I hate to say it, but our dog is getting old. He has trouble getting up and down. He moves slower than he used to. He doesn't want to play ball anymore. He has a tumor. What else? Oh, he hacks a lot too. It just eats me up inside to see his health slowly decline as he gets older. The vet says he have a "few more good years" left on him. In fact, he is pretty old considering he is a large breed. He is almost 13!
In his days, he's crossed the Mississippi more than most people. He's lived in three different states, been camping numerous times, and been on every vacation we've ever went on. It saddens me to think that this might be the last vacation he gets to go on. When his time comes, it will be a sad time for all in my house. The kids have known no other pet! Fish don't count.
I've already had a scare, thinking he was dead. He wanted out the other night. I crashed on the couch waiting for him to bark to come back in. I woke up at 2:30 and went to check on him. I found him crashed in the middle of the yard. I kept calling his name, louder and louder and he didn't move...at all! I tried to stay calm and tried again to call him, but no dice. The worst thoughts start passing through my brain, I am wide awake, half shaking, half crying trying to get up the nerve to go out and face the facts and have a moment alone with him before I went to wake up Mr. Wonderful and give him the news. I walked back inside, went to the bathroom, slipped on some shoes and walked back out onto the deck. I thought I would give it one last try so I again called his name, louder and louder, the neighbor dog started barking (good thing I went to the bathroom), but my dog wasn't moving. I was a sobbing mess by the time I walked across the yard and bent down to touch him.
As I put my hand on him, he lifted his head and looked at me all sleepy eyed and flopped it back down. My thoughts went from he's dead to he can't get up. Boy was I wrong! As soon as I started talking to him and rubbing him, he jumped up and went over to the fence and hiked his leg...DAMN DOG! How dare he scare me like THAT!
1 comment:
I just had this about 2 years ago...my sweet Brandon, who was 12..He LOOKED old...but I loved him so...he didn't want to get up from the back yard...and I got the neighor to help load him in the car..I was crying the whole way, when we get to the vet, he jumps out of the car like a damn puppy...geez...but I was still crying and I could hardly talk...I must have looked like a looney in the vet's office...He died at home 2 weeks later...I still miss him
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