Take Thumper's advice, people

·         When people see me walking Lil in her stroller, their reactions range from “awwww, how cute” to snickering and making comments about how spoiled my dog is. Some people think that I won’t understand them if they insult and ridicule me in a foreign language. Unfortunately, I understood every word of the man on a bike that passed up on the seawall yesterday and told his girlfriend that I should put my dog out of its misery. He received the “teacher look”, let me tell you. The audacity! He doesn’t even know us or understand the situation! And to top it off, Lil was prancing along quite happily alongside the stroller when he rode by us. Inhale, exhale, repeat… I understood every word of the girl who told her friend in French that even Paris Hilton wouldn’t be that attention seeking. Um, yeah, like I have Munchausen’s disease by proxy or something simply because I’m taking care of my dog. Water off a duck’s back, water off a duck’s back… I also understood what the Mandarin speaking people in the park meant. After all, pointing is a universal gesture. It is sooooo hard to ignore such reactions all the time. I actually try to avoid walking Lil on weekends in the afternoon because it gets pretty congested in our neighbourhood. I usually get up early and take her before most people are out of bed because it spares me the uninformed judgment and corresponding rise in blood pressure. Summer is tough for me because there will be people everywhere, and I’ll have to keep my chin up and put one foot in front of the other, no matter what they say.

These people are the reason I started this blog. I wanted to have a forum to explain to people that it’s ok to preserve their dog’s quality of life as they age. Why should I keep Lilith indoors all the time when she can walk for 45 minutes? She needs a few periods of rest in the stroller in order to walk that much, but she can still do it. Why shouldn’t she be given the chance? She loves to smell the sea air and bunny hop on the grass. Walking keeps her fit and happy, and contrary to what some people think, she’s not in misery, but she sure would be if I stopped walking her. 

The tragedy of life is not death, but what we let die inside of us while we live – Norman Cousins

I just want to say that quite a few people applaud mine and Lil's combined efforts, and I greatly appreciate them. 

Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't very fuzzy

Ophelia has always been very attached to me. Maybe it's because she only had me for company for the first decade of her life. I don't know, but she has not been impressed since I went back to work after Spring Break. She's been so unimpressed that she's started ripping out her fur. This is nothing new (she's done this after every school holiday for years), but this time, she's got a HUGE bald spot on her side. 

I read that harp music is supposed to relax cats who suffer from separation anxiety, so I played some for Princess O yesterday when I went to work. Lo and behold, there was no fur on the couch when I returned home. The only problem is that I misplaced my remote control for the stereo, so can't seem to put the CD on repeat. I guess I'll try the radio today. I wonder if Ophelia will prefer country music or soft rock? 

Don't shed in bed please!!

 

Tough stuff :-)

Lilith and I did a full on 10K yesterday! Well, I did. She did about 5K and rode along quite happily in her dogger for the rest of our walk. However, since I find it helps me to focus on what she can do, rather than what she can't, today's post is a celebration of Lilith's strength, determination, and endurance. Go Lilith!

Taking a breather at Siwash Rock

Tired but happy :-)

Gift Ideas for your Senior Pet

·          We just celebrated Ophelia's birthday last month, and that has inspired me to share some gift ideas with you. Here goes:

    

    * orthopedic pet bed

    * dogger stroller

    * orthopedic pad for the dogger

    * traction socks...make a great stocking stuffer

    * glucosamine treats or other treats

    * a jacket or sweater for older pets who may feel the cold more

    * winter boots to protect paws from the cold and salt

    * a yoga mat to prevent sliding around while eating on hardwood floors

    * a pet photography session

    * chicken flavoured toothpaste and a toothbrush

    * nail clippers so you can do your own grooming

    * a brush

    * dog massage lessons or a session with a professional

    * a bottle of cod liver oil (helps with arthritis)

    * reflective gear: leashes, collars, clothing

    * a step stool to help your pet get onto the bed or couch

    Here are some of the more unusual things I've bought the girls: 

Try not to laugh too hard. I bought this for Lilith so that she would be warm when we go to the stables. It was the only outfit I could find with full front legs and a lilttle hood. Sigh, I know what you're thinking... OK, the cuteness factor played a role, too.

I borrowed this from Lil for approximately 30 seconds. Ophelia looks thrilled, doesn't she? Toothpaste is this little girl's favourite gift.

    

    I have also been known to dress Lilith up and take her to the nursing home around the holidays. She doesn't stress over it as long as she's near me, and she brings so much joy to her fellow seniors! 

Lil wearing her Santa suit and traction socks

Trauma for the Mama - update II

I don't know whether the cartrophen has finally kicked in, or if I have the fortekor to thank, but yesterday, Lilith walked for about forty minutes! I took her on a two hour stroll on the seawall, and she was working it. Her back legs were functioning in unison with her front ones, and she was able to go for fairly long stretches in between buggy rides. 

Ophelia is also doing well these days. She isn't eating as much as usual, and has lost a pound, but I'm not going to panic yet because she's still adjusting to her new food. She's acting pretty happy, and has even been playing lately! 

 

Is that your final answer?

Someone asked me recently if I would ever adopt another senior animal. I gave it some thought, and the answer is...drumroll, please...yes, just not for a while. Adopting a senior pet takes a lot of courage because when you lose a pet, it's the emotional equivalent of having your fingernails ripped out, and you know that it's going to happen sooner as opposed to later. Not only is there the emotional factor to consider, but then there's the cost. Senior pets require frequent trips to the vet, medication, special equipment (such as strollers and ramps) etc. Take it from me: that can be really stress-inducing sometimes.

I've loved my experience with the girls, but my next pets will be younger. Life is good chez moi most of the time, but I have days where I'm emotionally exhausted, and I want to spend many years with a pet before having to face the challenges of aging again. Oh, and I want pet insurance next time around! That said, the bottom line remains that I would adopt a senior pet again. They have so much to offer, and are usually pretty relaxed little buddies. Lilith has brought so much joy into my life that I can't even describe it, but it's still a huge responsibility to care for a senior pet, and I want a reprieve for a while next time. 

Blessed is the person who has earned the love of an old dog 
- Sydney Jeanne Seward

P.S. I should mention that I consider "senior" over the age of 12. I would take a 7 year old, no problem. 

Trauma for the Mama - update

It turns out that Lil's wipeout wasn't caused by her arthritis. The vet said that her heart murmur has worsened, and it was probably a syncopal episode (in normal words: she passed out for a few moments because her blood pressure dropped). Her howling was most likely due to panic caused by disorientation. I guess that would explain why she stopped howling the moment I picked her up. Sigh...never a dull moment. We got some fortekor for her heart, and I sure hope it works because I never want her to have another one of those episodes again. 

Taking a well-earned rest after a nice long walk in the sunshine <3

 

Trauma for the Mama

It can be pretty tough watching someone you love do hand to paw combat with arthritis. For quite some time, I've been in Lil's corner, regularly plying her with cod liver oil and glucosamine. Lately, that hasn't been enough, so we've just started doing weekly cartrophen injections. I sure hope they work because Lil had another wipeout this week. It hasn't happened since November, but basically, she fell, arched her back, and howled in pain. Then, she lost control of her bladder. She got over it in about two minutes, but I'm still a little traumatized. The vet says cartrophen takes about a month to start working, so we have about 10 days left. Fingers crossed...

Ophelia has her paws crossed for her sister

I protected my little friend when she was charged by a Canada Goose, I jumped in front of her when an irresponsible cyclist almost ran her over, and I had her back when a raccoon tried to take a swipe at her. I wish I could jump in the ring and fight this beast for Lil, but I can't. That really sucks. I did, however, buy her an orthopaedic bed from the good people at dogquality.com last year. It quickly became an integral part of our treatment regimen. She's had way more pep in her step when she first wakes up since we bought it, and it actually cost less than her previous bed. Go figure. 

Anyway, stay tuned for an update...

Lil's smile seems to indicate that she likes her bed :-)

 

 

 

Love in an Elevator

Lilith and I in the elevator

Caring for Lilith in her frailer years has taught me how strong I am capable of being, as well as how much I can adapt when I'm thrown multiple curveballs at once. The elevator has been a source of several curveballs. 

#1: Lil's vision isn't what it used to be, so she can't quite judge how much hopping is required to clear the gap. Her hind legs have fallen in the shaft as a result. Scary stuff, let me tell you!

#2: Lil has never lived in a building with an elevator, so going outside has gone from simple (open door, squat, pee) to not so simple (walk through hallway, wait for elevator, travel in elevator, walk outside, squat, pee). The lack of simplicity has resulted in several attempts to pee on the floor.

#3: She can smell other dogs in the elevator, so she sometimes mistakes it for the bathroom. This is undesirable for obvious reasons. 

Lil's issues don't have anything to do with her bladder. She can still hold it for quite some time before she feels the need to drop it like it's hot. We of the walnut bladders are majorly envious. Still, her confusion necessitated some action, so I started picking her up and carrying her outside. (If she was bigger, I would have tried a wagon). Often, when making adjustments to our routine, I go through a fair amount of trial and error, but in this case, carrying her was the first thing I tried. Phew! 

Now we have elevator snuggles. Sometimes she rests her head on my shoulder and just looks at me. It's so sweet! And as an added bonus, we both get some relief. Ahhh...