Dog adoption

[Sits]

Great posts both, about great dogs.

[Sits]

Emily sends compliments of the season.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Merry Christmas, Emily (and to you and yours Sits)!

[nmrfox]

Lovely picture of a lovely dog. Merry Christmas Emily and to the rest of your family.

[Sits]

And back again, for her 7th adoption anniversary. She was not cooperating for a photo session today.

[Gerontophile]

x HNY to you, yours and her. (It's that time, right?)

[Sits]

Thanks Ger and likewise to you and yours.

[nmrfox]

She's a wonderful dog Sits and you and yours are so lucky to have her in your lives.

[Femme Folle]

Happy Gotcha Day, Emily! And Happy New Year to the Sits Family.

[Sits]

Thanks Foxy and FF and very much reciprocated.

It’s been a very hot festive season and she really doesn’t like this weather. We’re letting her lie in a cooler room which is usually restricted to “only when accompanied by a human” status.

[Sits]

(13th June 2018)

Emily is a couple of months away from her (human) thirteenth birthday, and the front half of her is in fine fettle - good heart etc. But as was always likely, those over-flexible hips have ended up in arthritis. She's lost about four kilos (nine pounds in old money) and it's all muscle bulk off her back end and hips.

She has a course of injections quarterly, gets supplementary mid-morning snacks of raw egg, alternating with sardines in oil - she's not unhappy with this development. Her kibble is special joint food, but we tried weaning her onto their tinned food and neither she, nor her bowels were keen. So quality of life, she's back on the tinned food she loves.

Walks are now short, and I'm experimenting with one every second day. She was limping and miserable when I took her out on consecutive days after returning from hols last weekend. She seems much happier with the new arrangement; her demeanour is a lot better after a week of that new regime.

An interesting and quite encouraging start to 2019. We took her to the vet in late January for her annual checkup and quarterly arthritis injection. They were very happy generally apart from her hips where she has lost a lot of muscle and weight. I'd been more and more careful with the regularity, pace and distance of her walks as I felt a need to "nurse" her due to the arthritis. So the vet floored me a bit by saying she needs to walk, and actually walk every day, just not very far. My instincts were telling me this was dangerous.

But it's been a revelation. Initially she was exhausted after returning, so of course I thought it was going to make her worse, but we've persevered, also working on the ratio between stopping to sniff, and actual walking - I'd basically let her do her thing as it was her walk, and for her to enjoy. Mrs. S and I do it together now, and I think Emily responds to that; us chatting means she tends to be happy just to wander along and stop occasionally. Now after about a month she is actually seeming stronger - only rarely needs help getting up from a shiny floor instead of most of the time, and is generally happier. Obviously the worst of the heat and humidity of summer seems past, and she doesn't enjoy that.

Next week eek she will be thirteen and a half, and we feel at her age she's allowed half birthday celebrations.

[Femme Folle]

Have you ever tried those non-slip dog booties? They can help stop dogs from slipping on shiny floors. Some people just use them on the hind feet.

[Sits]

Thanks FF. We did consider them but were managing just helping her up intermittently, and have hardly needed to lately. Plus knowing Emily she would be miserable about having to wear them.

[San Bernardhinault]

I mentioned on Mundane a month ago that one of our cats was diagnosed with cancer. Today we had to put her down. She had no energy, had no quality of life, and had lost almost all her weight. But even despite it being obviously time, it was ridiculously hard and I've been a complete mess since leaving for the vet. I didn't think I'd be so broken up.

[elguapo4]

Sorry to hear that SB, they become such a part of your life that it's only natural to mourn when they go.

[Femme Folle]

Sympathies, SB. It's always a hard thing to do, even when it's the right thing. Hugs.

[Toby Gymshorts]

Sorry, SB. Even as a non-cat person (allergies) that sucks. Animals really are part of the family.

You did the right thing.

[MsD]

It's a bereavement, and although it's absolutely the right thing to do, it makes you feel terrible. Virtual hugs. You gave your cat the best life and the kindest end.

[San Bernardhinault]

Thanks everyone. It sucks, but it was right. I'm OK - I was just expecting to be colder and more pragmatic about it.

[Sits]

What MsD said SB, all the best.

[San Bernardhinault]

Gero was complaining about lack of pics on the Mundane thread, so here are the two new kitties:



Sesame



And Poppy

[San Bernardhinault]

They're brother and sister. About 4 months old. They were down in San Diego for adoption from a slightly notorious San Bernadino shelter which always has too many animals and has become a kill shelter. Apparently their mother was never fixed and got pregnant going walkabout. They are little cuties, who are losing their shyness fairly fast, but who don't want to sit still for photographs.

Currently they're sequestered in the guest room as we slowly acclimatise them to the house, and try and acclimatise Chipotle - our 2 year old cat - to the idea of new friends.

[Sits]

Lovely littluns SB. Good job.

[Gerontophile]

Lovely littluns SB. Good job.

Yep, and thanks San B. My day has brightened.

[Femme Folle]

They are so cute! I love them.