Rusty's Blog

If things go as I expect, this will probably be the last time I blog about Mindy while she is alive. We have an appointment to see the vet tomorrow afternoon, and I’m not really expecting to bring her home, though I would very much like to.

You’ve probably met Mindy if you’ve been reading my blog. There are even pictures of her and Nick around here from this summer.

The last couple of weeks have not shown significant improvement. The last two weeks she has not climbed the stairs to get to our floor and only one or two times has she gone up the entry steps. She strongly favors her left hind leg now, she’s not putting any weight on it for the most part, but when walking will use it. She has collapsed a few times when she stumbles over something, or goes to do a few things she historically has done as part of being her.

We’ve been pretty solidly on canned food for the past week or so. Initially I was mixing canned food with dry, and that was going down, but about one in 5 days she wouldn’t touch it. Then almost every other day. After switching to canned food I’ve left out a dish of dry for each, and Nick has eaten some of that, including I think some that was set out for Mindy.

Mindy has never been a waddler. Even when she was a good 10, 20 or more pounds overweight. But now she is a wobbler. Going down the stairs I try to be there right next to her when she gets to the bottom, because I know she will need a moment to recover from the change in direction, and she will lean against me then. Usually just long enough for me to re-arrange holding the leads so that I can open the door.

I spent some time cuddling with her last night. Feeling ribs is one thing, feeling the cartridge along the edge of the rib cage is a different matter.

There is a possibility that she may be coming home with me tomorrow night. The major problem she is having is that what food she is eating does not seem to be being digested and taken in. She has thrown up a lot of what she has eaten and what she drinks. (No visitors expected for Thanksgiving by the way.) The odd part of this is that the usual reason for a dog throwing up food, especially labs, is an obstruction in the stomach. It is possible that an obstruction can be easily found for her, and removed and she will come home with me, hungry and be on a road to recovery. I’m not laying any money on that possibility however. She’s over 12 years old after all, and I’m pretty sure recovery is not a likely expectation at this point. That said, if I have to carry her up stairs for 2 months to get her to recover her strength to the point where she is able to go up and down on her own, I would.

Mindy has been a significant part of my life for the past 10 years. She has had characteristics odd for a lab. Some of that her history from before me, others may be genetic, but she has always had a good, friendly and playful attitude. That is typical for a lab of course. The only time I’ve ever encountered a lab, or labs that were not friendly folk was when they had gone through significant levels of abuse. And while there are a lot of people who think it’s a state that can’t be recovered from, my own opinion is that a well treated lab will be friendly and loving even if she or he has had problems in the past.

As with all stories, there are both conclusions and pieces that go on. Whether it is tomorrow, next month, or a year or two from now, Mindy will pass away. My life will go on, and for a while I expect that Nicholas will continue to be a part of it for a while, but he is nearing the end also. I make no statement that I will be ‘OK.’ at least not for the immediate future, but I expect to survive. Who knows what the future will bring.