Loving my Oldies

Something pretty well all dog lovers know (and I don’t know to whom to attribute this), but “ ’Tis better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all." It doesn’t make the loss any less hard to bear though. Deepest condolences on your loss, @luvmybulldog. Farewell, lovely Shab. May your reunion with Hoover and Crumpet be joyous.

It is such a paradox and a heart wrenching one. Deepest sympathies on your loss, @Taliecat. Dozer was blessed and cursed at the same time: blessed to have you and yours as his devoted family and cursed with having an illness which shortened his life drastically. Those photos are so adorable and a true testament to the wonderful life he had with you. Farewell darling boy and may there always be hoses aplenty for you to play with.

Made of satin Best wishes for all of you and Otto. Fun and loving times ahead.

Interesting question, @PANDI-GIRL. I simply don’t know . It wasn’t always like this and there was a time that I could feed all the dogs together. All I can recall is that both Jeune and Tamar started to carry on as though their food bowls were hiding snakes or full of poison and would take ages to eat if at all. Tamar eventually got over that with the help of an appetite stimulant, but which did nothing for Jeune. Despite being fed exactly the same, Jeune would hang over Tamar’s bowl, so I would swap them around and then she’d start eating. And Jeune became even worse and would eat something one day and then refuse it forever more and so we have reached the current situation. A few months ago, I started her on Peractin (an appetite stimulant) which I think might just have started working a little bit but not enough to arrest her weight loss. Hopefully supplementing the little she eats on her own will help her.

Ha ha ha. Nutrigel doesn’t smell too badly (molasses based) but I’ll pass on the rest. She eats (eventually) at just about every meal and sometimes hoes in as though she hasn’t eaten for a month, but the amount is miniscule. I feel quite lightheaded really at the relief of being able to get so much more food into her. And the fact she keeps it down seems to mean that she wants it, she just wants help with it.

Thank you so much, dear persephone . We will never know whether the dogs drove me crazy or I would have become anyway............

Yippeeeeeee. The little bottles have arrived and they are perfect. Already filled and Jeune has already had one. Took me a fraction of the time (and frustration) than it would have taken to fill just a couple of syringes. They are 30mls and filled with a mixture of Royal Canin Mature, home made bone broth and Nutrigel. IMG_1131 by Cynthia Waters, on Flickr

I didn’t grow up with pets and at the ripe old age of 48, I became the proud “mum” of two tiny Maltese puppies. I’d taken time off work to settle them in and a friend from another state came to visit. When she arrived, I fell on her neck crying my eyes out. I had become overwhelmed by the RESPONSIBILITY for these little lives. My friend thought I was crazy, of course.

Happy happy, Birthday Amber and well done on your love and commitment to Amber’s happiness and wellbeing, @JulesP

How exciting this must be for scientists !! It was fascinating and exciting enough to watch.

I used to think I’d give the dogs a treat and cook this up. . . . epic fail. Even those who had appetites refused this. I’m being quite successful with syringing food in that she doesn’t fight me and she keeps it down so she must not be feeling sick.

Lovely

As I said above, Jeune continues to surprise me. A couple of videos from this morning and one of Bunter a couple of days ago: Tamar and Jeune hoeing in (all things being relative ) : IMG_1129 by Cynthia Waters, on Flickr A little while later, Jeune deciding that Sooty’s breakfast is pretty good: IMG_1130 by Cynthia Waters, on Flickr And just for fun, Bunter cleaning up the chopping board for their roast chicken. Bunter is nearly 17 and suffers from Dynamic Airways Disease so he is on heaps of medication ..... even a puffer three times daily IMG_1128 by Cynthia Waters, on Flickr

Well done . Wonderful news. I think that photograph of them on the bed together took away any doubts

@PANDI-GIRL, I’m sorry I missed this. Sooty is sleeping well on her bed on the floor beside me. She regularly sleeps through the night . . . even if I don’t I had to stop her sleeping on the bed as I was sleeping so poorly worrying that she would fall off and undo the operation on her leg. I was prepared to have to be deaf to her entreaties, but she just settled down. I was surprised.