She hasn't been going outside very much and is sleeping a lot
Then one day when I was bringing them out in the car I noticed that she was really struggling to get in to the car
They come on the car with me nearly every day and she has never had that issue before
Usually she just jumps in with no hesitation at all
But now she stops and stares at it as if trying to psych herself up
She puts her 2 front paws on the seat but doesn't seem to have the strength in her back legs to push herself up
So I've been keeping a close eye on her
She has also been struggling to get up steps and is straining a bit when getting up from lying down
Then yesterday after getting in to the car, she started crying
I figured that she must be in pain so I immediately rang my vet
She said to bring her so my mother, me and Lea and Honey set off for the vet
The vet happens to be on the same road as the kennels so as soon as we turned on to that road the dogs started to look concerned
Little did they know they were going somewhere far worse than the kennels
I parked, put Lea on her lead and went inside
The minute Lea smelt the familiar vet smell, she decided she was not happy and turned to run outside but instead promptly ran in to a pane of glass
The vet took is in to her surgery and I explained what had been happening
She brought us outside so she could see Lea walking
Then she weighed her (the same weight as my lowest weight)
She said that Lea was slightly over weight
We went back to her room and she examined Lea
She said that the probable cause was arthritis of the hips as this was common is retrievers that are a little bit older (Lea is 8)
The best thing to do she said, was to put her on medication for arthritis for 3 weeks and see if that helps
Lea was fine but Honey was not a happy dog and kept running for the door
I paid and made another appointment for 3 weeks time and left
The dogs could not get out of there quick enough
Because they had been so good at the vets, we brought them to their favourite beach for a nice long walk
It would be great if she could lose a bit of weight she said
Any one who knows me knows how much my dogs mean to me
I got them when I first moved here 8 years ago and they have been by my side ever since
I can't remember what life was like before them
They have saved my life over and over again
When I can't find a reason to get up in the morning, I get up for them
When I don't want to leave my house, I leave to walk them
And just being with them makes me feel better
They bring so much happiness and joy in to our house
Even my mother who is not a dog lover, loves them
She was just as concerned as I was about Lea
So the thought that I might be hurting them was like a punch in the stomach
Yes I agree both my dogs are a bit over weight
And it's my responsibility as I'm the one who feeds them
I have to admit that I show love for them through food
A treat here
A biscuit there
And they get a nice big dinner every day
It breaks my heart to think that I might contributing to Leas's condition by not feeding them properly
Some would argue that an over fed dog is just as bad as an underweight dog
But it's not out of badness that I feed them
It's out of love and wanting them to be happy
I think my ED might have something to do with it also
I love feeding them
The ritual of putting their food in their bowls
Preparing the food and watching them enjoy it brings me joy
I hate the thought that they might be hungry so I make sure that never happens
But now to help Lea, I may have to reconsider what and how much I feed them
They are getting older now and I want to do everything I can to make sure that they are here for as long as possible
I can't bear the thought of life without them and they are irreplaceable
They have been with me through all the ups and downs of the last 8 years and I'm not sure if I could do this without them
Some people may say that I'm being overly dramatic about my dogs but they really do mean this much to me
I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes
Phew! I was preparing myself for something very tragic when I read the first lines of this post. But at least she's mostly okay! She can definitely (and will) get better from this.
ReplyDeleteI don't think overfeeding a dog is as bad as underfeeding it. I understand where you're coming from in terms of why you do it. Underfeeding a dog (in my opinion) means you probably TRY to neglect the dog, while overfeeding means too much love. Anyway, you had no idea that she was overweight, so you can't put blame on yourself for feeding her such and such amount of food. If we don't think something is a problem of course we'll keep doing it. Besides, we're not inside our dog's stomachs.
Now you know, and thankfully this problem has an easy fix, although it will take some time to work.
By the way, I love the picture of you with your dogs. Lea looks like she's in heaven.
I know Emily, it could have been a lot worse so I am grateful that it wasn't
ReplyDeleteAt least it can be treated and it won't effect her too much
Today she seems to be a bit perkier so that's a good sign
It's so hard not to give them food here and there but I will cut down on their snacks and treats x
Awe Ruby, I really hope your dogs are going to be okay... I don't think you are being over dramatic... you love your dogs and there is nothing wrong with that at all :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Launna, if love could get her well she would be as healthy as can be
ReplyDeleteHope you are doing ok, you're in my thoughts x
I am doing well Ruby... I traded one addiction for another but at least this one is a healthy one... I do want to get to the core of why I am so addicted to anything I do... there has to be reason, maybe one day I will figure it all out.
DeleteYou are always in my thoughts Ruby... xox
I'm glad to hear you're well Launna
DeleteI have done that so many times, swap one addiction for another
I think some of us have addictive personalities
And also I think some of us are so sensitive that we feel too much and so look for ways to feel nothing at all
Much love x
Sorry to hear about Lea having arthritis. I hope the medication helps her. Your doggies are just gorgeous, give them both a kiss from me. Much love. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeanne
DeleteMuch love to you too x
Our Silky had arthritis. Its so hard once they start getting older. She was a bit chubby at one point, but by the end she became underweight and no matter how much we fed her, she was tiny. I have a huge phobia of feeding my pets the 'wrong amount'. I don't want underfeed or overfeed them. I always measure the dry food in a measuring scoop, and constantly check the back of the tin to see how much wet food to give them. They do get a lot of 'extras', treats from our plates at mealtimes, but so far that's been okay.
ReplyDeleteYour furbabies are irreplaceable. I still cry for Silky a lot, 7 months later. It scares me to think that Billy's getting older too, he's 10 years old. I know how much you love your dogs, and you're not being overdramatic at all.
Good luck with getting Lea healthy. You and your pups will be in my thoughts <3
xx
Poor Silky Bella, I know that you miss her lots
DeleteI know what you mean
I am a bit paranoid now about feeding my own two
I think I'll ask the vet what is the best way to feed them and how much as I don't trust my own judgement
Hope you're doing ok sweetheart
Much love and hugs to you x
You scared me there! I thought it was much worse. We were over feeding our dog but we have cut back and she has lost weight. Dogs are important parts of our family. They love us Nd we love and care about them.
ReplyDeleteSorry Betty, didn't mean to scare you
DeleteBut you are right, it could have been a lot worse
At least with arthritis it can be treated and managed
And yes they are part of the family
It wouldn't be the same without them x
I had a husky that was over weight, 100lbs due to his medication and health problems, and I felt so guilty. I cut some calories by giving him baby carrots, frozen green beans and chunks of fruit as a treat most of the time and actually measuring out his dog food. And lucky for you your fur babies love to go on long walks with you so you will have no trouble with exercise! Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThat's a good idea for treats Josie
DeleteI might try that
I've started bringing my two out for two walks instead of one so hopefully that will help their weight
Hope you're doing ok x
Thanks for the lovely comment, darling. I'm sorry I've been a terrible commenter :( I want to get back into reading your beautiful words. Hope you're keeping well <3
ReplyDeleteI know how much your doggies mean to you, so I really hope that the medicine helps Lea get better soon. It's so obvious how much you love them, I don't think you should worry about that at all, you are their best mum in the whole world!
ReplyDeleteX
To misquote the immortal wisdom of Hagrid, people do get a bit funny over their pets.
ReplyDeleteMate, I panic of Dralion too. I have NO place to judge you over worrying about your puppies! *Huggles* It's always freaky when a pet starts to act a bit 'off', coz they can't just tell you what is wrong! D:
I've got the opposite problem with Dralion. She's a fussy little wench who will ONLY eat Whiskas kitten packets, so I get her those and fancy Adult biscuits to get her properly nutritioned and I've tried fattening her up with pet milk coz I'm worried she is underweight. (Wooo lets all project our EDspaz onto out pets! -.-;) Thank you for the reminder to take her to the vets for a checkup!
Oh man, arthritis in dogs SUCKS. Poor Zen was in so much pain from his hips he couldn't even sleep at the end. (He was a German Shepherd, they are really bad for arthritis) Time to start researching Nutrition For The Older Dog? You don't have to stop giving them treats you know, there are really good ones out there now so you can spoil them and NOT end up with a puppy who can't waddle fast enough to catch a tennis ball :x
Love to you and your puppies from the bottom of the world <3
I grew up free feeding pets (you leave a big bowl of food out and when it's empty you refill it... no measuring). I bought "weight control" food for a while but I could never put my dog on a portion-controlled diet, even when she was overweight. Fortunately, she settled at a healthy weight in adulthood. My cat is kinda pudgy but I try to get him to play more rather than cutting his food.
ReplyDeleteThe veggies are a great idea to still give treats to show Lea love. You can also mix them into her dinner kibble to give the food more volume for that full-tummy feeling (my vet calls it "the green bean diet" but any low cal veggie they will eat works). You can also allot a certain number of treats per day and make sure you downsize her dinner just a little bit so she's not overeating.
Activity is a great way to manage arthritis. If she likes swimming, that is the absolute best way for her to keep the muscles supporting those achy joints strong. Any activity is good though. When my mom's German Shepherd started getting arthritis in her hips the vet recommended daily glucosamine & chondroitin. It doesn't work for every dog, but she definitely had an improvement in her limp. (It will take about a month for you to see a difference if you decide to give that a shot).
Also, I trained my girl to just put her front paws in the car and I would help her with the back when she got too old to jump in herself anymore (and at 70 pounds it was a bit much having me do all the work every time).
Sorry this is kind of long and random but I DO understand how much your pets mean to you. There are a lot of people for whom our pets are part of our sanity.