A very unmerry weekend for us

Josh and I spent last week anxiously awaiting the arriaval of the weekend. We didn't have anything amazing planned or anything...We had just both had a long week and were ready to calm down and relax together for the weekend. Well, as I mentioned in my last post on Friday, Josh had texted me that morning saying that he was worried about Luke (our German Shephard). He said that he was being mopey and wouldn't really eat anything. So, I worried all day until I got home and saw him for myself...then I started to panic. He looked really sick. So, I called the Vet. He said that they were closing but we needed to take him immediately to Emergi-Pet. So, when Josh got home we loaded up and went. After the long wait, the doctor finally came in and took Luke's temperature...It was 105 degrees. I cried. (hysterically) Then they asked us a lot of questions and then did an exam and some tests. She came back and said that Luke has Pneumonia. She said that it was severe and very contagious. She went back to the office to type up a list of things that they would like to do to get Luke better and the prices. (Unfortunately we have no doggy insurance...That may sound silly but when you have a weekend like we have you would be looking into it too!) She came back out with the list. She told us how much. I cried again. (hysterically...again) We did not have that kind of money. There was no way that we could do that. She said that the amount that she gave us was for a weekend doggy-hospital stay. She then said that there were some other options that we could discuss. They were still really expensive but not as crazy as the big number that she gave us first.(But the big number would assure that everything possible was being done to make Luke better) It was the most aweful thing that I have ever experienced. We had to make the decision on our sweet dogs health based on how much money we had in the bank. That really sucks like you wouldn't believe. Of course, everyone was feeling really sorry for me (The girl who couldn't stop crying) and it was embarrassing but I couldn't help it. I'm a very emotional person. So, we decided (with no other choice) to go with the second options. They gave him IV fluids and several shots while we were there. Then we got 2 prescriptions to go home. They said for us to keep him inside and to feed him boiled chicken and a certain kind of yougurt. So...we took him home and then I went to Walmant and spent another huge amount of money to get everything that we would need to keep our giant dog in the house. So, that was Friday night...Then Saturday Josh and I got up and took my car to have new tires put on and then we dropped it off to be detailed. (hoping that they could get the giant horse-dog smell out of my car.) THen, we went home and I cleaned the house. Luke was doing ok and making some improvments. Then Josh went outside and said that Buster wasn't acting right. I (of course) automatically freaked out...grabbed the phone...and called the doctor. She said to try and take his temp if we had a thermometer. So, Josh took the thermometer outside to take his temp and realized that he was having diarrhea. So, we called the vet back and told them that. She said that she thought that Buster was having a stress reaction to the fact that Luke had been taken out of the yard. We told her that he had been sitting at the back door all morning crying and looking in. So, she told us not to worry and that he would probably be fine. later on Butser was on the poarch and I was petting him and I realized that there was a lot of blood in his diarrhea. So...I called them back. She said that it was probably because he had been having it all morning and still nothing too big to worry about. So, I went on to the girls' pageant with my parents and sisters and Josh stayed home to take care of the dogs. When the pageant was over I called Josh to check on them and he said that Buster was not looking good but for me not to worry. He said that if he got worse he was going to take him on to Emergi-pet. Well, later after dinner with my family I called back to check again. I was really upset and worried. Josh just said that we could talk about it when I got home. Well, I was worried and I didn't want to wait to get home...I got mad and said tell me now how Buster is...That's when Josh said that Buster had died a couple of hours ago. He said that he wasn't looking good and Josh had wrapped a blanket around him to keep him warm. He called the vet and said he was on his way and then when he went outside to get Buster he was already gone. It broke my heart. I was so glad that my sister was with me. I didn't know what to do but I didn't want to go home. I have NEVER had any pets before that I was attached to and I have been positively crazy about my dogs! Buster was this adorable blonde terrier who looked like a shrimp next to Luke but they were best friends. Buster would turn his head to the side whenever someone was talking to him like he was really listening. He was so cute and sweet. Everone loved Buster. Josh and I fell in love with Buster the first minute that we saw him. We got him from the pound about 7 months ago when we first moved to Tuscaloosa and I just had to have him. We spoiled him rotten and played with him all the time. When Josh told me he had died I was so upset and heartbroken. The vet told Josh not to bury him in the yard because Luke would dig anything like that up so Josh and Eric took him to the vet. They do a burial for you if you pay for it. So...that was that. What else is there to say...now he's gone. I keep expecting to see his little sideways head at the fence whenever I drive into the driveway.....Luke is getting better. He is eating and drinking a lot more now and he is getting up a lot more too. We take him outside to use the bathroom and yesterday he was really looking around for Buster. I think he's confused. We are going to keep him in the house for a few more days and then I think that he will be okay to go outside. I think that Josh is going to take him to the vet on Thursday to get a check up and make sure that he is okay now....This weekend was terrible for us. It turns out that what killed Buster was not stress related. It was poision. The vet said that it was either a mouse or something that could have been in our yard that we carrying a disease or that someone had poisioned him on purpose. Our yard is fenced in but our gate is never locked so I guess that someone had to sneak in or throw something over the fence. Our neighbors didn't like out dogs at all. They have complained many times about Luke and they called animal control a few weeks ago when Luke got out of the fence. The vet says that Luke picked up his pneumonia at the pound that day that he was there. But, Buster's problem was not related to Luke's at all. It was a ridiculously tragic coincidence that this happened to them at the same time. Well, I know that no one would ever read a post this long but I wanted to get it all out. I don't understand the kind of people that would deliberately hurt such a sweet innocent animal. They never hurt anyone. They barked and played and that's all. Sunday, Josh and I woke up to the snow and we went and played with Tiffany and Eric in the yard. We bulit a snowman and threw snowballs. It was fun and it made me feel a lot better. Saturday I had just been so sad that I needed the snow. I'm going to miss Buster really bad and I am just praying now that Luke gets better and lives to be 100 years old. I know that i cannot go through this again.