Thing 1 is now 13 years old. Wow. 13. I got him as a 6th birthday present to The Princess. As an older gentleman, he is now starting to have some personality and health issues that he just didn't have as a pup. Personality wise, he's still a happy pup, loving his treats and trying to steal pizza off your plate. But he had completely run out of patience for things like getting his hair brushed and at home baths. Since he will not sit still for a real brushing anymore, I have to sometimes go and have him clipped all the way down. Personally I think he likes his hair shorter with no muss and no fuss.
Health wise, well, he's 91 in pup years. He's had some bladder issues, some skin issues, and after this latest grooming, we noticed some lumps on his neck Friday night. I took him back into the vet Saturday morning. So, several tests and exams and $173 later, we know that he now has hypothyroidism....which fortunately can be controlled with meds. And the meds weren't as pricey as I thought. $39 for six months supply. I can deal with that. We still don't know what the lumps are exactly. We are going to likely have to do a procedure to aspirate them and see what it really is. I'd like to know what we are dealing with in the long run.
I know at some point we will have to make the decision between quantity and quality of life for him. I don't think that time is now. And I hope that time is a long way off in the future. For now though, I think I'm going to have to do some budget adjustments to allow for more money in the pup care category. Time to get to crunching those numbers.
What kind of dog is he? He looks a little like our Bichon, but then our Bichon is often mistaken for either a poodle or a maltipoo. Whatever he is, he's just cute as can be.
ReplyDeleteI hear you about the difficulty of caring for senior pets. We have two 13 year old dogs (mutts) and they having arthritis and hearing issues. Right now, they're mostly fine, but trying to be sensitive to their quality of life and knowing when it's time to let go is always so hard.
He is a bichon. And he does have some issues with his vision, but he's had those for a while and compensates really well.
ReplyDeleteOh I love bichons. Such cheerful dogs. I actually like how you have him cut. We keep ours in a puppy cut, though just a bit longer; I prefer the shorter cuts. My partner's mom has bichons, but she shows them and they look like puff balls!! I'll say a prayer that Thing 1 continues strong.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I found the pouffy cuts to be a bit too high maintenance for me --- Thing 1 likes to roll in grass, and the dirt -- and having to do that kind of upkeep --- well, no thanks! PLUS I can't afford it!
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