A Dog in Winter
Things aren't going so well for Montgomery. At least his flu seems to be getting better. I have been hiding his antibiotic in pieces of bread.
His "hip dysplasia"* has not resolved itself. After reading up on it, I guess I have to believe the vet. They did give him two Xrays and said they saw it there. It's just wierd. I expected it to gradually get worse, not have it hit practically overnight. When I said that to the vet-lackey, she said I was "lucky" we haven't seen signs of it earlier. Dope.
He hates moving anywhere, and only does so very slowly and carefully. He looks like he's in pain doing it. He has been staying on the couch 24/7, watching Animal Planet. I have to nudge him to get him to leave the couch to go outside or eat. He's barely eating anything. I've been hand feeding him a few pieces of food at a time. I made him go out, then put his food bowl on the first stair step. I knew he had to stop there. It worked. He ate half a bowl.
When I took him out this afternoon, he sat down in the grass and looked happy. He was like an old man on a rocking chair, just happy to sit and feel the wind and reflect. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow. I'm going to leave the backdoor open and nudge him out to the deck. Maybe he'll stay there all day.
He's a good boy. I'm going to miss him when he's gone.
Mrs Schwartz is going to be inconsolable.
*I put that in quotes because I still have my doubts.
His "hip dysplasia"* has not resolved itself. After reading up on it, I guess I have to believe the vet. They did give him two Xrays and said they saw it there. It's just wierd. I expected it to gradually get worse, not have it hit practically overnight. When I said that to the vet-lackey, she said I was "lucky" we haven't seen signs of it earlier. Dope.
He hates moving anywhere, and only does so very slowly and carefully. He looks like he's in pain doing it. He has been staying on the couch 24/7, watching Animal Planet. I have to nudge him to get him to leave the couch to go outside or eat. He's barely eating anything. I've been hand feeding him a few pieces of food at a time. I made him go out, then put his food bowl on the first stair step. I knew he had to stop there. It worked. He ate half a bowl.
When I took him out this afternoon, he sat down in the grass and looked happy. He was like an old man on a rocking chair, just happy to sit and feel the wind and reflect. It's supposed to be nice tomorrow. I'm going to leave the backdoor open and nudge him out to the deck. Maybe he'll stay there all day.
He's a good boy. I'm going to miss him when he's gone.
Mrs Schwartz is going to be inconsolable.
*I put that in quotes because I still have my doubts.
Labels: K-9 children
posted by Exador at
10:12 PM
10 Comments:
Fluff Bucket is part Husky. I've been told that this hip dyslexia shit is almost inevitable in Husky mixes. Shit. I'm not looking forward to watching her suffer.
How old is Montgomery?
By
Plimco, at 4:43 AM
He's 9. I was surprised to read that the hip dysplasia starts when they are less than a year old. I always thought of it as an old dog disease.
He was pretty bad this morning. I had to push him to get him to go anywhere. I pushed him out onto the deck. He sat there for about two minutes, then came back inside and got on the couch.
By
Exador, at 4:57 AM
I need to stop reading your posts about your dogs. They always make me cry.
Are you giving him baby asprin as a pain killer? I know it's not "good" for them, but he's nine and not eating. It might make him more comfortable.
God, it sucks and I'm sorry you guys are going through this.
By
Aunt B, at 5:09 AM
Is there any preventative action you can take? Fluff Bucket's 2.
At least he has the run of the couch. He's like a sultan, living out his final years in the lap of luxury. Maybe he'd eat some bacon if you made some for him...
By
Plimco, at 6:03 AM
Follow the link I have here. It talks about preventions. They say you can do the most good within the first year, but there's other stuff too.
I'm assuming, with a name like fluff bucket, it's not a big dog, you you are probably ok.
I've been giving him the anti-infammatories that my doctor prescribed for my gout. The problem is that I'm close to being out of them. If I call my doctor for more, I'm afraid he's going to want me to come in for more gout treatments.
By
Exador, at 6:43 AM
Fluff Bucket is GIANT. She could eat Montgomery for breakfast. Buckets can be big. (That's not her real name. I think I told you her real name once when we were singing the Oh Mandy song...)
I had no idea gout was so common! First Aunt B's dad, now you. I thought it was one of those diseases like scurvy that people make fun of now because no one gets anymore.
By
Plimco, at 7:10 AM
Try the baby asprin, then. We used to give it to our dachshund and it seemed to help.
Plus, you need your medicine. How will you minister to the women of the world if you're in pain? We need your healing touch and you can't be effectively laying hands on anyone if you're feeling miserable. Keep yourself healthy, man!
By
Aunt B, at 7:12 AM
Plimco, my dad didn't actually have gout. His doctor's just a moron.
By
Aunt B, at 7:13 AM
As long as I stay away from hobo-esque drinking, the gout is not a problem.
By the way, B, my Wolverine-like recuperative superpowers have already healed my ankle.'
NYA!
By
Exador, at 7:37 AM
I have closed my office door so that, if my hands start to wander as I consider the benefits of Wolverine-like recuperative superpowers, no one will notice.
Mmmm.
By
Aunt B, at 7:48 AM
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