Sad update on Jazzy

From www.novanewsnsow.com
Goodbye, Jazzy
Remarkable Rottweiler dies suddenly by Nadine Armstrong/Hants Journal
Article online since July 17th 2009, 14:30
It is a sad twist to a story that has touched so many. The remarkable young Rottweiler Jazzy, who was featured recently in The Hants Journal, has died, one week after gaining significant media attention as the dog that nursed a trio of abandoned kittens back to health.
Jazzy was diagnosed with acute kidney failure yesterday afternoon, July 16, after a precautionary visit to the veterinarian. “It has been an absolutely horrible two days,” said owner Ashley Hood. “We thought it was just the flu and they would tell me to take her home and give her lots a water.”
Earlier that day Jazzy was experiencing painful stomach spasms and was very lethargic, Hood said. “She was just lying around and yelping.”
The family took her to the Avon Animal Hospital in Windsor, where she was immediately put on IV fluids.
So tired she could hardly move
“They knew right away she was anemic and would require almost a full blood transfusion. She was so tired she could hardly move. She would lift her head to look at me and that was all she could do.”
However, immediate medical attention was not enough to save her.
The vet called the Hood family later that evening to tell them it was unlikely Jazzy would make it through the night. It was then they made the difficult decision to put her at peace.
“In the end they had to put her down. We didn’t want her to suffer anymore,” Hood said tearfully.
Despite the hefty vet bill, Hood said it was worth any attempt to save Jazzy’s life. “It’s just so hard to believe she is gone; she was family. We didn’t care how much it cost for the treatment. We had discussed it as a family and decided we would pay any price. We just wanted her home again.”
The family had acquired Jazzy more than seven months ago when she was only three months old. Hood says in hindsight the pup did display signs of kidney disease, but had no idea at the time that Jazzy had health issues. “When she was a puppy she drank like a fish. We couldn’t keep enough water out for her. But I didn’t consider that at the time.”
Hood said the veterinarian has reassured her the symptoms would have been difficult to diagnose at that stage, even for a professional.
Hailed as a hero
The kittens have since been weaned and it’s unclear if Jazzy’s role would have augmented any pre-existing condition she may have had, although Hood said she showed symptoms of dehydration the day she fell ill.
In many ways Jazzy had been hailed as a hero to the three little kittens in need of the warmth only a mother can give.
“She was an amazingly sweet and gentle dog. We will miss her so much.” The message Jazzy’s life has served, she said, is this: “Jazzy was here for a very short time, too short, but it was long enough to prove that Rottweilers are kind and loving dogs.”
The Hood family asks that any donations in Jazzy’s name be made either to the SPCA or Avon Animal Hospital in Windsor.