China
She was the light of our life!


China was a bright light of joy with a love for life and complete devotion to us.
She was a most unusual black chow, and she was not able to live a full and happy life!

We received her from a breeder with all the usual assurances of health; however none of it meant anything because she was born to die!

China was diagnosed with PPM and cataract at 16 weeks. Notifying her breeder was pointless, she simply did not respond or acknowledge having received the documentation from the ophthalmologist.

At about the same time we noticed, that when she played she had what appeared to be muscle cramps of her rear extremities. After two more such "cramps"she was examined, the hips where ex-rayed and she was diagnosed to have "growing pains".
As per instruction by the Veterinarian of general medicine, her playing time was supervised very carefully.

China was 18 weeks old!

During the winter months she seemed to be fine, although noticing now and then she had "accidents". The occasional urinating accidents were very unusual for chows, but she was also in her first season so we assumed she was fine and once her first season was completed the "accidents" would stop.

China loved to play with her soccer balls using her front paws to kick and play, which was a joy to watch. She also loved to jump on the couch and when my husband sat on the floor leaning against the couch, she then would walk down over his shoulder and on down feeling a great sense of accomplishment. There was so much more she delighted us with, but it would take many pages to fill.

Spring was here and China was delighted to run and play with our three other chows!
Suddenly a bone chilling scream came from outside, China was on the ground, screaming with pain. My love was hurting and I had to find out why!
Several minutes later she had another attack, and then another....

Rushing her to the Veterinarian having various test performed...then later that day the test results read...my little China was in renal failure...she was not well, she was going to die!

China was 11 months old!!!

She was taken to a Specialist of Internal Medicine. An ultra sound was performed and more chemical panels run, her BUN etc., all confirmed China was dying! She was given 2-5 months to live.

I saw the ultra sound and the second one as well; she had oddly shaped kidneys, surrounded by cysts filled with liquid. These cysts were connected by fibers which appeared like rivers and connected the cysts to each other.
She had 25% of her kidney tissue left. She was born with polycystic kidneys and renal dysplasia.

China was amazing...ever time her Bun, Creatin, Calcium and Phosphorous levels climbed she would adjust!

I spend every moment I could with her, she was a pleasure to have, to love and to take care off. We prayed and hoped that she would live...against all odds...but it was not meant to be. The signs of her illness began to show, in her daily activities, the consumption of food and her attacks.

China loved to lay out in the snow...she and her companion chows would lay together more often then before...
December 15, 2000...my beloved China told me it was time...

My husband and I took her to our Veterinarian...he knew from the tests that her body was not able to sustain her life...but her will to live was so strong she fought the sedation...she was given the equal amount of what a 90 pound dog would receive to be sedated...my China still attempted to lifted her had and we told her...it is alright and that we would always love her; we held her head and she finally relaxed a little more trying to kiss us...finally...her head rested on my arm and she went to see the angels.

Our Veterinarian could not release her from her life, his partner had to take over...our Veterinarian of 13 years had loved her, and as he told us...he had never in his 25 years of practice seen a more amazing, devoted and most courageous chow girl, one who loved life more than our beautiful China.

During all this time...not a response, not a word of explanation...nothing from the breeder...not until a couple of days before China died.
China was to be a show prospect...without any doubt...she was a beauty.

Please, all of you super people who love chows as much we do...with all our heart to the ones who want to keep the breed pure and disease free, please tell the ones who have other agendas...tell them to have their chow girls tested to assure healthy puppies.

Ronald & Alexandra Cox