Ch. Vassar Square Corky
R.I.P. 6-24-91    9/16/2000

Our Darling Corky went to Rainbow Bridge today. He was a fat healthy 9 yr old.

Such a little snob and so stingy with kisses, he showed his little heart off with such joy every time he was on a lead... a push button show dog... dependable, happy, never missed a meal, major pointed from the puppy classes breeder owner handled. 
Even when John got too sick to do shows anymore, Corky could be handed to anybody to show. He travelled with a handler to Florida to a Specialty where he won a 5 pt major. He was shown by John and Terri at the Cow Palace several years in a row and had quite a fan club. A handler took him to a Specialty for his last show and accidentally sprayed his eyes with hair spray, and he was "squinting " all the way around the ring but it didn't stop him from showing his little heart out.....tail up.....dead level topline.
That was his last show. He was retired and happy at home, and contributed more than his share to the Smoky Hairamics.

Corky got along with everybody. It was as though he didn't see any reason not to be happy. Whenever we had company, it was Corky we would toss a lead on and "off he would go"....."ok mom....where to now?"

He was well and happy until this past Wednesday night and when you think you know everything, and how to help everybody, along comes "life" to kick you in the pants, and bring you down to size. Friday morning he received a blood transfusion and today, Saturday 9/16/00 AT 11:30AM, he went to Rainbow Bridge. We are told that it wasn't an ulcer, or any perforation, and are awaiting culture and biopsy results.

"This is basically a very acute onset of an auto-immune disease. The body decided that every red blood cell was an enemy and destroyed it. Never had a case happen so quickly and fatal.
Dr. Dale"

The disease is also called immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, and most of the websites I found use that term. Here are some links to pages about AIHA:
http://www.vetmedcenter.com/Consumer/display.asp?id=8647&dt=p
http://www.bobmckee.com/Client%20Info/Cardiac/AIHA.html
http://www.cloudnet.com/~jdickson/
http://www.labbies.com/aiha.htm
http://www.vetinfo.com/dimhanemia.html

I don't know what his duty will be there, at the Bridge, but I'm sure that Skiffington and Eliza and Tracey and Missy, as well as "Smoky" are already introducing him ....

Goodbye dear little friend..... we will miss you very much and we are very, very sad that you had to leave us.

Terri & John Shumsky