As our dogs get older, we expect to see changes.  They will be subtle at first.  Perhaps, they won't walk as far and we may just think they are a bit tired from playing.  But as this becomes more of the norm, we'll recognize it for what it is.

With my 15 year old Scrumpy, the first change was with her hearing.  Next, it was her sight.  One would think that this would make it very difficult for her to manage but it isn't.  She has been able to adapt extremely well even when she's in unfamiliar surroundings.

Another thing I noticed was a lack of stability in her front legs.  I suspect that this stems from an old injury in her shoulder joint.  To prevent her front legs from giving out, I carefully trim the hair on the bottom of her paws (with rounded scissors).  I also started putting socks with rubberized bottoms on her front paws.  This helps give her the stability and traction needed to walk on hard wood floors. 

Our walks are now shorter but more frequent.  It's important for her exercise to maintain her capabilities.  This is when I become her seeing eye person!  I always carry her up and down the stairs in the house but outside, she is able to manage climbing up steps.   I take my queues from her which means that sometimes, it's more of a carry than walk. 

One of the things that Scrumpy didn't need any assistance with was finding her food.  With her diminished eyesight, her sense of smell has become acute.  She is an expert at ferreting out not only her food bowl but any treats that might be tucked away in pockets. 

Living with a geriatric dog means a few adjustments here and there to our normal routine but they are all well worth the effort!

It's been some time since my last post about my little girl Java.  A lot has happened and it's only now that I am ready to share this. 

About one year after Java was diagnosed with lymphangiectasia, I made the difficult decision to say goodbye to her.  I have no regrets, I only have many fond memories of our time together. 

During this year, I learned a lot.  I learned that it takes a lot of energy to make home-cooked meals for an ill dog.  Java's meals were all individually made - each ingredient was weighed.  All in all, it took about a day to make 2 weeks worth of meals.  I recall wondering if I had known what this truly entailed, would I have made the same decision.  In my heart, I know I would have but at the same time, it gave me the awareness that not everyone would and that this is perfectly fine.  It's not a reflection on them, they don't love their furry companion any less.  It's just simply not something they can do. 

I learned about the importance of having a relationship with your vet and the staff at the clinic.  I was at the clinic for weekly weight checks as rapid weight loss is one of the symptoms.  Together we celebrated weeks where she maintained or even gained weight and together we worried when her weight dropped. 

I learned about vets that specialize in palliative care.  Throughout the year, my palliative care vet was there supporting me every step of the way.  She worked along side my regular vet and in the end, when it was time, she came to my home to administer the final procedure.  It takes a special person to do the work she does.  I was very fortunate to have met her ...

Mostly, I learned about the value of friendship.  The outpouring of love helped shine light into the dark corners of grief.  Like my memories of Java, these will always be treasured.

I hope you will not have to say goodbye to your four-legged friend for a very long time.  When you do, my wish is for you to have the love and support of friends, family and vets that I had so that it eases the journey.