Two-Ton was born 6/17/1990,his dad was a toy and his  mom was a small minature poodle. 
He was supposed to weigh about 6-10 lbs. full grown. I named him Pennys (after his mother)
Red Pepper and called him Pepper for the first year or until it became apparent he wasn't going
to stop growing at 10 lbs. or even 15 lbs. Nope, by this time he was now The ton, and within a 
few more months he had become 2 Ton, he stopped growing at about 22 lbs and Two-Ton
became the official name. 
   We had 2 other poodles at home,both toys, 8 & 12 lbs. and when we brought Two-ton home with 
us; he had to run and jump on the other two to get them to play.It was fun to watch how they
tolerated him, like a pesty bug that would soon go away and of course he didn't.   He was quite a
character. He loved to sleep with his favorite stuffed animal, an elephant, tucked in his mouth. It had
to be just so, he would spit it out and try to get his mouth on there just right until he could sleep.
   He was momma's boy right from the beginning.I loved all my dogs, but he just grabbed my heart
the very first day. He was so lonely missing his mom; and Rambo and Ar-Jai (R.J.)wouldn't be
bothered with him so he got to pass go and go straight to Park Place, my pillow.
   Because I spoiled them all so much, I didn't help preventing the diabetes.I fed them all kinds of treats,
steak for x-mas and b-day, and of course hard candy on car rides. I had no ideas of health problems
like  before. I took them for shots, dental work and misc. various injuries. But I never even heard of
an animal with diabetes.So now the fun begins. He was diagnosed in Jan.or Feb. 1999, but I didn't
get a computer until the fall of that year so I wasn't able to find information on this subject until then. 
I had my son looking up individual things for me, like how to inject and he would print it out for me,
but it was really hard doing it on my own.
   When I got the computer I found "Diabetes in Dogs" and from there found you and Queenie's website.
Thank God! Any question I had I found through the website, either through book knowledge or 
personal knowledge.So Two-Ton did fairly well with his diabetes..He did go blind almost immediately. 
I then found another site for "Blind Dogs" and with what I could from them or , again from the email list,
we got through the tough times.He went blind by May 23, 1999. I found out from you there are 
specialists who handle this type of problem, but it took a while before I had the money.
   On 5/23/00 he had the surgery done with total success and sent home the following day. It was like
having a puppy in the house again.He was just excited to be able to see.As soon as he was able to 
run around and carry on he would go outside and go to each corner of our yard and howl, as if to say
" Hey guys, I'm back and almost as good as ever!!!!!
   That didn't last long enough. Within about 1 year he started having problems with his vision and 
by late Oct .he started having trouble, but the opthamologist felt it was just slow healing. 
12/05/01 he went totally blind in the left eye, the opthamologist agreed to see him right away, but 
by the time he got home he had gone totally blind in both eyes. She didn't know why and I had to
worry about getting his eyes as healthy as possible and not worry about what was.
   This time around he had such a hard time adjusting to the loss of his sight. Think about it if were
you and you lost it, got it back, then lost it again. Knowing how much they know wouldn't you be
waiting for it to come back again. I think that hindered him in his getting around. In early May he 
developed an ear infection and shortly after that went deaf. The vet didn't know for sure, but 
attributed it to old age. Now he really had a hard time, but he loved being aound us. He'd lay on
my feet so I couldn't go without letting him know. He got very confused if I left and he couldn't find me.
I felt bad but when he would find me his tail would go like crazy. And that always made me smile. 
I knew as long as that little stub of a tail would wiggle, he was okay.
   Sat.08/31/02 when he woke up he couldn't get on his feet and his head was tilting. We took him right
to the vet. I thought he had had a stroke. The vet said it was ventribular disease. This also goes with
old age. It's in the inner ea rand can be misdiagnosed as a stroke because  the symptoms are the same. Although this is treatable and cured in about 72 hours with the pet getting back to normal in about 
2-3 weeks. What a relief. A shot, some antibiotics and dramamine and back home we go. He
couldn't walk because of the leaning to one side so we just carried him. I love having him on my lap 
anyway.On Mon. 9/02/02 we took our afternoon nap and when I got up I had to help him, that's 
when I noticed Two-Ton was not right. He felt warm, dry and his heart was racing. I called the 
emergency vet. but of course it was a holiday and it took about 1/2 hour for her to call back. 
By then I didn't need her help. My baby sweet Two- Ton was gone...
   I want to know he's gone to the Rainbow Bridge and he won't hurt anymore, he can hear and 
see again and he's playing like a puppy again. I do know this, but please someone tell me how to stop
this pain. When will I be able to stop crying. My heart has broken.How can this sweet little red ball 
of fluff grow into a 22 pound package of such pure joy that it could make my heart laugh and sing, 
how could I hurt this much in such a wee bit of time.
   Twelve isn't old! Is it? Did I make him as happy in that time as he made me! Just one more day 
so I can make sure I kiss him and tell him I love him and give him one last treat, then when he closes
his eyes I'll know.And maybe I'll be ready.
 

Dear Mom,

Two Tons of sweet loving, Two Tons of sweet kisses,
Two Tons of affection, more tons worth of misses..

Two Tons worth of stories, needing to be shared..
The life of Two Tons and his mommy who cared.

He was born to be small, but small he wouldn't be,
He wasn't the little baby, as thought by you and me.

He grew and he grew and just kept on growing,
The love that he offered, beat all the un-knowing.

His mom how she laughed, at how Two Ton would play,
He was such a sweet baby, in a Two Ton Kind of way.

The days they passed, they sped by in a haze,
His Two Tons of sweet loving, let his mom in a daze.

Then diabetes stepped in, and Two Ton fought a good fight,
But God wanted Two Ton to shine in his light.

On September the 2nd, 2002 - 
Two Ton made his journey, And left me and you.

He's at the Bridge now, holding his own,
At a special place, by God's Pearly Throne.

And he's healthy and happy, no more no more "sickies" - you know,
Two Ton's an Angel.. whose wings grow and grow..

Covering us with sweet loving and tender sweet kisses...
Two Tons of affection and more tons worth of misses.

Charlene Cain ©2002

Love Two-Ton *from The Rainbow Bridge* I Love You...Mom