Share the Love - Adopt!

My husband and I recently adopted a new dog. It’s been nearly a year since Sage died, and we’ve felt the tugging for a few months, prompting us to consider bringing another dog into our home. However, we still have Cody, and two cats also call our house ‘home’, therefore, we had to be quite selective as to the personality and age of a new dog. Mary, a half-springer/half-cocker, fit the bill: older, spayed female, raised with cats, calm, attentive and trained, and therapy-pet trained to boot! She and Cody bonded almost instantly, and one of our cats is now also a friend (the other continues to allude and hide, but that flightiness is just part of her temperament). Mary’s former owned died suddenly, and the family needed to find a new home for her, so they turned to a rescue organization for assistance in re-homing her.

Adoption Requires Adaption

Adoption can be turmoil for all involved. I think of the drastic changes in Mary's life, from a loving home of nearly six years, to a foster home to our home. How confusing that must be for a dog! Yet, dogs are resilient, and as along as they are given love, encouragement, attention and acceptance, they do adjust. Just as Sage adapted to her new home and her situation of becoming blind, so Mary is adjusting to a new life with us. Soon, she and I will begin therapy training, becoming partners in helping others, just as she and her former owner did, providing even greater stability and certainty in her life.

Adjustments

Our lives, too, need to adjust. Although there are similarities between Mary and Sage because of the Springer breed, Mary is sighted; and many times when she sees something (person, cat, dog) out the front window, she barks. And, though Cody can also see, he is elderly (nearly 15!) and can no longer jump up on the furniture to look out the window – therefore, his barking is not as frequent. And, being younger than Cody, Mary has more energy – she needs more frequent and longer walks as well as more time in the backyard. We are all adjusting and learning.

Despite the changes, there is greater joy and comfort in our home. Mary loves to snuggle in bed and cuddle on the couch. She lays beside my feet while I'm in my sunroom office and next to my husband's desk in his home office. She has come to trust us, accept us, and bask in the companionship of us and our other pets.

Statistics

Not all homeless pets are as fortunate. Statistics indicate nearly 7 million dogs and cats are turned over to shelters and rescues every year; almost half are euthanized. Yet, millions of people in America are pet owners and spend billions of dollars each year on pet food, supplies, and goodies, including clothing. People love pets!

Share Warmth, Share Love – Adopt!

As spring casts its warmth upon the land, may we who love dogs and cats share the warmth of love with animals in need. Adoption is a beautiful thing, and opening one's heart and home to a pet who needs that love and warmth helps to save lives. Perhaps your heart, like mine, is being tugged to again love a pet... share that love – Adopt! Visit your local shelter or rescue organization or stop by Petfinder.com – your new furry friend just might be a short distance or a click away -- ours was!

 

 

The Sadness and Facts of Aging

My two dogs are seniors, and lately some unexpected health issues have arise. These "conditions" happen with little to no signals, and can shake a pet owner to the core.

In March and again in April, our blind Springer Spaniel, Sage, experienced what appeared to be a stroke. She could not stand up and her eyes began twitching and moving in various directions. We were able to get her into the vet immediately the first time, and there she stayed for nearly four days. The vet diagnosed her with a common condition in older pets, but one that cannot easily be explained as to its cause. It's called Vestibular Syndrome. There are two types: central vestibular disease and peripheral vestibular disease. Central vestibular disease occurs because of an abnormality in the brain, and peripheral occurs because of an abnormality within the nerves of the inner ear. Peripheral is the most common; one could think of it like a bad case of vertigo. Central vestibular syndrome often occurs due to a tumor on the brain. The onset is sudden and makes an owner think the dog is having a stroke; however, canine strokes are very rare.

We hoped Sage's condition was the less of two evils, but when she experiened another "episode" in April, basically one month after the first, we began to believe she may have a brain tumor. The only real way to know if that's the case is to have a CATSCAN or MRI done, so we decided to just wait and see if she experienced another episode. The second time she had one, it didn't last as long, and she was at the vet's only for one night. Now it has been nearly two full months since Sage experienced the condition, and she's not had another episode. Therefore, we are believing she has the peripheral syndrome, not the central type. We give her the steriod Predisone two to three times a week; it's one of the meds she was given back in March, and her system seems to tolerate that small dosage, and perhaps it's kept the vestibular disease in check.

According to most vets, the cause of this disease is unknown, and affects dogs ages 12 and older. Sage turns 12 this fall, but with her other physical limitations, it's not hard to conceive she could be affected by this at 11 1/2 years of age.

For an indepth article on vestiublar disease, visit the PetPlace website:

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/vestibular-disease-in-dogs/page1.aspx

Cody, our Cocker Spaniel, turned 13 in mid-June. During the last week of the month, he became extremely lathargic and stopped eating. I was out of town, so my husband took him to the vet after the second day as Cody appeared weaker. The vet and his staff ran some tests, and diagnosed him with autoimmune hemolytic anemia, a condition in which the dog's immune system attacks its healthy red blood cells. It is a critical situation, but with the proper treatment, not necessarily fatal. Cody spent five days at the vet hospital, being kept quiet (a blood clot could develop which would kill him) and pumped on steriods and other drugs to combat the situation and re-build his red blood cell count. Cocker spaniels are prone to this disease, although according to our vet, it generally occurs in dogs 7 to 10 years old. Other breeds are also susceptible, including poodles, Old English sheepdogs, and Irish setters. Females are twice as likely to get the disease. So, Cody having developed it was somewhat of a surprise.

Prognosis is not great; about 40% of animals do not survive, and the condition usually re-occurs. I'm fortunate that my vet has experience dealing with this disease, but Cody's age is most likely problematic. For more information on this condition, visit

http://www.petplace.com/dogs/immune-mediated-hemolytic-anemia-in-dogs-imha/page1.aspx

We can feel quite sad when our pets age. As I journey through the aging process of my pets, I am also traveling the road of aging parents. The paths are quite similar. As I await Cody returning home, I am exploring options for my parents, who live 450 miles away, to move closer. On their behalf, I am looking into senior housing in communities closer to where I live (though they have expressed their inclination to move closer, they don't want to live in the same town as I do becasuse they really don't like the town or the area; that, too, will most likely change at least as far as location, but not the "liking" of the location).

I, too, am aging and feeling the physical inadequacies of middle-age. We all go through it, it's a fact of life, but a fact not less challenging, and in many cases, sad. I am thankful I beleive in a better life beyond what I can see and currently physically experience, a wonder-filled special place where neither people nor pets will age, experience health issues or the ultimate "as we know on Earth" death. There is a better home a'waitin' as the old hymn says.

In the meantime, we live, we laugh, we love, we experience, we age. And, we enjoy the good as much as we can. Be blessed along the journey!

The Joy of a Mature Pet

Our cocker spaniel, Cody, turned 13 a few days ago. He has been part of our household for more than four years now. I recall seeing that sweet little guy, nearly 10 years old, behind the gate of a kennel at the Casper Humane Society, and my heart nearly broke. Who would "dispose of" an older gentleman, used to living in a home? When I learned more of his story, I decided he really didn't have much of a loving home, had only been a 'stud' for service, then thrown away when he got "too old".

Society seems to like disposing of things -- disposable diapers, tossing plastic into the garbage instead of recycling, putting older parents into nursing homes instead of embracing them as part of the family, divorce instead of working through problems... why should we expect to treat our pets any different? Thankfully, not everyone thinks "disposing of" something is the best option; people recycle, people volunteer, people help, people adopt. And, adopting and embracing an older pet, like welcoming and gleaning from older people, is truly the smart option.

Here are a few reasons older pets make great pets:

·Puppies and kittens require a great deal of attention and time, and for busy families, time is something of a commodity. Mature pets can be left alone for longer periods of time, and often enjoy having ‘down time’. Now, this doesn’t mean they should be locked up in a kennel all the time and it doesn’t mean they don’t need exercise – adult pets just require LESS time and energy than puppies or kittens.
·Young ones require training, such as housebreaking, and a great deal of patience. Older pets often come housebroken/litter box trained, and in many cases, adult dogs have some basic obedience training, such as knowing “sit”, “stay” and “come”.
·What you see is what you get when you adopt an adult – adopting a mature pet allows you to know more about its size and temperament, whereas adopting a puppy or kitten is sometimes a guessing game when it comes to the animal’s temperament and size.
·Older pets expend less energy – often, a simple walk around the neighborhood for an older dog is sufficient, and mature cats enjoy lounging in the sun more than chasing strings or feathers. So if you’re not terribly active, an older pet might suit your lifestyle.
If you are an active person, such as a hiker or runner, your best companion could be a 2- to 5-year-old dog who is just waiting for that energetic person to help HIM expend some energy! (plus, most likely, not in need of potty training!)
·Adopting an older pet is truly a selfless act. As an animal ages, its chances of adoption grow slimmer; by giving a mature pet a home, you’re showing great compassion and empathy – and gaining a wonderful furry friend in the process!

Some people think if an older dog or cat is in the shelter there must be something wrong with it – not so! Many adult and senior pets are relinquished because the owner can no longer care for them due to the person’s health or even death. Some of the most wonderful companion animals in need of new homes are awaiting another chance to shower a family or individual with devotion, just as they did with their previous owner.

Cody had no trouble bonding with us when he was 10 years old. In fact, I believe he is thankful we brought him home with us. Sage turns 12 in a few months. As the time passes and I know we will face the inevitable one day, I never cease to be amazed at the devoted, loving, loyal hearts of my pets, especially my older dogs. I am SO GLAD I didn't turn my back on those gentle, heart-tugging brown eyes of an elderly male cocker spaniel. My life would not have been as enriched.

Happy Birthday, Cody!

Little Dog, Big Heart

Almost exactly one year ago, my husband and I adopted an older male Cocker Spaniel. A family who got him in another estate had brought him into our local shelter. He obviously had been used as a stud, as he was nearly 10 years old and not neutered. We know nothing else about his background, except he supposedly needed to be “the only dog”. Well, that has turned out to be completely false.

Cody blended right in with Sage, our blind Springer Spaniel, and he seemed to take on the role of protector. It’s as though he realizes she has a handicap. The first few months when they went out together to the backyard (which they do often!), he watched her, and if she ran too close to one of the trees, or to the stair railing of the deck, Cody would try to prevent her from getting hurt.

On our walks and in our house, he is ever vigil. If he thinks a dog or a person is going to hurt me, his mistress, he sets into a barking frenzy. Once, I walked past a yard with a large golden retriever, and that dog came charging to the fence, barking up a storm! Cody retaliated, pulling on his leash and barking loudly! He didn’t care if that dog was 3 times his size, he’d have taken him on to protect me. Thankfully, the golden stayed in its yard and simply barked. We don’t walk near that yard anymore.

Our house would surely be off-limits to intruders. Cody keeps watch on a chair near the front door, with an eye on the picture window as well. Whenever he hears a diesel motor or sees a person simply walking past the front of the house, his “protection mode” kicks into high gear, and we are alerted that "something is out there!" We always know when someone is at the door! In fact, we always know when someone is walking on the sidewalk, even if they are across the street!

This 30-pound, elderly dog is totally loyal and loving. Cody – a little dog with a big heart!