Woof hi friends,
Growing old is not easy and watching Layla age is frightening, worrisome and stressful also. I sit each day wondering how time has gone by, how she is changing in some ways, and it concerns me.
I am blessed to have an awesome vet who I can email, ask questions, and always get a reply to my questions which saves me stressing her out by going to the vet, unless we both agree it is important. I was at the clinic this week to pick up her Gabapentin and my vet caught me while there to tell me that she is going to be away till July as she volunteers every year in Africa with the Cheetah Conservation. So that would mean if I needed a vet, it would be someone else from the clinic. I love the clinic as they told me where I can buy her Gabapentin for half the price so next time, I must order some will do so.
Her anxiety has gone through the roof which I think is from her losing her sight slowly, so have come to an arrangement with a friend of mine that if I have appointments and going to be out of the house for more than 3 hours, I take her to my friend to stay for the time I am away. It seems to be working as the couple of times I have left her for long periods she has peed on the bathroom carpet which she does not do at nights or when I am at home. She is quick to tell me she needs to go out by barking at me. I spoke to the vet about it and she is not concerned so I am not worrying either.
She gave me a big fright this week by running down the stairs in our building and slipping and falling, yelping while going down so I carried her the rest of the way and put her on the ground, and she trotted like nothing had happened and peed. She is eating like a pig; all her supplements and Dr Harvey’s dog food so thank goodness her diet is balanced and healthy. Yes, I am still cooking her protein, supplements that she gets are Fish Oil, Green Lipped Mussels, and the Vetricyn Senior Supplement so in a nutshell she is eating better than me LOL.
So, life in the Layla Neighborhood is changing daily but we dealing with it, we did go to our friends garden over the weekend which was fantastic, the weather was perfect and she roamed around all happy. She loves being outside but not in dog parks or anywhere noisy, like me she loves the peace and quiet of outdoors.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone, be safe
With love from
Layla
I’m guessing your mom lets you decide what to do and when. As it should be. Getting old isn’t easy one bit. You’re so cute.
Have a woof woof day and weekend. My best to your attentive mom. ♥
Thank you Sandee and yes I do let her do what she wants but have kept her on her routine walking wise as I think it is important.
Aging in not easy is soooo right Layla ~ do the best you can ~ you are loved ~ Xo
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Aging is not easy I so agree with you as I am also LOL. But am blessed to have her in my life, Thank you for your kind words, Layla and Me
We are all getting old aren’t we – it’s no fun at all! It must be disconcerting for sweet Layla to be losing her sight, but dogs are so adaptable. Just like us, as they age they want a simpler, quieter.life. She’s so blessed to have you and you are so blessed to have a fabulous Vet!
Cathy thanks so much and yes I am very blessed to have a wonderful vet. Aging is hard especially when you see how they are changing but she is adapting to losing her sight
and I am adapting with her. I love the quiet simple life so am happy with that.
Thank you for the nice article from my dog, CeCe. You’re so light and I’m so dark, as far as writing is concerned.
Thank you Pamela and CeCe, it is hard but it is part of life and we need to make sure they have the best of it.
Having recently spend 18 months caring for my dear dog Bertie with bladder cancer, and found that at times stressful and frightening, I can totally empathise with the problems described here. Many people said ‘you’ll just know when it’s time to end it” but to be honest, I found taking that decision extremely difficult, and it was only after the event that I truly felt sure I’d done the right thing.
Taking things one day at a time is good advice but not always enough. As you say, ageing and watching others age is not easy and one can only do one’s best, as clearly is the care here.
Take care,
Gail (Nobby’s human carer).
Gail I am so so sorry that Bertie crossed the Rainbow Bridge and it is hard making that decision but I would also now want her to suffer. Taking things daily
is the best we can do, making memories also as they stay on forever. Take care and sending you a hug
I feel you Layla. My Kitsune is 13 and I’ve started to see some signs of him getting old too. It’s a hard thing to watch, and stressful. I worry about him more now. Having a good vet really is a blessing. We email ours a lot too.
Michelle thank goodness for email is all I can say as it is one less stressful thing for Layla at the moment. Kitsune is so so cute and it is so worrying
that they are aging before our eyes, take care and give Kitsune a hug from us
Watching a dog age is challenging indeed. My dog is getting quite senior as well, and the signs are showing up too. Though, it’s primarily hind end weakness that we’re trying to work with for the time being. I pray every day that God keeps her body strong and functional until He’s ready to take her soul.
Jana I am praying the same and whatever challenges are thrown at me will deal with the best I can, as long as she is pain free and comfortable
I’m glad that Layla wasn’t hurt from slipping on the stairs! All of my dogs are seniors and it is sobering at times. Nelly is also 15 and seems to be losing her hearing and vision. Sophie is on medication for a heart condition and has arthritis. We’re not sure how old Theo is, but his face is mostly white now and he snores like an old man. It breaks my heart to think of life without them,
Beth sending you a big hug, I understand how you feel and it is worrying me, I get up at nights to check on her which helps me relax. I am so relieved she was
not hurt from the fall although she is now afraid of the stairs so am carrying her outside, once out she is fine phew
I agree age and change are never fun. I’m glad you’ve got a good vet that you can message and that the clinic is a good one. I love that you have a friend that will watch Layla while you are out for very long. That’s a great plan. It seems like you taking the responsible steps as a loving dog mom.
Terri thank you for the compliment, I am doing the best I can to make sure she is safe and healthy as changes are hard
Getting older gets more challenging for sure. I’m so glad you are okay after your fall Layla. Whew! You have an awesome Mommy and veterinarian to look after you and help you age gracefully while still being active. I could take some lessons from you! Also, what a wonderful thing your vet does volunteer work to help the Cheetah Conservation in Africa.
Kamira it is challenging but I am going day by day with her figuring out what makes her feel safe and happy. The fall freaked me out but thank goodness she
is fine although is now scared of steps which is ok with me. I agree with you what my vet does in Africa is just amazing
It is so hard to watch them age. My Manna will be 15 year old next month. She is still very playful, but I can see the age creeping in. It’s just the slight changes in her body and the way she moves. Layla is so beautiful and is aging gracefully. It would take some time to get used to losing your sight. I would have been really scared with the falling down the stairs event too. I’m so glad that she was okay.
Robin aging is part of life and Manna is beautiful. we should start a senior club for our seniors LOL. It will take time for her to get used to losing
her sight but I am keeping a watchful eye on her. I was also relieved that she was okay after the fall but am avoiding stairs now with her. Would rather
be safe than sorry
Oh, miss Layla, I am sure glad your fall was nothing too serious. Momma is right, aging can be so scary. When my FiveSibes all hit their golden years, things changed. And my boy Wolfie’s anxiety also increased. While I believe he still had good vision, his anxiety at times was off the charts (and meds and cbd treats helped) and other times it was fine. It’s great to have that wonderful caring relationship with your vet. We were blessed to have the same with ours. I think Layla looks beautiful and may she stay healthy for years to come. xo
Dorothy I am so relieved also that she was not hurt from the fall and am avoiding stairs now, going up she is ok but going down she does not want to
do anymore. Anxiety can be a problem as I cannot be at home all the time so am dividing my errands into shorter ones and if gone for a long time thank
goodness Suzanne will babysit her. I am using Calm to keep her relaxed which seems to be working. Thank you for the compliment and yes she is beautiul.
You were so blessed to have such beautiful Sibes and cannot wait for you to adopt again
You have to look on the positive side (there is enough misery in the world – right?). She has you, and the best of care and her life as a spoiled pup is the best. Everyone gets old and I am sure we would all want to be cared for like Layla!!
Marjorie so true and I have to look at the positive as I am blessed she is in so many ways healthy for her age and am doing my best to keep her that
way. I always say a happy Layla is a happy me.
Sending you both our love and some hugs. I feel like the senior years are some of the hardest and also some of the most special times. The snuggles just fill your heart in a special way. I’m really glad you have a good support system between your friends and veterinarian. It makes it easier when you have good people to lean on when you need it – even if it’s just to answer a quick question or sympathize with the changes.
Nikki you are so right and I have a wonderful support system for her which makes my life so much more relaxed and easier. The senior years are the hardest
as they creep up on you without you realizing it so making sure she is happy, comfortable and safe is all that matters today.