Gibson: A Heart Dog's Birthday Remembrance

 My all-time favorite birthday pic-turned-painting of my beautiful boy - Gibson.

 

My beloved Epi heart dog, Gibson, would be 20 years old today! Woo! December 16, 2025 marked the 10-year anniversary of him earning his furangel wings, and although I have never stopped missing my sweet, big wooly boy, I feel him by me every single day since.  

 

My sweet boy when he first came home at 4 months old!

Gibson was a warrior! He was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy in 2009, shortly after his third birthday. He torn a CCL, which healed via Conservative Care Management, he had a almost deadly reaction from bromide toxicity when the compounding pharmacy suddenly changed the capsule formulation (and did not notify the vets nor the public) which brought on a severe case of ataxia, which thankfully, I caught right away and my vet was able to successfully detox him, thus saving his life. 

Gibbie went on to have GI issues and a weak hind end (from the Epi meds), and later in years had a non-cancerous tumor removal (done at home). Even in the end, when he collapsed (from what we later learned was hemangiosarcoma and the spleen tumor had burst and he was internally bleeding), and my vet once again saved him (from the wicked ER vet who was only concerned with the "enigma" that was seen on the microscope slide)...he received at-home IV treatments to prep him for what we hoped would be a successful splenctomy, he always fought. He loved life so much. His zest was contagious! 

 

If there was a dog I thought would live forever, it was my Gibson. Simply because of how much he loved life, his sweetheart Harley, his packmates and younger siblings Wolfie, Bandit, and Chloe; and how much he loved me. We had one of those once-in-a-lifetime bonds. And as the saying goes, if love was enough to save him, he'd still be here. We accomplished so much together from his journey with Canine Epilepsy, something I continue to do in his name to help others on the same journey...because dogs with epilepsy can—and DO—live full, happy lives and #LiveGibStrong...just like my Gibson did!

 Gibson patiently waiting for his homemade bone-shaped ice cream cake!

 

"Life is all memory except for the one present moment that goes by so quick you can hardly catch it going." ~Tennessee Williams

 

Life and love are surreal. It's wonderful when alive and experiencing it all...but it never truly leaves us. Even when our beloved pets do, their love always remains.

Scenes from Gibson's 9th Birthday...his last here on earth:

 Party Time!  Oh, how my FiveSibes always loved to celebrate birthdays! See the table all set with a birthday placemat and pawprint napkins? This pic is from Gibson's 9th birthday, and is exactly how I imagine they still are celebrating, north of the Rainbow Bridge! 

 

Dearest Gibbie:

Happy Birthday my gorgeous G-man. You're 20! I hope you and all of my beloved FiveSibes are celebrating with you and having fun snow zoomies north of the Rainbow Bridge...and I do hope the angels serve up my famous bone-shaped vanilla ice cream cake with crumbled Gibbie treats for a topper! Oh, how you all loved Birthday celebrations! Your short almost 10 years with me have touched my heart and soul so deeply. I miss you so much, your Gibbie kisses, and those big ol' polar bear paw hugs. Be happy my sweet boy.

Love you forever and always,

Your Forever FiveSibesMom

  

 

For more info & to see the stops on my Wolfie, What Is The Rainbow Bridge? virtual book tour, check HERE!

 

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