wherein Liz dogsits
Jul. 26th, 2016 10:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
edenfallingI have a dog until August 10th, while my parents are in Europe. They are starting in Prague, taking a river cruise on the Elbe, and ending at the Meteoritical Society's annual conference, which is in Berlin this year. (In late September, they will go back to Prague because Dad is presenting a paper at a completely different conference. They had already made the cruise reservations when he learned about that conference and decided to submit an abstract, which is why the logistics make no sense.)
Dottie is going to turn 14 this fall, and her age has definitely started to catch up with her. When I had her this spring, she was already on some anti-arthritis medication, and now she's also been switched to a new diet because she's showing early signs of kidney problems. (Drinking a lot of water, basically, which is extra weird because she's never drunk much; we used to slip her water by turning her meals into soup.) She's walking very slowly and often doesn't want to go outside at all... which is, of course, a problem because of all the water she's now drinking. :(
I did some online research and talked to some people at my church about which local vets they use, and Mom and I jointly decided which one to use in case of emergencies. Hopefully it will not come to that, but it's good to have a plan in place.
This afternoon, Dottie and I sat out on my back porch for a while because when I tried to walk her, she just flopped down on a sunny patch of grass a block from my apartment and refused to move. I had to carry her back home, after which I figured if she wanted to lie in the sun, we could at least do it where I could read a book. *wry* I also brushed her because she's been shedding like crazy, and I could probably do so again tomorrow and remove just as much hair. Hopefully that's a side-effect of the heat and not a sign of a more serious health issue.
This time Dad remembered to add a squishy pillow as part of her paraphernalia, so she has a comfortable resting place near my computer desk. On previous visits, Dottie made do with my one and only couch cushion, which is stiff and overstuffed and also just a little too small for her to easily curl up on. She is snoozing on her pillow beside me now, and I have to say, my apartment feels about ten times friendlier with her in it than when I'm on my own. :)
Dottie is going to turn 14 this fall, and her age has definitely started to catch up with her. When I had her this spring, she was already on some anti-arthritis medication, and now she's also been switched to a new diet because she's showing early signs of kidney problems. (Drinking a lot of water, basically, which is extra weird because she's never drunk much; we used to slip her water by turning her meals into soup.) She's walking very slowly and often doesn't want to go outside at all... which is, of course, a problem because of all the water she's now drinking. :(
I did some online research and talked to some people at my church about which local vets they use, and Mom and I jointly decided which one to use in case of emergencies. Hopefully it will not come to that, but it's good to have a plan in place.
This afternoon, Dottie and I sat out on my back porch for a while because when I tried to walk her, she just flopped down on a sunny patch of grass a block from my apartment and refused to move. I had to carry her back home, after which I figured if she wanted to lie in the sun, we could at least do it where I could read a book. *wry* I also brushed her because she's been shedding like crazy, and I could probably do so again tomorrow and remove just as much hair. Hopefully that's a side-effect of the heat and not a sign of a more serious health issue.
This time Dad remembered to add a squishy pillow as part of her paraphernalia, so she has a comfortable resting place near my computer desk. On previous visits, Dottie made do with my one and only couch cushion, which is stiff and overstuffed and also just a little too small for her to easily curl up on. She is snoozing on her pillow beside me now, and I have to say, my apartment feels about ten times friendlier with her in it than when I'm on my own. :)
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(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-27 05:26 am (UTC)Might be worth having a chat to the vet you picked and ask if they'll come to you if you need to make a final call. Most vets here will do that for you, which is helpful if you want a backyard burial. Otherwise, you go to the vet and they take care of the body and introduce you to a baffling array of cremation services. Unless you have a pet cemetary service in town and you'll get their offerings as well.
Good luck with Dottie.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-27 05:39 pm (UTC)Hmm. I will email my parents about final options. I don't expect that to be necessary this go-round, but things may have changed by September.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-27 05:37 am (UTC)It's an anxious-making thing, to have someone else's dog (cat,fish etc) to look after, but it sounds like she's getting along pretty well for her age,and knows how to organise what she wants. :)
I hope it's a cheerful, restful time for you both.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-27 05:42 pm (UTC)We got in a very extensive walk this morning! And now, of course, she's giving me big betrayed eyes when I suggest that she might like to go out -- not even to walk, just to pee. She can be very silly that way. :)
(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-27 09:41 pm (UTC)and I have to say, my apartment feels about ten times friendlier with her in it than when I'm on my own. :)
Pets are good at that...
(no subject)
Date: 2016-07-28 01:22 am (UTC)I don't think I'd be good at caring for a dog full-time -- I am just not an organized or high-energy person -- but it's nice to have one visit now and then. And if I weren't tragically allergic to cats, I would adopt a cat (or two) in a heartbeat.