Tale #1
I called and got an appointment to take B in for x-rays on Friday, Sept 18, the soonest I could get him in. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that his limping is nothing serious. We went for a short walk yesterday after I got home from work, and by the time we were through, he could barely walk. Then last night he was very restless. Normally he sleeps all night through, but last night, about 3:30 he got up on the bed and wanted me to pet him. He went back to sleep next to me after I petted him for about 10 minutes, but it was very uncharacteristic of him to do that…I don’t know what it means, but of course my imagination is running wild. But this morning he seemed just fine...he wasn't limping and he ate his morning treat just like normal…so we shall see.
Tale #2
Sunday my mom called and said she thought her dog Dusty needed to “be with Dad.” (Mom has/had two dogs, Dusty and Bonnie.) So Monday, Labor Day, I drove down to her house and we took Dusty to the emergency vet and had her euthanized.
Dusty, who was about 8 years old, had a lot of physical and mental problems throughout her life, and my parents had spent a lot of time and money trying to figure out what was wrong with that dog, without much success. In the past few weeks, Dusty had gotten so she couldn’t walk very well because her back legs had gotten very weak, but she was also so vicious that she was really scary. And this wasn’t a new thing…this was a dog that hadn’t been petted by anyone for years (except my dad), because she would bite you if you touched her. And she had actually bitten my mom several times when she tried to give her a pill or put her on a leash or whatever. I don’t know why my mom put up with it for as long as she did, except because Dusty had been my dad’s dog, I think Mom was trying to hold onto a bit of Dad in Dusty. And that dog went into the afterlife just as mean and ornery as she had been in life…she tried to bite the vet techs and the vet even after being given a sedative to calm her down before the final goodbye.
You all know what a dog-lover I am, but I am very relieved that Dusty is gone. I was worried that she was going to really hurt my mom or Bonnie. I called Mom yesterday and she is doing just fine, so although she cried over it, I think she is secretly relieved too.
Tale #3
As I was going to work this morning, I saw a small black dog get hit by a car about 3 cars ahead of me. The dog got up and kept running, so apparently it wasn’t hurt too badly. The car that hit it kept going like nothing happened, although since the dog kept running I guess there really wasn’t much they could do. I drove down the street in the direction that the dog ran, but I couldn’t find anything. I can’t get this out of my mind…I do hope that that little dog is okay.
Sorry to post such downer stuff, but that’s about all that’s been happening in my world...I hope everyone is having a better day than I am!
Boy, you are having some dog tales. I hope B is okay and just needs some extra TLC :)
ReplyDeleteThis post breaks my heart into a million pieces. I wonder if B might be showing Lyme disease symptoms. I wouldn't wait so long, I'd get an emergency appointment because the treatment is better diagnosed when symptoms are present. And poor terrified Dusty. I'm glad her life is no longer such a distress for her and everyone. And a dog hit by a car is never OK. The adrenaline in their system keeps them going, but that dog certainly has internal injuries and probably bled to death. I think I need a shot of whiskey now. And it is only Wednesday!
ReplyDeleteIt certainly does seem strange so many dog things happening in your life.
ReplyDeleteDusty reminds me of Misty, a cocker spaniel my mom inherited from my flakey brother several years ago. The dog had behavior problems and tried to bite my mom more than once. One time my mom fell down in the garage and Misty stood over her baring her teeth at her like she was going to attack. Keep in mind my mother was sweetest, kindest little lady you'd ever meet, and she loved animals. My mom was in Fairbanks, I was here. Even though my brother and sister live in Fairbanks my mom called me and said get on a plane now and come here and get rid of this dog before she kills me. I did, had her put to sleep (the dog, not my mom :).
Anyway, I'm certain Buster doesn't have cancer. It's just a feeling I have, but it doesn't sound like cancer to me. I'm not a vet, but have had several pets with cancer. It really sounds like arthritis. How old is Buster? However, I'd definitely get a second opinion.
Oh - and I just remembered - there's a really great holistic vet in Bellevue. When my most favorite cat in the world had cancer and the regular vet wanted to put her to sleep immediately, I went to Dr. Sodhi for a second opinion. He put her on some herbal medicine and she lived another year and was totally fine for that year. Not that Buster will have cancer, but I was thinking of this vet for the arthritis. He's really good. His name is Dr. Sodhi at the Animal Wellness Center in Bellevue. He'll work with a regular vet and do a combination of regular medicine and herbal treatments. He's very thorough in the exam, and spent a lot of time going over the options with me. He doesn't believe in invasive surgery. I was completely impressed by him.
Poor little Buster. Sending him some TLC.
ReplyDeleteDusty sounds like she was quite the joy. Sorry for your parents to lose their dog, ornery or not it's tough.