Post by Meadow Creek Mama on Jan 11, 2020 18:27:40 GMT -5
Our Rowdy seems to be going down and I am just heartbroken.
Last night he was pacing around the house. I thought he was looking for food and also being bold, coming to areas of the house he isn't usually allowed. He had done that the day earlier too. But yesterday, I actually got annoyed and scolded him, telling him to just lay down, but he wouldn't. We quickly realized that he was walking with his hips to the side and his breathing was labored. It progressed quickly to his legs splaying out under him, falling to the side, just very much off balance. He would lie down and breath hard, eyes closed, face muscles twitching, appeared blind, also being unresponsive to our calls. At one point I called my husband in to tell him I thought he was about to die. DH pulled him away from the sofa that he had landed by. When he moved him he stopped breathing. We had that moment of shock that he was gone when he quickly breathed again.
The night was horribly long and we got him to a vet today. He goes from not being able to stand up to being able to run out the door, but mostly he's going downhill. He hasn't eaten much, drinking nothing. We and the vet think he had a stroke or has a brain tumor. The vet said it's more than just old dog off balance problems, as there seems to be more neurological issues involved. He knows we're there with him, but he's confused. He's not blind, but will walk into a wall anyway. He's refusing water and already looks thin.
He doesn't have any pain that we can tell and since he will eat here and there, we decided not to put him down yet. She said he may survive like this, recover or he may just die from it. We fully expect to find him gone within a week and it's such a horrible thing. This dog has been such a strong, brave, loyal creature. To see him weak is breaking my heart. My DH and I used to be rock climbers, traveling all over the country and Canada. When we got Rowdy, he would find a way to the top of rock faces and look down at us from the edge. He could pull rope toys out of trees 9 feet up. Since he's a 'snow dog,' we converted a Burley trailer into a dog cart. He could pull our groceries home in it and people would stop and take pictures of him. We used to joke that with the way he could tear up and down hillsides that he'd probably die by impaling himself but he never did. Up until the last 48 hours, he has been the most amazing athlete.
We know 9 years old isn't young, but we thought we had at least 10 years with our big guy. Maybe the Lord will perform a miracle and grant that wish. Until then, I'm trying to remember how grateful I am to have had the pleasure of his companionship and protection these last 8 years. Keeping him comfortable and hopefully recovering are all we can do for now.
Last night he was pacing around the house. I thought he was looking for food and also being bold, coming to areas of the house he isn't usually allowed. He had done that the day earlier too. But yesterday, I actually got annoyed and scolded him, telling him to just lay down, but he wouldn't. We quickly realized that he was walking with his hips to the side and his breathing was labored. It progressed quickly to his legs splaying out under him, falling to the side, just very much off balance. He would lie down and breath hard, eyes closed, face muscles twitching, appeared blind, also being unresponsive to our calls. At one point I called my husband in to tell him I thought he was about to die. DH pulled him away from the sofa that he had landed by. When he moved him he stopped breathing. We had that moment of shock that he was gone when he quickly breathed again.
The night was horribly long and we got him to a vet today. He goes from not being able to stand up to being able to run out the door, but mostly he's going downhill. He hasn't eaten much, drinking nothing. We and the vet think he had a stroke or has a brain tumor. The vet said it's more than just old dog off balance problems, as there seems to be more neurological issues involved. He knows we're there with him, but he's confused. He's not blind, but will walk into a wall anyway. He's refusing water and already looks thin.
He doesn't have any pain that we can tell and since he will eat here and there, we decided not to put him down yet. She said he may survive like this, recover or he may just die from it. We fully expect to find him gone within a week and it's such a horrible thing. This dog has been such a strong, brave, loyal creature. To see him weak is breaking my heart. My DH and I used to be rock climbers, traveling all over the country and Canada. When we got Rowdy, he would find a way to the top of rock faces and look down at us from the edge. He could pull rope toys out of trees 9 feet up. Since he's a 'snow dog,' we converted a Burley trailer into a dog cart. He could pull our groceries home in it and people would stop and take pictures of him. We used to joke that with the way he could tear up and down hillsides that he'd probably die by impaling himself but he never did. Up until the last 48 hours, he has been the most amazing athlete.
We know 9 years old isn't young, but we thought we had at least 10 years with our big guy. Maybe the Lord will perform a miracle and grant that wish. Until then, I'm trying to remember how grateful I am to have had the pleasure of his companionship and protection these last 8 years. Keeping him comfortable and hopefully recovering are all we can do for now.