Between Bandit, babysitting the next generation and unwrapping KitKat bars that magically did not leave the house on Halloween, I have fallen behind on Naperville Now. My apologies.
Our 1,000-year-old dog, whose brushes with death have been numerous and terrifying, woke up Thursday unable to walk. His body was skewing right, causing him to fall down like a mad drunk. Added bonus: the imbalance thing caused him to vomit pretty much across every surface of the house.
Dr. McIntyre, The Welcome Waggin' vet who makes housecalls, determined his condition to be not a stroke but vestibular disease. It is ideopathic, manifests suddenly (particularly in older dogs), and is awful to watch.
A magic shot set him nearly to rights and bits of liverwurst throughout the day sustained his rebound. By Friday night, he had managed the two steps out to the yard and back under his own steam. He was even a little peppy, all things considered.
While Bandit looks like a ghost dog (we've had him groomed since this picture was shot), he somehow manages to keep tabs on who has an English muffin or a bowl of chips (and who might be willing to share).
Today, the granddchildren are in our care, and I apologize, old dog, for the disruption and love and chasing they provide. You have never been a fan of little kids but have suffered them with grace. They are reliable sources of food, afterall, and in this life, that is no small thing.
6 comments:
I held my breath when I saw this post, almost afraid to click and hoping not to read what I didn't want to read. God Bless this little old man, he really hangs in there. Liverwurst, the magic cure for what ails ya!
Get well and hugs to Bandit and you.
I felt the same as Lynn, but glad Bandit is still going (albeit in circles, maybe)....
You know my dogs always had these episodes in the fall too.
Bandit is the best, and so are his parents.
A dog that can still enjoy his liverwurst is a dog living a good life. Glad to see that the treatment for the vestibular condition brought about such immediate results for dear old Bandit.
So glad Bandit is doing better. Unfortunately, 15 1/2 year old Sundance could not get up one morning in June and there was nothing they could do for him. He was such a good boy, and we miss him so much. He lived a good long life and his eyes told me that day that it was ok to say goodbye.
Enjoy each day with Bandit.
Vicki B.
Vicki -- our hearts go out to you.
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