I'm still standing

Lost and found

Some of you may have read about the mystery tooth found in the bathroom on my mommy’s Facebook page earlier this week. It’s mine. I lost another tooth. I’m not sure what this brings my total of teeth left to. I wonder how many I need to lose before I qualify for doggy dentures?

I realize I haven’t written much lately. Life is really slow for me these days. About the most exciting thing that’s happened is I’ve started going out for walks on a daily basis. It’s really only at Barkley’s insistence. She’s all about the walks. I could really care less, and it usually takes some convincing on mommy, Barkley and Sean’s part to get me motivated enough to leave my bed. Once I’m outside though, I am usually pretty invigorated by the fall air, at least enough so to walk around the block. After that, mommy drops me off at home and she and Barkley continue on for a while longer.

The leaves are the color of my fur now and soon the trees will be bare. It is the last Autumn for me, I am sure. I hear mommy talking all the time about putting me to sleep, and I can’t blame her. I am becoming a burden. I don’t mean to be. I fall all the time and rely on my mommy to boost my hindquarters up when I get stuck slipping and sliding on the wood floors. I’m not looking forward to winter. I can’t imagine trying to walk around on the snow and ice. So I wait. I watch the leaves fall, feel the air getting cooler, and I wait for the snow to fly knowing it will be the last snow I will see. And I just hope my mommy will be okay.

A message from mommy

So, I know normally these blogs are from the perspective of Lucy, but today I decided to post a little something myself, from my perspective as the mom of the most adorable, amazing and sweetest doggy in the world.

It's a rainy day, so I am not working at my landscaping job. When I woke up this morning, I got down on the floor with Lucy on her bed and snuggled with her. I stuck my nose right into the fur on her neck, a spot my mother and I always refer to as the nuzzle. As I breathed in the smell of her fur, it was so familiar and comforting. It made me think of all the things Lucy has been there for in my life over the past 15 years.

I got her when I was only 18-years-old and knew nothing about raising a dog, much less taking care of myself. The smell reminded me of all the things I've been through in those 15 years, all the people who've come and gone out of my life, the heartaches and successes I've experienced, the many places I've traveled and lived, and the constant love that Lucy has given me throughout it all. Even at my lowest and darkest periods, I've always been the center of Lucy's world. That alone has made it possible for me to rise above anything, because I know she depends on me to do so. What an amazing gift she has been in my life.

As the weather grows colder, and the rain starts to fall, I see my little girl getting so old. She's not my baby anymore. Watching her struggle with the steps, sometimes falling on the ground, walking around like she's drunk and just seeing her red furs turning white, I realize the end is coming. I can't imagine my life without her in it. Who will be there for me when everything and everyone else fails me? But things aren't the same either. I sometimes long for the days when I could bring Lucy to the dog park or swimming at the lake. I would give anything to see her chase her ball again. Now it's more like taking care of an old woman, with my only goal to keep her comfortable, fed and happy.

With winter will come the most difficult decision I've ever had to make in my life. You see, sometimes food, medicine, water and love aren't enough to keep an old body going. It's hard because she can still eat, drink and go outside to the bathroom on her own, but it's getting more and more difficult for her do so. So I have to do right by my best friend and make the last decision to end her life before it becomes too difficult for her to live with dignity. I realize everyday I have with her is one less day I have with her, and no matter how ready I may tell myself I am, I don't know how I'll live without her. She has been the greatest challenge, the greatest joy, and the most amazing gift of my life. That's why I try to take the time out of everyday to just sit and hold her in my arms and enjoy her nuzzles. Her fur is much more than a warm coat to keep her warm, it's smell, it's feel, it's warmth are a reminder of the past 15 years of my life and everything we've been through.

Hey everyone. Not too much news to report on the Lucy-front. I just thought I would take a moment to thank all my followers up till this point. I know my life can be dull at times, but you'll understand someday when you're 105-years-old. I have to give a big shout-out to my pal Alex back in Blacksburg, VA. She signed on as my 30th follower today which made me decide I should probably celebrate with an extra Milkbone or something. Mommy and I miss you Alex.

No, I'm not blind. I'm just ignoring you.

Hey there folks. I know things have been kind of boring for me lately, so I thought maybe I'd write about something educational today. For many years now, I've had this thing happening with my eyes that many people often mistake for glaucoma. It's this condition that makes my eyes glow like lasers in pictures. People often think it means I am blind, but actually, I can see pretty good.


The condition that causes this is Progressive Retinal Atrophy or Degeneration of the Retina. It is a progressive disease that worsens with age and can eventually cause blindness. So far, I've been pretty lucky though and it has been a slow progression.

According to the web site peteducation.com:
Signs may vary depending on the type of PRA and its rate of progression. PRA is non painful and outward appearance of the eye is often normal, i.e.; no redness, excess tearing, or squinting. Owners may notice a change in personality of their dog such as a reluctance to go down stairs or down a dark hallway. This is characteristic of night blindness, in which vision may appear to improve during the daytime. As the disease progresses, owners can observe a dilation of the pupils and the reflection of light from the back of the eye. If the blindness is progressing slowly, the owner may not notice any signs until the dog is in unfamiliar surroundings and the lack of vision is more apparent. In some animals, the lens of the eyes may become opaque or cloudy.
Unfortunately, there is no treatment for PRA, nor a way to slow the progression of the disease. Animals with PRA usually become blind.

I am pretty lucky that I still have my vision, but mommy has been noticing it is getting worse. Sometimes when she goes to let me in (when she remembers to), both in the daytime and night, she notices that I'll be standing at the bottom of the stairs staring at the door waiting for it to open. At first, I might not see her, so then she waves her hand to get my attention and that usually does the trick. I also have a tendency to stare into mirrors a lot. I'm not sure if that has to do with my vision condition. I think it's more just due to the fact that I'm so vain and I want to make sure my hair looks just right.

Well, hope you are feeling enlightened by that little tid bit. I figured some dog owners might find it interesting and educational.

I'm still alive

Hey folks. My mother said she's been getting a lot of people asking if I'm still alive and how I'm doing, so I figured I'd better blog. My mommy has been busy freelancing and looking for a better job, so she really hasn't had time to write for me. I am feeling really great lately actually and am navigating the stairs quite well. In other news, I'm still the prettiest dog in the world, at least that's what my mommy tells me everyday. She also told me I have the sweetest smelling breath in the world. I give her as many kisses as she'll allow me to.

I recently went on a trip to a place called Hoppyville. There was a lot of action...actually a little too much for me. Thankfully mommy put my bed in her cabin and left the door open so I could come and go as I pleased. It was refreshing to be out in the great outdoors for long periods of time.

Recently my mother has been having trouble remembering to let me in after she lets me out to go the bathroom. And I'm the old one? Sometimes she leaves me out there for as long as 25 minutes, leaving me no choice but to wander into the neighbors yard, or to the bar on the corner in hopes someone will see me and call the number on my tag. Mommy was pretty sad that she deleted one of the voice mails left by one of the kind souls who found me wandering the streets a few weeks ago. She realized after the fact that it would have made a great blog.

Well, I'll try to write more soon.

A walk in the woods

I went on a hike about a month ago at Corbett's Glenn. It was a beautiful place, but the rolling hills sure did tire me out.

We get by with a little help from a friend.

Are we there yet?

I guess that wasn't so bad.

Can't get into the Cadillac with muddy paws now, can we?

I will survive

Sorry I've been on hiatus from blogging folks. My mommy told me many of you were looking forward to reading my stuff, so I apologize for the long absence. I've had a lot going on, much of which I'll be getting into over my next few blog posts, but first and foremost, I have to tell you all the great news. I'm not dying!!! I went to the vet yesterday and I got a new leash on life.

For the past few weeks, I've been having a lot of of trouble getting around. I've been falling a lot, walking around like I am drunk, and turning around has been nearly impossible. If I get myself backed into a corner, I find the best way to get out is to sit down, walk my front legs around to the direction I need to head in, and then I drag my back legs up and head on my merry way. It's been pretty hard for my mommy to watch, and she's been concerned that I might be in pain, or on my last legs (no pun intended). When mom's friends come over and see how I'm acting, they get really sad, or say "poor dog." There's been talk about maybe getting me a wheelie cart for my back legs, or even worse, putting me to sleep.

Well, thank god my mommy got an expert's opinion, because it winds up I'm not even close to knockin' on heaven's door, or at least not as close as mom feared I was. Apparently I wasn't taking a strong enough dose of my Rimadyl and so it was barely even helping me. The vet more than doubled my dose.

According to the vet, there's pressure on my spine, either from a tumor, a cyst or a bulged disc, which is stopping the communication between my head and my back legs. The vet said it's like walking around without being able to feel your feet or know where they are. It's just something that happens with old age, and it simply means I need a little more time to get around. But the good news is, he reassured mom I'm not in pain.

The best news is, the vet told my mom there are three indicators of when a dog is getting ready to die or be put to sleep; appearance, activity and appetite. My mommy told him that my appetite is the same as it's always been. Although it's a bit more difficult for me to move around, that doesn't stop me from pacing the floors constantly or walking in the park or around the block. As for appearance, well, I'm as gorgeous as ever. Besides some tartar build-up on my teeth, the vet said I'm in excellent shape for my age and he thinks I have a good amount more time on the earth. So, look forward to more blogs in the future. Until my back legs give out entirely, or something else changes, I'm not going anywhere. (Mom, please get more treats for me because this calls for a celebration.)

I'm really sorry I haven't had time to blog lately. Mom said people are going to stop reading if I don't come up with something to write about soon. I'm just exhausted lately. Getting old is a lot harder than I could have ever imagined. I turn 15 tomorrow.

Knock, knock, knocking on heaven's door

Okay, so for the most part, my blogs are usually funny and upbeat, but these past few days I've been really feeling my age. In just 10 days, I'll be turning 15 years old.

I attended a birthday party this weekend at a house with all wood floors. It was very difficult for me to get around. I am falling a lot more than usual lately. Yesterday, I was over at my friend Barkley's house eating some of her food and I fell on the floor pretty hard, spilling the entire dish of food all over. And today, I got a stomach ache and threw-up my breakfast. I know I'm not getting any younger. I love my mommy so much I can't stand the thought of leaving her all alone, but lately I'm just so tired, clumsy and forgetful.

I know the issue of how long I should live is weighing heavily on my mommy's mind. I suppose I don't make it any easier on her when I have my good and bad days. One day I'm knocking on heaven's door, and the next, I'm off hiking more than a mile. Sooner or later I know my mommy's going to make an appointment with the veterinarian and I'm pretty sure they're going to tell her she has to get me a new medicine, one that will be much pricier than the medicine I am currently taking.

So, how do you know when it's time? Since I can't tell my mommy myself, maybe some of my dear followers could give her some guidance or advice, or even just a little comfort as my final destination draws closer.

Full house

When I was six years old, I lived with these two awesome guys named Chance and Isaac. We were one big happy family squeezed in a small two-bedroom log cabin in Scriba, NY. It started out as me, my mommy, my nother mother (as I call her) and Isaac Marie, a beautiful husky-lab mix with sky-blue eyes.

We should have smelled trouble when my nother mother started visiting the dog pound on a regular basis. There she met Romeo, a black and white spotted mix-breed who had been living at the pound for several months. My nother mother brought home a picture of him and put it on the fridge because we didn’t have room for another body in the house…or so we thought.

One day my nother mother got a call from the pound. Someone had dropped off a litter of puppies and they needed to make room. Romeo was going to be put to sleep. My mommy and my nother mother quickly agreed that Romeo would come live with us. We weren’t sure what kind of a doggy he would be, especially after being in a cage for so long.

Romeo got a new name when he came to live with us…Chance or Chancey. He won us all over right away, all 65 plus pounds of love. He loved to lean all his weight on you, or just lay in your lap. Although he stayed in a cage for the first few days to be sure he wasn’t going to go AWOL on the house, my mommy and nother mother quickly realized Chance was just happy to be home.

I loved to play with Chance and Isaac. For such big boys, they were so gentle with me. One time though, my ear got caught between somebody’s teeth and it broke a blood vessel. My ear puffed up really big and filled with blood. I had to get surgery, but it didn’t stop me from playing with my boys or humping them. It was an accident after all.

And just when we thought our family was complete, along came a cat. This cat must have had nine lives. When it came to our house, it was the dead of winter. The cat had been seeking shelter under the porch, and preying upon my mommy and nother mother’s animal loving hearts. Before you know it, we had a new family member.

At first we figured the cat wouldn’t want to live with three dogs and that would be the end of things. As soon as the black cat stepped foot in the door though, Isaac fell in love. He immediately stepped up to clean the cat’s coat with his teeth, a habit he would continue until we all separated. And the cat loved us all in return. We named our new family member Miner, as in coal miner.

It turns out the cat was a rabid killer. Miner would bring home more food than it could eat to the chagrin of my two moms, as well as our landlord. One time Miner got in a fight with a raccoon. My mommy heard it in the middle of the night but figured it was some wild animals fighting. Miner’s tail almost fell off before we discovered her wounds. She lived though and the hair grew back white on her tail, so now she’s not a true black cat.

I only saw Chance and Isaac a few times after we moved out of the log cabin. Chance is 14-years-old now and crazy as ever according to my nother mother. He lives in Germany. Isaac Marie passed away in October 2007. He was nine. Miner is now retired on Irondequoit Bay in Rochester. Her age is unknown.

Marley & Me

Before the book Marley & Me came to fame, I had my own friend named Marley. She was a great gal. We met before or after the time I almost died, so maybe when I was 6? You’ll have to excuse me…my memory isn’t what it used to be.

I really liked Marley because she minded her own business and gave me my space. Walking side by side or sniffing one another’s butt was about as close as we ever got to playing. Marley and I were exercise buddies, which was a result of our mommies being exercise buddies. She taught me a lot.

We used to go walking almost everyday. On our walks, Marley was allowed to walk off her leash. Of course, as soon as I saw this, I knew it was something I wanted to be able to do too. Thankfully my mommy wanted to try it out too. I guess she had a problem with stopping every two feet for me to smell something. I learned how to walk off the leash, and how to stop and wait to be prompted to cross the street by watching Marley. That’s not to say I didn’t give mommy a few scares running across the street after a squirrel or two. I still do walk off my leash, and I know to stop before crossing the street, only now that I’m deaf, mommy has to hold my collar until I get to the other side.

Marley also taught me how to swim. I don’t mean literally how to swim. I think I was born knowing the doggy paddle. Before Marley and I met, I would only get in the water to chase a stick. Marley showed me how to swim for leisure. Since our walks often brought us to Lake Ontario, our mommies would often stop to let us take a dip and chase a few sticks. Sometimes though, Marley would just go swimming out in the lake for pleasure, no sticks required. When Marley’s mommy would go in for a swim, she would challenge Marley to a race. This involved the two of them swimming a ways from shore, then turning around and racing back. Lo and behold, once, my mommy and I did a similar race. I let mommy win.

Marley and I would also go cross-country skiing. The longest distance I ever went with her was six miles on the Tug Hill Plateau. I’m pretty sure that’s when the photo of us was taken. As you can see we were pretty pooped. I miss Marley a lot. She was probably my best girlfriend. She passed away a few years ago. She’s the kind of dog who could probably have written a blog herself. She lived a very full and interesting life, undoubtedly better than some people. That’s probably why she was so cool.

Desperately seeking a new home

Someone please help me. Call animal welfare, or come pick me up. This crazy woman I call my mom is at it again. She brushed me yesterday and let me tell you, I'm still recovering from the trauma. Doesn't she realize how long it takes me to build up this waterproof sheen on my coat? And this is no normal brushing. It's so torturous I try to run away from home every time she does it. Here I was thinking we were just going for a walk, and then she pulls out that pad of needles she likes to call a brush and next thing you know I'm practically bald. If you know of anyone who can help, please send them as quickly as possible. Pretty soon I'm not gonna have any hair left.

Oh no you didn't

While I was out walking the other day, two people passing by stopped to pet me. That's not unusual. The shocking part was they referred to me as an "old lady." I didn't have the heart to tell these strangers that they should get their vision checked. I don't look a day older than 6. What do you think?
Then.....



























and now....

Waking Miss Lucy

This video was captured by my mom. I'm not sure why my mom insists on using a cutsie voice when talking to me. I'm deaf. Hope you enjoy it.

Over the hills and through the woods

Sorry I haven't written in a few days. I've been just exhausted from all the relaxing I've been doing at my grandma's in Oswego. Going to grandma's house is like a weekend at the spa because I get treated like royalty when I'm there. Here's some pictures from the weekend and a glimpse at my schedule.











Friday

7:00 a.m. - Grandpa lets me out for my early morning constitution.

8:30 a.m. - Wake up and go outside for a morning meditation and cleansing.

8:45 a.m. - Eat some of my Cousin Casey's Beneful dog food, a nice change from my Eukanuba.

9:00 a.m. - settle in for a morning snooze in the warm sun.

10:00 a.m. - open eyes, look for mom or grandma, fall back to sleep.

10:15 - 10:30 a.m. - stand at my water bowl and for a leisurely sip of water to stay hyrdated.

11:00 a.m. - go outside for mid-morning stretching exercises.

12:00 p.m. - figure out what's for lunch.

12:15 p.m. - go outside and pretend to go potty so I can beg for a treat when I'm let back in.

12:30 - 1 p.m. - clean myself and my bed.

1:00 p.m. - retire to Florida room for post-lunch siesta.

3:00 p.m. - massage and pettings from grandma. (Although it interferes with my afternoon nap, I tolerate this for grandma's sake.)

3:30 - 4:30 p.m. - nap to keep my strength up for the hectic evening schedule of events.

4:30 p.m. - wake up and see if my mother is home from all her visiting. Check out the toy pile, see if there's anything cool to play with.

5 p.m. - Dinner (more of that dog food I don't get to eat at home.)

6 p.m. - head outside for a stroll in the garden and for some sniffing exercises.

7 p.m. - settle down for the nightly movie/shows.

10 p.m. - wake up to go outside for a moonlight stroll, and so I can have one last treat before bed.

10:30 p.m. - my male escort arrives to carry me up to my room.

Life in the slow lane – tips to other old dogs (and dog owners) on aging gracefully

I had a close call today. I was taking a nap on the bed like I always do while mom is at work. Well, I forgot to take my collar off (not pointing fingers or anything mom) and when I went to get up to go get a drink of water, my collar caught on the blankets. As if this wasn’t bad enough, while trying to extricate myself from this predicament, I wound up getting my paw wrapped up in the blankets. When mommy came home, she discovered me lying on the floor, so dehydrated I could barely speak.

For a second there before mommy arrived, I was sure it was the end for me. As I lay there on the floor desperately in need of water, my life flashed before my eyes. It was then I realized how much wisdom I have yet to share with my fellow canines. So here it goes, tips on aging gracefully …at least the ones I can remember.

1. For goodness sakes, take off your collar when you go to sleep. And trust me, once you get to be my age, you’ll do a lot of sleeping. Don’t let my near-tragic experience this evening be in vain. Blankets and collars are like hairdryers and bath tubs…they should come with a warning.

2. When it comes to car rides, swallow your pride and just lie down. As you get up in years, you’ll notice your joints aren’t what they used to be. This combined with the constant stopping and going in the car are a deadly combination. Those days of standing up in the car, paws on the window ledge, ears flapping in the wind…well, let’s just say kiss them goodbye. To avoid being thrown to the floor or taking a chin dive into the middle console, stay seated in the car. Better yet, just lie down.

3. This is a little bit embarrassing to talk about, but for you dog owners out there, and for you old dogs, it’s going to be a fact of life eventually. When it comes to going outside to do your duty in the winter, don’t be shy to go on the sidewalk. I know you’ve been trained your whole life to go on the grass, but when there’s a few inches or more of snow on the grass, it is best to just stay on the safely shoveled sidewalk. Deep snow can trip you up pretty good and your owner should be picking up your poop anyways, so it doesn’t matter where you go.

4. Choose your friends wisely. Trust me, I know from experience. It can be tough being an old dog, especially a smaller one. I often have to let younger, spunkier pups know who the boss is. Sometimes, when it comes to the larger dogs, this can get me into trouble. Being their elder, they often try to establish their dominance. This happens with girls more so than boys. I’ve done my best to stand my ground, though I won’t lie, I’ve been bitten a few times, but that’s another story.

5. Let the motor out. Be sure your mom or dad is getting you out for one long walk a day. It’s like a car that sits for too long. Eventually it just doesn’t go anymore.

6. Have your owner lift your food dishes off the ground. This is a good tip for any age dog. My mommy didn’t start doing this until a few months ago when she noticed I was falling over a lot while trying to eat. She put my food and water on her Coleman camper stove to reduce the strain on my back and now I can eat and drink much easier.

7. Stay away from stairs at all costs. You may notice yourself slipping on them here or there, but before you know it, you’ll be chin planting going up them, or worse, falling down them. Large numbers of stairs are particularly dangerous. At this point in my life, for anything more than four or five steps, I take the elevator or mom carries me. I’ve had a few close calls where I fell down the stairs and thought I’d broken a bone. Mom said if I had broken my leg, she would have probably just had to put me down to sleep, so now I just play it safe.