Today I would have been 14

It's on the calendar- mama must have written it on there last year before I went to the Bridge. We are supposed to get snow in WA this weekend- I loved snow so much until last winter. Then it just made my ramp slippery and made it even harder for me to get around. The kids and my mama talked about me today and what a good boy I was. They know that I am in a better place right now and they let me go at the right time.
Think I'll go bother Cali and Ringo about that special cake they were supposed to make me;)

My brother joins me at the Bridge today

My real brother, Smoky, made his way to the Bridge today. He turned 13 in July and lived his whole life with my mama's parents. They called today- his arthritis had gotten so bad he had nerve damage. Today he wouldn't even eat or take his meds. Grandma and PapPap's hearts are broken, but they knew it was his time. They had been taking him out in a sling and PapPap stayed home with him almost all day every day for the past 6 months.
The mobile vet who had been taking care of him came to their house today to let him go peacefully. Now I can finally play with my brother again- I hadn't seen him for over 10 years. Cali and Ringo will be giving him lots of licks and we'll all give him the grand tour. Keep his family in your thoughts- they are missing their Smoky boy.

What a nice surprise!

I was chosen as one of the diary picks today. I am really honored and happy to know that some pups have read what I've written about my life on earth and going to the Bridge. May all who read this have a wonderful day!

Gone but not forgotten

Friends, I am just overwhelmed with the love and support you gave my family when it was time for me to go to the Bridge. I got to spend my 13th birthday with my humans and dog pack that I love so much, then my daddy took me to the vet for the last time on December 15th. My family and the vet and staff knew it was time for me to be free from my pain, and the love and kindness you all gave me helped more than you will ever know. Thank you to everypup who sent a pmail, posted in one of the threads about me or sent a gift for my page. My mama just couldn't keep up, but you are all very dear to our hearts.
Today mama got an email about an Elkhound litter that will be ready in February. It was 13 February's ago that I came to live with my family, and though they are not ready yet, my humans are reconsidering their choice to have no more Elkhounds. Maybe in the next few years another little black and gray curly tailed ball of fur will worm his (or her) way into their hearts...

My birthday week- just not how I had hoped

Well, guys, I think my time has come. I will be 13 tomorrow, and my family is going to help me have the best birthday week possible. But we read something Cherry posted...if you're not sure if your dog is ready to go to the Bridge, list the 5 things they enjoy most. If they don't enjoy them any more, it is probably time.
Here are my top 5:
1. Food
2. Going outside and smelling everything
3. Chewing on soup bones
4. Letting Cali lick my ears
5. Lots of pats from my humans

Sadly, I hardly eat or go outside, I won't even smell a soup bone, I growled at Cali when she tried to lick my ears and I only want pats for a minute when I come in:(
So, my friends, my family is going to take me to the vet on Saturday for the last time. This has been an agonizing decision and not taken lightly at all. My mama is crying as she types this. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers and thank you so much for all the words of encouragement you have given|:||:||:|

Another update

Well, I've not updated this for a while...
I'm still not doing very well. I won't eat my regular kibble even if it has canned food on it and mama has tried even a few different kibble brands- Orijen is our regular and she's tried Ca. Natural and Innova.
But I am loving the premade raw so that's what I'm eating. May not be best for my kidneys but at least it's wet and keeping my tummy full.
I'm taking the Anipryl and thyroid meds- mama needs to get my blood rechecked but she doesn't want to stress me out.
I spend almost all day laying down and barking lots, but I've been forced to sleep in mama and daddy's room on the carpet at night. And the ramp daddy made me really makes it easier to get to the yard, but I'm dreading the icy weather:(
I will be 13 on December 12th and my family hopes and prays I get to have a wonderful Christmas with them, but I'm just not sure about that still...
Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you|:|

Some news, I think...

Mama did take me to have an x-ray done and the vet thought there may be something near my liver and spleen. So I was sedated and had an ultrasound done, urine tested, got more fluids sub-q...Turns out my liver is abnormal- may be Cushing's disease, so I need to do another urine test.
In the mean time, I've been talking to a sweet girl named Mamie and I think I may have something called CDS. It's the dog version of Alzheimers and boy do my symptoms fit. Not too hungry, confused, looks "sad", sleeps and barks at odd times...
So mama ordered me some Anipryl- seems to help some dogs with this condition. It doesn't come in till Wednesday, so I'm kinda in limbo till then.
But from seeing how awful I wasn't after the ultrasound, my family has decided that there will be no more big stressful tests. They want me to enjoy the time I have left with them, and we are all hoping the Anipryl helps me do just that!

So hard...

My family is having such a hard time watching me deteriorate...yesterday mama bought us all big soup bones (normally an extremely happy event for me) and I just dropped mine and walked away. She tried to give me the bone in the kitchen while the rest of the dogs were outside, but I just laid down.
I seem to get lost on the deck- always walking in circles in the corners. And I am almost afraid of mama helping me down the steps. I do a little better when I'm outside by myself with no other dogs rushing around, but I'm just not myself. My cinnamon roll tail is uncurled more often than not and my happy Elkhound smile has faded.
Daddy and mama are concerned that my abdomen doesn't look the same as it has, yet I'm never finishing my meals. Mama is dreading doing an x-ray but that will probably happen on Friday.
The vitamin E capsules help my nose a bit, but I lick most of it off.
Please keep my family in your prayers- mama and daddy got me 2 as an 8 week old pup two weeks before they got married. I want to make them happy for a lot longer, but I don't know how long I'll hold out.

A ray of sunshine on a dreary day

Yesterday, I went to the vet and it was not good news. I do have cataracts which is why I've been stumbling and walked into our glass patio door. I do have low thyroid, which may be why my fur has never grown back from my surgery in the spring. And I do have early stage kidney disease.
So I got loaded up with fluids and got thyroid pills at the vet, then mama and I went to the pet store to get some lower protein food and some herbal kidney stuff...
Today when mama woke up, my nose was WET!! This may seem like no big deal to most of you, but the last time my nose was actually wet was the day before daddy went to sea back at the end of May...what timing!
It didn't stay wet for long, but it sure brightened mama's day- God made the sun shine inside our house today!
This weekend, daddy will work on the ramp so I can get to the back yard without having to navigate steps.

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