A Brave Little Pom

I write to you about a little Pomeranian called Etouk. It is an Eskimo idiom meaning "to be free."

That defined my little Pomeranian found as a pup in a parking lot. Our family in Massachusetts had been German Shepherd lovers and we soon found that he thought he was a big dog! Etouk is no longer with us. He died at eight because of a collapsed trachea. It is for this reason I write to ask you to inform small dog owners of the benefits of a harness rather than a collar for these little fellas.

The story of our brave Etouk occurred at his prime. He wanted to be outdoors and slipped out one cold, icy day. I looked out the window to see him being pulled apart by three vicious local dogs. I still have scars on my wrists from the melee as I pulled him out of their jaws. There was neither broken skin nor blood; he seemed to have come through those seconds with no serious injuries. He scurried under the bed and stayed there. We tried to get him out but he protested. I finally got family to lift the bed, wrapped him up and took him to the vet for a check up. To my surprise, he was going into shock and near death.

What I did not know was the dogs had ripped his skin from the underlying skin and his whole back had become gangrenous. This little fellow had to have his whole back removed...an area the area of a football. He spent months in the hospital. The healing was miraculous. I learned much about bravery and endurance watching him go through the recovery.

I t was shortly after, however, that the trachea problem became serious and there were offers to do experimental surgery at Angel Memorial Hospital. I couldn't bring myself to put him through such an ordeal. And I wish I could say he died in a peaceful way. Unfortunately, his longing to run free had a tragic end. He ran out of the house during a record heat wave in June, 1994. My son searched for him for two days. We found him under bushes where he had tried to dig a hole in his panic to breathe.

These special little creatures need us to watch over them with the same extraordinary amount of attention and love they give us. Little Etouk was in my son's care and he has never forgiven himself for being careless that day. It only takes a second for a near fatal attack or minutes for a pet to wander away or be injured.

And I have never forgotten my little friend; I see him in every miniature dog who is being yanked by a collar around the neck. I ask owners if I can share my story about brave little Etouk who might have lived longer if he had not had a collapsed trachea. Using a harness will help these little pups.

Virginia Hill
New York

Note from your Guide: I chose to publish the entire story of Etouk, because the story of survival after his attack was quite a success. The tragic story of Etouk's collapsing trachea brings up a good point for dogs with airway problems (collapsing trachea, laryngeal paralysis to name the more common ones): harnesses do help these patients breathe easier and avoid complications. Close supervision and communication with your veterinarian is essential for all pets with existing health conditions, especially in times of extreme weather (hot or cold) or stress on the animal.