes like high BP that would have no external symptoms. It’s not any negligence on your part, he comforted us. His sense of smell and hearing will try to compensate, and he will live an almost normal life, the vet explained. We are in the process of taking more tests to understand the extent of vision loss and hope he would be able to see something, maybe a blur or hazy shapes.
What’s amazing and inspiring is the way Choco has been dealing with the change. He has become more cautious in all his movements. He waits to recognise people by smell or voice before he jumps up to welcome them. He is wary when you go near him — he flinches slightly when we reach out to pet him, as if he is not quite sure what is coming close.
He continues to take care of his metabolic needs during walks, and never inside the house. He still comes and begs for scraps at the table, though now we hand-feed him. And he still tries to find out where the family members are, so he can nap some place close by.
Any lessons to be learnt here? You bet.
vasanthi.suresh@hotmail.com
