STILL HERE...

Bits and pieces..

We just got back from our annual camping trip to the High Sierras. It's so beautiful there and so peaceful, you really get to "recharge"

This camping trip seemed hectic though for some reason. Lots of going back and forth to the campsites with family members and it seemed to me way too much cooking! Things will have to be different next time, I almost felt like I wasn't on vacation, lol.

I've adjusted to everyone moving back in and I'm more at peace with it. It is really nice to have my family all together for once. :Now if I could just get use to the clutter!

The heat has been almost unbearable here. It's been humid and that's unusual for CA weather. I can't stand that sticky feeling, ugg. I wonder if the fires has anything to do with it?

Work has been great. I'm taking care of a 94 year old man. He is the sweetest person. He is confused as heck though, which is why he needs the help. I cook him his meals, otherwise all he eats is bananas, and drink wine, lol. I do his laundry and "gently" convince him to get in the shower and put on fresh clothes. He doesn't think any of that is necessary, so this is no easy feat. I hope when I get to that age,

I have the resources to pay a company like mine to come in and help. People live so much longer when they can stay in their own home instead of a nursing home or an assisted living facility.

On a sad note... My 14 year old dog still has lots of energy, but lately has been falling. His back legs just give out on him. It's so sad to watch, but he doesn't seem to be bothered by it, he gets right up again:) Sigh, it's going to be hard to see him go. I wonder what the lifespan of a Golden Retriever is? I think I'll try and google it.

2:09 PM - 9/10/2009 - Postacomment

Goldens can live between 14-16 years. My first golden, Peaches, lived 'til 12...she had cancer so that was the best we could expect. She was a happy, content little dog up to her last day but on her last day you can tell she was sick and that it was time :( Lexus is 9 I think her eye sight is not very good. Mercedes is 4...I am not looking forward to the day that Lexus dies cause it will not only be very hard on us but it will also be very very hard on Mercedes. She doesn't do anything without Lexus.

Nikkie - 8:18 PM - 9/10/2009

I hope your dog lives forever and ever and ever.

slayerbarbie - 11:15 AM - 9/11/2009

It's so hard to watch our furry family members age. It seems like they are with us for such a shrt time.

If your Golden still seems healthy, other then the hip problem, you might want to bring him to the Vet and have his hips checked. Some dogs get hip displacia (sp?). Were the leg bone slips out of the hip socket. I think Vets can fix that.

littleMissConfused - 6:11 PM - 9/11/2009

LMC is right the vet can fix hip dysplasia BUT it is a surgical proceedure that is very expensive and not usually done on older dogs. It is too hard on them :( Try giving your golden glucosmine it is suppose to help dogs with their joints.

Nikkie - 9:54 AM - 9/12/2009

Nikki--That will be hard for Mercedes. But, you might have a long time before you have to worry about that!
Hmm, 14 to 16 years. We might still have some good time with him then! He just turned 14, he's almost blind and deaf, but he still has lots of energy.

LauriesAsylum - 10:32 AM - 9/13/2009

Demetris--Thanks! That would be awesome if it was possible:)

LauriesAsylum - 10:32 AM - 9/13/2009

LMC--We did and he said it's his bones. Just like when humans get older, their bones get brittle and some get arthritis. We give him aspirin each day, but it doesn't seem to help.:(

LauriesAsylum - 10:34 AM - 9/13/2009

Nikkie-- We started him on the glucosmine, but he would sneeze, his eyes constantly ran, he was scratching himself constantly. We think he was allergic to the shellfish in it. Once we stopped it, all those symptoms went away!

LauriesAsylum - 10:38 AM - 9/13/2009

If you want the opinion of a vet tech, 14 is about the uppermost age you will see a Golden reach. Falling down in the hind end is not always related to hip dysplasia but often is related to spinal stenosis or brown outs as we call them. The spinal cord gets weaker and sometimes is pinched from calcium deposits, etc and thus narrows the path that the cord runs down. Every now and then the 'signals" from the cord to the brain have a disconnect and the dog goes down in the rear end.
Sooner or later it becomes a black out and the dog cannot stand up.

The difference is that with hip issues, such as arthritis and dysplasia, there is usually a tremendous amount of pain, whimpering, etc. The dog slows down slowly, has trouble rising from sleeping but will limp for a while after getting up.

In the case of the Central Nervous System (CNS) "brown out" you won't have that. The dog simple cannot seem to control his rear end- mostly because they cannot feel it.

It is always difficult to lose a dog to old age or any disease. But as a technician I have had to ask the hardest question of all- is the dog living a life of quality? You will know when he is no longer living that way Laurie, and you will painfully do the right thing for him. It's a gift we can give them but not each other- the gift of ending suffering.

My thoughts will be with you and he both.

FYI:
There is no cure for dysplasia. The only thing that can be done for most dogs is a bi-lateral femoral head osteootomy-which means that the head of the femur is cut off on both legs, and the leg then makes a 'false" socket to sit into. It doesn't work all of the time and rarely is it done to a dog over 10. Hip replacements are financially insane and again they usually won't do a dog over 10.

indigomoonarts - 9:20 PM - 9/29/2009

I hate doing a lot of cooking and washing dishes when I go camping. For me, it's paper all th way, as much as possible. I like to relax, that's the whole point of camping...:)

Yes it's sad when our animals start aging. It was hard to watch Toby try to walk up the steps and other things like that. We finally had to put him down for his sake, but it was very, very hard to do that....

lisalisabobisa - 9:58 PM - 10/2/2009

OMG, I got a minute online, finally was able to get logged in here. I FREAKIN miss you !!! and everyone else. Alot has changed with me, I hope to be back online soon. So sad to hear about your dog. I love u girl !!!!!! *windy

windy - 5:41 AM - 10/30/2009

Windy, you're alive! Come back, we miss you!

LauriesAsylum - 4:36 PM - 10/31/2009