Farley gives me a small scare

Farley tolerates Taz claiming a spot on his bed.

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole." - Roger Caras

It's been a busy week. My faithful dog, Farley, has been having trouble getting around quite suddenly over the last couple of weeks and I finally took him to the vet on Tuesday. I was worried...he's 13 years and 3 months old which is getting on there for a Black Lab. His geriatric checkup was due in May but this was a reason to move it up a month. I left him at the vet's office and I realized that I was extremely sad and getting quite emotional over this. I was wondering if the vet would find something wrong enough that we might be dealing with Farley's last days and it really got to me. He called me and said he was going to take some x-rays of Farley's hips and, depending on what he found, we'd talk "about the future". That put me in a funk the rest of the day. I tried to stay busy but after lunch all I could do was pace about the house, look out the windows, and try to keep from crying. I've known Farley since he was six weeks old and I know he won't last forever. I started writing about him to keep me busy...reads pretty good so far.

"Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring -- it was peace." – Milan Kundera

So my vet calls about 3pm and he's got good news but not great news. It's definitely hip dysplasia, a common ailment among larger dogs although small ones can get it, too. I come over to his office to see the x-rays and he pointed out that Farley's right hip is real good and that's a plus. However, his left hip is practically bone-on-bone and the socket is getting worn out with barely half of the ball of his femur inside the socket. So, we're going to keep him on medication to reduce the inflamation and pain for the next two weeks and then see how it goes.

"The biggest dog has been a pup." - Joaquin Miller

So I took him home and after a couple of days he seems more active with the pain meds but the long walks are a thing of the past. I can't take him out for more than 10 minutes a day max for now. His bloodwork came in and he's very healthy for a 13-year-old...no liver problems, no heart problems, kidneys are fine, and a few extra white blood cells but that's probably because of the inflamation in the hip. In other words, except for a nearly bum leg he's in good shape. The nice thing about the right hip being good is that he's got something he can still stand on. So by the end of the day, I was in a much better mood. My sadness had been lifted and I was giving Farley lots of lovin' and a few extra treats.

"The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man's." - Mark Twain

But I tell ya, when that terrible time comes someday (and it'll be sooner than later), I don't know if I'll be ready. I really love that dog and I'll miss him.

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us." - Robert Louis Stevenson