Gracefully Aging

Aging Gracefully

I was told ONE YEAR ago that my beautiful little dog, MANDA didn’t have much time left. At that time, she was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and depression (over her best buddy, Russ passing away). We went through a series of medications to find a balance.

Her diagnosis has worsened in the last 12 months. She now has an enlarged heart, collapsing trachea and her liver, kidney and potassium levels have changed. She now has arthritis too. She has even made me a believer of the effectiveness of acupuncture!

Manda has a great attitude. She gets up everyday DEMANDING breakfast. She eats three or four meals everyday. She still loves to go outside and go for a walk. She now has to stay on a leash because her eyesight is so terrible.

She has to be carried up and down steps because of her eyesight and because of her arthritis. She patiently waits to be picked up.

Instead of sleeping on the bed with us, she sleeps on her own special pillows beside the bed. Manda still surprises us occasionally by jumping on the bed to say goodnight.

She is now on medication every 8 hours around the clock. She thinks it is a treat and is so excited as I’m opening medicine bottles and hiding the pills in a bite of something yummy.

Manda sleeps more than she did when she was younger. She has a lot more white than she use to and she still holds onto being the alpha dog in the home.

She doesn’t like to be groomed anymore. It’s a battle we only tackle when necessary.

Manda still runs and greets me when I walk in the room. She gets so excited that it usually results in a coughing episode.

She doesn’t hear very well but doesn’t let it stand in her way. She still spins in circles. Her tail still wags.

Manda traveled with us over the Christmas holiday and she still enjoyed it. It was amazing to see her enjoy being with us just like she’s done all of her life.

I believe my 16 ½ year old dog is aging gracefully. I believe she is happy. I believe she is not in pain or suffering. I understand and am accepting her health is declining.

She still has a job to do. She’s still part of our little family. We give her the best nutrition and diet possible. There’s a lot of great foods on the market and a lot of terrible foods on the market. We feed Blue Buffalo Dog Food. It has nutrients in it that helps fight toxins and is packed full of quality ingredients.

Manda needs more care than she use to need when she was younger. Manda is loved and I believe she knows she is loved. I expected her to pass a long time ago and am thankful she’s still around!
After all the years she has loved me and served me, it’s my turn to be sure to give her plenty of respect and love. I try not to leave her out. I try to make sure Manda knows she is needed and loved and valued as part of our little family!

Can you imagine having that many things wrong with you and still having a good attitude, being happy and loving? She could have a lot of reasons to stay in bed, give up or be grumpy!

24

I’ve tried for a while to come up with a title for this blog. Nothing seems to fit. I hope you find the blog interesting despite the lack of a great title.

Marty & I make time to watch 24 nearly every MONDAY night. We’re looking forward to the 2 hour special which is right around the corner.

Ned, our pointer collie mix hates the show. He can’t lay in his bed like he normally would do when we watch something. He paces the floor until we get tired of seeing him pace and tell him to go to bed. At that time, he goes to the bedroom and covers up in bed. Yes, he actually covers up!

I wonder if Ned has any idea how much he has it made. He’s one lucky dog. He’s treated very well. For the last few years, I’ve found and been feeding him food that is full of quality ingredients and nutrients. He lives inside with us. He does his outdoor business really quick on cold days like we’ve had this week. He’s treated better than some people treat their kids. He actually listens and has better manners than some kids I’ve met.

There’s been stories on the news this week about dogs dying because they’re left outside with no shelter. There’s been humane society workers rescuing dogs and saving them from a painful death. The shelters are now overflowing with dogs. These dogs are in need of a home where the new “pet parent” has the time, energy and money necessary.

It takes as much time as you’re willing to give. Bringing a dog into your life is a big deal. It’s a lifetime commitment. It takes energy even when you don’t have any to give. It takes some money. They have needs just like you and I. They never ask for brand name anything and I believe their needs are fairly basic.

I grew up with dogs not being permitted in the house. My dog had a nice wooden structure called a dog house outside. She also was given HAY in her house in the winter time. This HAY was changed frequently so it was always dry for her. Her dog house even had a little flap hanging over the entrance to keep the elements from blowing in and making her wet and cold. She was provided shelter.

I can remember begging my parents to let me bring my dog inside when I’d see these horrible weather reports on the news. On occasion, they’d let me bring her into the utility room/mud room/back porch just for the overnight hours. The funniest thing is….the dog was so happy when daylight came and she got to run back outside into the cold!

We all have different opinions and styles of taking care of and loving our pets. As long as it is done, that’s all that matters!

I can’t believe the stories I’ve seen of dogs just roaming on a chain or roaming in a fenced backyard with absolutely no shelter. They lay on the cold ground, lay on a concrete porch and their water buckets are frozen.

These are animals that God made. I believe it is our responsibility to care for them. I also believe they are a wonderful gift that God has given us!!!

mean people!

I went to the pharmacy this week to pick up a new medication. The pharmacy assistant picked it up, read the label and began snickering.

She said loudly across the room to her co-workers and the pharmacist “she’s buying “blah blah blah” for a dog”. The staff all laughed. The pharmacist laughed and said “you’ll want to keep it near a door”. My heart sank as everyone had a rude laugh. I was fighting back tears and decided to just laugh with them instead of crying.

How can someone be so insensitive? I obviously love my pet if I’m going to spend money purchasing meds for her. I believe it is my responsibility to care for the creatures God has put in my life. He created them. Would He want any less for His creations? My pets have been through a lot with me. They’ve been loyal companions all of their lives. How could I turn my back on them when they need me the most?

“blah blah blah” represents a big long name that I can’t pronounce or spell. We’ve have difficulty finding meds that my little dog can tolerate. This specific pill is over $1.00 per pill. For those who are great at math, I paid $10.98 for 10 pills. Fortunately, Manda is a small dog and takes 1/4 of a pill twice daily.

Unfortunately, she’s not tolerating this pill well either. I can assure you, if the veterinarian doesn’t have her next med in stock, we’ll go to another pharmacy.

You’ve heart stories about all of the dogs I’ve loved. Most of you have heard about the dog mentioned in this blog. She’s my oldest dog, Manda and she is in declining health. She’s the little fluffy one in the pictures. She’s now 16 and has an enlarged heart, grade 6/6 murmur, a collapsing trachea, elevated liver and kidney values. She still eats, drinks, greets us with a spin and a wag, plays and is alert even with diminished vision and hearing.

Manda, my princess, my baby,
she’s bossy, she’s demanding,
she’s high maintenance and worth it,
Manda doesn’t give up, she keeps a good attitude,
Manda is so strong, Manda fights for what she wants,
there’s a lot of life lessons I’ve learned from Manda.