Tuesday 1 February 2011

Rain, lazy days, and a sick dog

We’ve had a fair amount of rain lately, but the temperature has been warm.  It keeps us house bound or should I say RV bound.  But between, books, TV and computer we’re not bored.  Rain is in the forecast on and off over the next few days.  Today cabin fever has set in and we’re headed off to the store.

On Saturday night I discovered Maggie sleeping out in the living room on the couch in the middle of the night.  She never does that, prefers to sleep on her memory foam mattress in the bedroom.  Found that odd and I don’t like it when our animals do something ‘different’.  It’s always a warning sign.  Sure enough the next morning, she did not want to go out and ate her breakfast only with some coaxing.  And it took her several tries.  Ken finally got her outside to do her business, but she really didn’t want to go out.  She seemed to be having a difficult time putting her head down to sleep.  She’d put it down then up again like it was making her dizzy.  It worries me to death when one of them is ill.  And Maggie is getting on in years and has been a worry now for several years since she required cruciat surgery 4 years ago and then the other leg 2 years ago.  I knew she felt like a bag of ‘who know what’.  Now I know it might seem odd to some people, but she also suffers from heartburn (go figure) and has to take Zantac once a day.  And she takes various supplements for her arthritis.  We call her our ‘Six Million $ Dog’.  So I’m wondering What Now?  I gave her a Gravol and when it took effect I could see she felt a little better and was able to finally put her head down and sleep soundly.  She was a tad better the next day, didn’t want her breakfast but was interested in biscuits.  Gave her another Gravol and she slept most of the day away.  Ken took her out a couple times by herself and she just did her business and came back in.  By end of day yesterday she looked much better.  She did spend the night on her own bed though.  This morning she needed no encouragement from Ken to go for their morning walk.  Came back ate her breakfast and appears to be her old self.  So I am hoping it was a one off thing.  She has had this sort of thing before but not quite so severe.  Like Al said ‘it’s sad watching our best friends age’.  Where they once used to run and jump they now just saunter.  They give us so much love and joy and ask nothing in return, except maybe a belly rub or scratch behind the ears, and of course a treat now and then, mostly now.  They steal our hearts and just never seem to let go of them.  There is always a place in my heart for those critters that I have loved and lost.  Always.
She looks every bit her 11 years in this picture..
PICT0004

Anyhow that’s enough of that as I’m getting all teary.

Hard to believe that it’s almost 1 month ago that we left home.  I know one of my sister’s will tell you that it seems like many months.  Unfortunately she couldn’t join Ken and I and my other sister and her husband in Myrtle Beach this year.  We’ll be heading over there in another 6 weeks.  For the last few years all of us have spent time there together.  We have a great time.  We’ll really miss you Marlene this year but you’re never far from our thoughts.

Until later..take care.

4 comments:

  1. You are so right about the furry kid's, our last yellow/husky mix Duke,made it to 14, he was the dog, Donna got put in her arms at a WalMart by a young girl with a box of pups and begged to please lady give him a good home.This was just after Sam's Police Shepherd had been killed and he was still in mourning and had said not anpother for awhile,Duke turned out to be the perfect medicine and grew into a 110lb monster and just a great dog. Now we have a black lab Rigg's, 100lbs and just a big gentle Ben that I don't think is ever going to stop being a puppy he is over two now and still going like a 3 month old. Hope Maggie stays with you for many more years,they are just so loving and loyal.Be safe out there. Sam & Donna.

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  2. I think slight bouts of food poisoning from time to time amongst humans & animals alike is something often overlooked. With the short 'not feeling well' stage with Maggie it could have been something she ate that just had to work it's way through the system. I think we have all had a touch of those not feeling well days. Hopefully that is all it was. I sure know how you feel & the concern felt. Our 3 guys are all 13 & we just have our fingers crossed every day now hoping they, & we, will be spared the ravages & & long suffering side of aging.

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  3. Maggie is a beautiful dog!..our boy, Tucker had a few days like you just experienced..don't know what the cause was but it 'was coming out both ends'..not a pretty sight..he is back to his old self now..thank goodness..It is difficult when they are not feeling well..if only they could tell us what 'ails them'!..
    Hope she is back to her usual self soon!...

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  4. Strange that I should read this just as our guest dog is having about of diarrhea and trouble sleeping. I thought,as Al suggests, that it might be something she ate.

    I hope they all feel better soon!

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