Our sweet Jimmer died

We had a tiny 2 1/2 pound Yorkie named Jimmer who was a delight to all of us. I knew that teeny tiny Yorkies could have health problems, but who could resist that face and spunk.

He didn't like me much because I brushed his teeth, combed his hair, and cleaned his eyes and bottom, but he loved my husband and oldest son.

When we started letting our other " huge" Yorkie Sadie (3.6 pounds) sleep with us Jimmer came too. He slept by my husband for a while and then a strange thing happened. He would wait until I settled down and he would come over by me and lick my legs for a while and then sleep right by me. I know that may sound gross to some people, but I loved it. I guess he knew I couldn't clean him while I was in bed.

We always kept him up on his shots and such and fed him the best food we could find. He just had his teeth cleaned last month. Since they were cleaned 6 months ago and he had a blood test I didn't think he needed another test this time. Oh, how I wish I had done that. Maybe it would have shown he was having some problems.

We left him at the best boarding facility we could find when we went to visit our daughter in Alaska a couple of weeks ago. He was with our other dog and they could walk outside anytime they wanted. When we got home I found out that the owner of the kennel couldn't get him to eat for a few days. She did give him Nutri-Cal and I know she did her best. A day or two before we came home she got him to eat so she thought he was okay. BUT then he started to vomit and have diarrhea. I had given her my vet's number and I wish she would have taken him there. I didn't leave him with any of my children who live near here because they work and they are scared to take care of him because they know how picky I am about his care.

My daughter who lives near to us picked him up for me and we got him from her house as soon as we got off the plane. His coat was crusty with what appeared to be saliva or vomit. I bathed him and he looked like he was going to die right there. Must have cooled him off and stressed him out. He's never appreciated a bath. We wrapped him in a warm towel and took him to an Emergency vet. His blood sugar was horribly low and his white count was very high. The vet guessed he had Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis. He stayed there that night and seemed a little better so we transferred him to our vet who took him to his home at night. The next morning his blood sugar was low again. It couldn't be maintained without an IV.

We then transferred him to a place called Advanced Veterinary Care where they have Veterinarians and techs around the clock. He did not have liver shunt as they suspected, nor did he have pancreatitis. They sent him home with us with medication and instructions for a special diet. He was breathing rapidly and deeply. It was scary, but they said they had done all they could and we made an appointment to come back in 3 days.

They day after we got him home he walked around a little and I was encouraged, but his breathing was still very labored. In the evening I fed him as I had earlier in the day and then held a bowl up to him and he took a drink--coughed hard three times and went into cardiac arrest. I am an ER nurse (for people) and I did CPR, but it was no use.

We have sent his tiny little body to a University lab where they will try to find out what was wrong. I didn't want them to cut up that sweet little guy, but I have to know what was wrong and I thought it might also help someone else in the same situation.

I am absolutely heartbroken. I loved him so much. Please help me.