Bailey is doing better...

You may recall that I mentioned on May 2 that our chocolate lab, Bailey, who is almost 12-years old, wasn't doing very well. In the span of a little over a month, she had lost over 10 pounds and was really looking thin. She was also hobbled by her arthritis and had lost some of her appetite. Her eyes were also getting cloudy. She was one sick dog. She was also urinating about every two hours and was having some accidents in the house when she would sleep.

We took her to the Vet who said she probably had some sort of kidney or bladder infection and either had a cancer or diabetes, but he wouldn't know for sure until he could run some tests. Whichever it was though, he said it wouldn't be cheap. He kept her overnight and it wasn't a good night's sleep for us. The next day he called and said Bailey had the bladder infection and diabetes which was common for dogs. We could treat her condition or put her down.

Well, those last words smacked like a hammer. This was the dog who licked my face while I lay on the floor waiting for the paramedics while I was having a heart attack. This was Pam's companion for about two years while I was deployed for military. Bailey is more than a dog to us, she is one of the family. I guess you have to have dogs like this to understand. Anyway, short of mortgaging the house, we were going to take care of this good friend. We committed to taking care of her, giving her her medication and insulin shots, taking her to the vet more frequently, and changing our lifestyle if necessary to ensure she had a good quality of life for her remaining time.

Well, after a week of TLC and insulin shots, I am happy to report that she is doing much better. She has put a couple of pounds back on and is able to get around much easier. Her bladder infection is gone and she is back to more of her old self. I think the key is in her eyes--they are clear and her old sparkle is back. Her walks with Pam are still pretty short, but she's making progress.

I haven't added any of my dog wisdom to this space for a while, so this might be a good place to get back to it. Dave Berry once said "You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right!! I never would've thought of that!'"

And finally, even though I am repeating myself on this one, "My goal in life is to be as good a person as my dog already thinks I am."

Hooah