Some of you know I went out of town for a few days. It was a spontaneous trip–as Lynne called it, “step[ping] out of your norm.” When I returned I had more than 350 new photos on my camera, and I can’t wait to share some of them and a story or two. It was a working trip and a wonderful adventure.
But after getting home and enjoying a full night’s rest, I had to hit the ground running because of two sick dogs. Guinness is having a recurrence of her vestibular disease, which means she’s basically reeling around The Compound like the town drunk. My mother used to call this the “blind staggers” or in referring to herself, would say she was “staggering like a blind dog in a meat house.”
When I realized what was happening, I dropped Guinness at the vet. Then I ran some errands and came home to a solitary Margot. Instead of greeting me when I came in, she walked to the back bedroom and stared into it. I was standing five feet away from her, and she seemed totally oblivious to my presence even when I rattled my keys at her. Since she’d had a hotspot on one of her back legs when I left that seemed to be getting worse, not better, I called the vet and asked if I could bring her in, too, and if they could check her hearing. Turns out I was right; Margot’s gone deaf. And she’s back in the Cone of Shame to keep her from bothering that spot on her leg.
Gettin’ old is not for the timid. This is why I’ve been thirty-five for so many years. FEAR.
But that’s a story for later. Meanwhile, I think I found the Jetsons’ house.
If you like, you can read about the house here.
As you know, Dash doesn’t do so well in the hearing department either. Sometimes if I am very close and call his name he looks around, which doesnt help too much because he is a bit on the blind side too. Having said that, as long as he is with the people he trusts, he is totally fine. He still loves going to the park and his long walks, he still runs and jumps like a madman … and honestly, I think there are times when he likes it. “What? You want me to stop running around like a crazy man? I’m sorry, I can’t HEAR you….” I know that Margot will do well. Now, the cone of shame – that is another story.
Yes–it’s like I told the vet, how would we have known Margot was going deaf when she has always been the dog who conveniently couldn’t hear us when she wanted to keep digging a hole, wasn’t ready to come in, didn’t want to get off the bed, wanted to continue barking, etc. In some ways, she might appreciate the silence, as she was always afraid of sudden or loud noise.
I’ve had one go blind and two go either partially or completely deaf, and I deal with the deafness better. However, as one of our vets once told me, dogs don’t have great vision anyway, so I shouldn’t over-stress about impaired vision. They see with their noses. And I’ve never known a dog who couldn’t smell!
Fortunately, they can both see. They both still love feeding time. And they excel at napping. So they’re good. And Dash is good, too–ignoring you is one of his greatest joys–well, that and plotting against your mother.
Honestly, his lack of vision and hearing has done more to help him plot against her than anything … and you know, she plays into it. I would go into her many nicknames for Dash – but I know this blog is PG …
Ha ha!
this seems odd, but Dash does respond better to whistling. At least he can tell a general in the area direction, I thought if you hadn’t tried that you might see if it works too.
I think she can hear a little–or else she’s really good at reading our body language. I’ve always been lavish with praise for them whenever they do the right thing, and it makes me a little sad to think she can’t hear the good stuff. But her spirits seem pretty high!
She can see your face … she knows a smile!
=)
Sorry to hear about your two girls. Can’t wait to hear about your travels with Tim.
I can’t wait to have some time to write some of this down before I forget it all!
Poor Margot. Hope she and Guinness are doing better today.
In other news, sounds like your hands are very full. We can put Craft Night on hold until things slow down.
What are y’all doing this weekend? Is your Saturday free?
Not sure yet, to be honest. Will know more after tonight.
Poor pups. 🙁
Thank you.
It’s crazy, but this is the most indifferent I’ve ever seen Margot to having to wear the Cone of Shame. She’s so afraid of loud noises that I think going deaf, or at least partially deaf, may be sparing her a lot of anxiety. Mixed blessing?
And as long as Guinness’s appetite is good, she’s good. That dog will probably spend her last breath on this planet inhaling food. =)
One of my previous neighbors had a small mix dog that suffered the same near-blindness and deafness. It would turn its head a full 90 degrees trying to see.
But then, on better days, it could recognize me and you could tell it was much happier that it could.
As I mentioned somewhere above, when our late dog Stevie went blind, the vet said most of the suffering was ours on her behalf. Dogs depend on their noses more than their sight or hearing. Margot seems pretty happy, even in the Cone of Shame. Can’t wait to take that off of her!
How are the hounds doing now?
I think they’re doing well, all things considered. Thanks for asking! If they lived in your new home, they might take a run or two around the garden with Scruff and Poppy, but they’d probably like lying in the sun best.