Seeing The Not Too Distant Future

  Mosby is now the old man of Hillcroft.  He will be 12 in July and has all the characteristics of a senior dog.  He had slowed down in the last year or so, but didn't really show his age until lately.  Once he stepped on that path, though, it seems he is rapidly heading towards his final months.
   The gray is starting to cover his muzzle and face, his eyes are cloudy and his hearing is not sharp.  Often, he has weakness in his back legs and he acts as if his joints bother him.  He's lost weight, even though he eats every meal.  His appetite is not alway strong so it may take him longer to eat his food, often needing encouragement to finish.
  Mosby still enjoys going outside and socializing with the other dogs.  He likes to sniff around the trees in the back yard and doze in the sunshine in the recent, spring-like weather.  Sometimes, he'll even break into a trot as we go back and forth to the kennel!
 But, a recent development is that Mosby is showing signs of dementia.  It started about a month ago with periods of restlessness and barking, about mid morning.  Even though Claire and Lauren are in the house with Mosby, we realized that he felt alone.  This was easily solved by turning on the tv.  Either the voices or the movement comforted Mosby as he would watch for awhile, then go soundly to sleep.
  Lately, Mosby has become worse, needing a very rigid routine to make him comfortable.  Since the kennel is what he knows best, that's where he heads if given the opportunity when something out of the norm happens.  When Lauren jostled him   as we came inside to see if food was left in his bowl, he immediately made a u-turn and ran out the open door, going to the kennel.  The same thing happened when a mop I had left by the back door got knocked over and landed on Mosby as he was coming inside.
  When these incidents happen, Mosby goes into a complete panic and is so frantic that he doesn't respond to me or seem to recognize me.  It's so hard to see him like this when he's always been such a happy, carefree dog.  It brings back a memory of our trip home from Clarion with Mosby, when we made a puppy potty stop.  I had Mosby on a long lead and he was running to me after I called him.  I heard a woman say nearby, "look how that puppy loves her"!
  I need to concentrate on memories like that and help Mosby cope with his aging body and mind.  While the recent developments are happening more frequently, we have many more normal days.  We know what makes Mosby comfortable and happy and if that means more time in the kennel as it gets warmer, rather than in the house with us, well, so be it.  We always treasure every day we get with our seniors!

Happy Birthday, Sophie!

  Sophie is now thirteen years old!  This is new territory for us, as we've never had a collie go past twelve.  We take one day at a time with our senior girl and enjoy every minute of it!  Sophie has good days and then some moments that make us realize she won't be with us forever.  She seems to have lost her hearing and sometimes is easily knocked off balance.  But, Saturday, she ran along the fence line as I drove down the driveway!  Her gait looked awkward and I was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop without crashing into a bush or tree, but her tail was wagging and her eyes were shining with happiness.
  We celebrated the birthday milestone with doggy blueberry muffins for everybody.  The birthday girl got full size muffins while everyone else got the mini's.  What a hit!  I think the dogs would like philosophy of  the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland and celebrate the un-birthdays, too, and have muffins every day!

The muffins are ready--let the party begin!

Sophie enjoying her birthday dinner and muffins.

Checking for an overlooked crumb or two.

The look on her face seems to say, "There's no more"?  But, her bowl is very clean!

Healing Waters?

  I have blogged before about our senior dogs, Ben and Sophie.  They are now 12 1/2 and we know that every day we have with them is a gift.  They have good days and bad days and Ben, especially, has started with longer cycles of bad days.  We watch them carefully for signs that it is time to say good-bye, but are always relieved when that decision can be put off for at least one more day.
  Ben and Sophie spend quite a bit of time sleeping, have difficulty getting up, their balance can be unsteady, their appetite inconsitent and Sophie is unable to spend a long night inside without an accident. A few weeks ago, their difficulties were very apparent and severe.  With a heavy heart, I thought it was time to take Ben to the vet, with Sophie to follow very soon after. 
  When that last day comes, I always give the dog a bath and a good grooming if possible.  It gives me quality time with the dog, a chance to say good bye privately and lets them cross over with the dignity they deserve.  After deciding that it was time to make arrangements for Ben in the upcoming week, I spent the week-end trimming nails, brushing and then bathing Ben and Sophie.  They can't tolerate long times on the grooming table, so over the course of the two days, many short sessions were needed to finish the brushing.  By dinner on Sunday, they looked like the show dogs they used to be!  They had a spring to their step and a sparkle in their eye.  I felt good, knowing they were comfortable and we had had good, final days.
  Monday was a surprise!  Ben and Sophie greeted me at the door of their room in the morning, eager for breakfast.  Ben finished his and was looking for more!  The walk to the kennel was energetic and they were interested in visiting the other dogs.  I began to think I could wait another week before calling the vet.  In the days that followed, it was if time was reversing itself.  Both dogs ate their meals every day, greeted us enthusiastically, even started playing!  When I would let the rest of the dogs out in the play yards, they would trot over to the fence and watch the activity.  Sometimes, they would bark with the rest of the dogs as the deer would come out of the woods and cross the property. 
  I'm not sure why Ben and Sophie are suddenly doing so well, but I'm certainly not complaining!  Could the baths have had healing properties?  If so, I wish it would work as well for my own aches and pains!