Senior Pets
Decision Making in Times of Terror
This morning I was awakened by the annoying screech of an alarm on my phone, which sat inches from my disheveled head. I jerked awake, annoyed. One of my cats jumped off my back, where she sleeps whenever I am splayed in upside-down spread-eagled form. My small dog, who I have suspected as losing his…
Read MoreBailey’s Hills
I almost made it to Bailey’s hills today. I had hip revision surgery six weeks ago and each day I challenge myself to walk farther, with longer strides and more challenging inclines. Just a week ago I was dependent on a friend’s walking sticks to keep my balance. The week before that, I walked with…
Read MoreBailey’s Disappearance
My fourteen-year-old Wheaten Terrier, Bailey, disappeared. Vanished. Melted into thin air. Somewhere in my own house. The panic that gurgled in the back of my brain wrestled with the logic that I knew she had fallen asleep on my bedroom floor last night. She was still there at 3:30 am when I roused for a…
Read MoreThe Littlest Role Model
I recently dog-sat for an elderly Dachshund named Cody. He is one of those dogs that wheedles his way into one’s heart by just being around. Cody is fourteen years old and like most old Dachshunds, has back problems. He has intermittent use of his minuscule and crooked hind legs and is fed a myriad…
Read MoreBrillo’s Not-so-excellent Adventure
Two weeks ago my little Lhasa/ShiTsu/Schnauzer mix dog and I popped into Parkside Animal Health Center in Aurora, Colorado for a routine anal gland expression. Brillo has always needed periodic but regular “cleanings” and on occasion this repugnant duty has resulted in hilarious outcomes (pardon the intentional pun). Shortly after fostering and then adopting Brillo,…
Read MoreTen Years of Extra Life for Jessie
Jessie had never been inside a house. He had never been alone or confined in a small box. He felt growing claustrophobia and was unable to cope with the new sensation of isolation. He panicked in the crate. It took him most of the day, but he managed to chew a hole through the hard…
Read MoreJessie’s Dorsal Laminectomy—Part Nine: First Days at Home
Day One: I became a “helicopter parent” on Jessie’s first day home. Although he mostly slept, I hovered, hoping to answer his every need. I had taken the day off work, even though I work out of my house. I did not want any distraction for myself or noise for him. I turned off my…
Read MoreJessie’s Dorsal Laminectomy–Part Eight: Home Again
A wet snow and cold wind blew my Subaru south to Parker Animal Emergency & Specialty Center, where Jessie awaited me. He was able to return home on his third day of hospitalization and we were all anxious for his company. Both my other dogs, Bailey and Brillo, had moped around the house, uncomprehending and…
Read MoreJessie’s Dorsal Laminectomy–Part Seven: Surgery Eve and Day
The day before Jessie’s surgery we drove to Cherry Creek State Park. I wanted to once again associate the car and the ramp with something positive. I also wanted to walk off some of the budding worry I found creeping into my mind. Jessie’s love of the trails, shallow water along the shoreline, and joy…
Read MoreJessie’s Dorsal Laminectomy–Part Six: The Second Opinion
If I received a recommendation for surgery for myself, I would research options. If no other option besides surgery was feasible, I would seek a second opinion on the type of surgery I might face. I decided to do the same for Jessie. Although I had great trust in Dr. Probst, the results of the…
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