Posted by charlene on October 16, 2008
I talked to Desi’s vet about his restlessness during the day and wanting his dinner at 1 pm! I am wondering if feeding him 3x’s daily would help him manage his confused state re. meals. I would not give him any more; I would take his daily ration and divide it into 3 meals a day.That is one of the good things about working from home, I have more flexibility than many people.The Proin has not been 100% successful, we are taking specific steps to manage his life, making sure he gets outside on a leash, leading him to the most fragrant bushes in the backyard that are hit by the other two dogs on a regular basis. We have increased the anipryl by 1/2 tablet, so we are waiting and watching…….
Posted by charlene on
We all end with senior pets through many avenues.Some come to us as puppies, some a bit older, but the ones that pull at my heart are the older pets who end up in shelters. You’ve heard the grim statistics about the small percentage that are ever adopted, I won’t go onto that today, but I came across this poem about the value of older dogs up for adoption and the hope you can bring into their lives. Unfortunately, I have no idea where I got the poem from so I can’t give credit where credit is due. It is poignant, but filled with love and hope from a dog’s viewpoint.
ONE BY ONE….
One by One, they pass my cage,
Too old, too worn, too broken, no way.
Way past his time, he can’t run and play.
Then they shake their heads slowly and go on their way.
A little old man, arthritic and sore,
It seems I am not wanted anymore.
I once had a home, I once had a bed,
A place that was warm, and where I was fed.
Now my muzzle is grey, and my eyes slowly fail.
Who wants a dog so old and frail?
My family decided I didn’t belong,
I got in their way, my attitude was wrong.
Whatever excuse they made in their head,
Can’t justify how they left me for dead.
Now I sit in this cage, where day after day,
The younger ones get adopted away.
When I had almost come to the end of my rope,
You saw my face and I finally had hope.
You saw through the gray, and the legs bent with age,
And I felt I still had life beyond this cage.
You took me home, gave me food and a bed,
And shared your own pillow with my poor, tired head.
We snuggle and play, and you talk to me low,
You love me so dearly, you want me to know.
I may have lived most of my life with another,
But you outshine them with a love so much stronger.
And I promise to return to return all the love I can give,
To you, my dear person, as long as I live.
I may be with you a week or fur years,
We will share many smiles, you will no doubt shed tears.
And when the time comes that God deems I must leave, I know you will
cry and your heart,it will grieve.
And when I arrive at the Bridge, all brand new,
My thoughts and my heart will still be with you.
And I will brag to all who will hear,
Of the person who made my last days so dear.
Senior pets still have so much to offer us, no matter what their age. The love and the wisdom garnered over the years. Let’s not forget loyalty that knows no limits. There is a saying around rescue workers: a rescue dog is eternally grateful. I sincerely believe that from the bottom of my heart.
Posted by charb1 on October 10, 2008
I included these questions in my October newsletter and I’d love to have you share your answers with my other blog readers. To answer, please click on the word Comments just below this posting to see what others have written and to make any comments you’d like to.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF???
With the sagging economy and bleak forecast, I have great compassion for people and
their pets who are caught in this foreclosure mess. Having more time on my hands than
usual, I started thinking, “what would I do if?” Before long, my ruminations took on a
sobering tone.
You might ask yourself the same theoretical questions that I posed to myself:
What would you do if…..
1. you couldn’t keep your pets? What lengths would you go to for them?
2. couldn’t afford a good quality or premium grade pet food?
3. couldn’t afford expensive diagnostic tests or procedures for your pet?
4. you had an unruly or disobedient pet? Would you keep it, place it or?
5. had an older pet who the vet advised would need a lot ($$$$) of care to keep
reasonably comfortable?
6. could not afford to spay or neuter you pet?
These are some of the dilemmas pet people face these days. Please post your comments below on what you would do if you were faced with these same problems.
Posted by charb1 on
I just finished - (working with Linda, my wonderful web mistress) - the October edition of Talking-To-Animals newsletter and after one final proofread, off it will go.
As I focus on recuperating from my recent foot procedure (I know, you are all scratching your heads and thinking, again???.) I am very optimistic about this one, but the doctor told me I had to stay off my feet and keep it elevated above my heart level. I have a ski-boot type of thing I wear around the clock and a wheelchair when I have to move from point A to point B. Things are looking up though, I can now take a real shower and not bag my foot and have my husband sit outside the shower. Well, enough about that! My dream is to be able to walk with comfort, walk my wonderful dogs (they are saying to themselves, how many surgeries has our mom had??) Answer: three all total. My dream is to walk with my husband and just go to Costco and walk the store, eating samples as I go.
My biggest complaint is that energy is not really good these first days so I have to cut short many of the things I normally enjoy doing, especially during this time of year. And even with my shortened activities, the doctor said I was doing too much—how can you be doing too much when you are on the bed or in a wheelchair??
My wish is that we all enjoy vibrant health - this includes our beloved pets - up to the point we decide we are ready to move on to our next spiritual destination, and that is what I am spending my energies on right now, make that wish of vibrant health a reality for myself and Desi and I send it to each of you too.
Posted by charlene on October 8, 2008
Although I am limited in being able to use the computer(doctor’s orders) I wanted to bring you up-to-date with how Desi is doing. As I mentioned before, I increased his medication to one whole pill and that seems to be doing the trick. He is a pretty happy camper these days, his main job as always, is keeping an eye on me. I only wish he was not completely deaf, otherwise he could hear the loving ways we talk to him and about him. Yet I know that he understands on a very deep and accepting way–words are not really needed. He knows by the way we look at him, hug him and make accomodations for the losses that he experiences and will continue to experience in the days and weeks ahead. I put a little extra meat in his dinner, give him colostrum to help his immune system. I always make certain he is not suddenly startled. We give him extra attention and are always, always patient when he becomes confused. He has a natural dignity and grace that I truly hope that I have when I get up there in years. Our animals have so much to teach us about life and aging.
How have your pets helped you see a more complete picture of your own life and being more accepting of yourself? Do you see yourself as the warm, loving person that your pet(s) see you as?
Posted by charb1 on October 2, 2008
Greetings!
Although I intended to add more to my blog before now, Mother Nature has a way of surprising us, sometimes in a not appreciated way. As some of you may know, I’ve had a running battle with my Achilles tendon and foot, and I had surgery on it last year. Following surgery I had months of physical therapy but something just was not healing right and the pain was getting worse. My doctor decided I needed another surgery so the healing could commence.
My foot/ankle surgery was Friday, almost a week ago, and I am slowly mending. I can sit in the wheelchair or lie on the bed, which is so much more comfortable. All in all, I feel pretty good, glad it is behind me. Next steps are a walker and intensive physical therapy. I have a pain pump that automatically dispenses medication to my ankle. Modern medicine is pretty amazing, all in all. I’ve also added a wonderful CD, “Celtic Music for Pets”, healing harp music by Margie Butler, to my regimen. I keep it playing softly in the background and find it leaves me with a sense of peace, calm and healing.
For those of you that have posted to my last blog entry, thank you for your openess and willingness to share what you have learned from having and loving a senior pet. Veterinary medicine is marching along at about the same speed as human medicine these days and it is encouraging to see the new treatments available to us.
As I have been more or less immobilized, I have had a lot of time to watch Desi move, sit and lie down. Lying down takes more effort these days for him lately. Animals are quite adaptive in their living skills. He is still my constant companion, always lying down close to me, keeping a watchful eye my way. We are old. dear friends; very comfortable with each other.Phillip and Brooks are close by, but they do take needed play breaks, running and barking in the backyard. Oh to be young again!
On a good note regarding Desi, my vet mailed me a bottle of Proin, a prescription of phenylpropanolamine in a chewable form. We are starting out with 1/2 of a 50 mg. tablet. Desi’s incontinence is time and location specific, thank goodness. It is not the leaking or dribbling type so far. Once I can drive and am a little more ambulatory I will begin acupuncture treatments as I have with the other senior dogs we have had. What we give our older pets is the gift of love, compassion and the best health possible for them. At this point in their lives and in our lives as well.
Update with Desi
