Evil T reminded me a little while ago that I haven't written about Buddy the Dog in a long time.
Poor Buddy.
His health is declining more and more. A little over two years ago he fell into a hole that some dumb ass city worker left uncovered and unmarked. His hips have given him problems ever since. His arthritis really bugs him somedays. We give him the strongest dose of Glucosomine we can and it seems to help him.
He's got Cushings disease which affects his liver. He's got a huge mass in his tummy, mostly likely caused by the Cushings. And also mostly likely has a tumor in his brain, also from the Cushings. He has little doggy dementia. He is ravenous for cookies all the time. It's cute but sometimes Jon gets irritated with him because Buddy is so focused on the cookies that he will hurt himself trying to get at them. We keep them in a cabinet in the kitchen and he is all over us when we open the cabinet.
Another of the infinite number of side effects from the Cushings is that he is prone to ear and eye infections. We give him antibiotics periodically when we notice that he is slower, sluggish, and sleeps more than usual. All signs that he has a new infection. The first dose of his ear antibiotics made him go deaf. He has never gotten his hearing back so he follows Jon and I around constantly because he can't hear where we are in the house anymore. He is very easily startled because of this as well so we are careful not to scare him.
His hair is falling out. A lot of it these days. And he hasn't been able to regrow any hair in over a year. Last year they shaved his neck to take blood at the vet's office. It's still smooth. His poor little tail is going bald, his tummy is naked, and he has a receding hairline on his butt.
His arthritis is so bad these days that he no longer can go for walks, he just gets too tired. The past couple of months, Buddy man has been having a lot of trouble going up and down the stairs for him to get to the back yard. A few weekends ago I was sitting here at my computer, probably reading blogs when I heard a thump come from the back yard. Buddy had fallen off of the side of the stairs and on to the cement. This dog was breaking my heart!
On Jon's next day off he built a ramp over the stairs and after I got home from work I help carpet the ramp so Buddy wouldn't slide on it. It has done wonders for Buddy. He doesn't have any trouble with the ramp and actually has some fun on it I think lol.
Despite all of his health issues he remains a happy dog. He shows the most energy when Jon or I get home or when there are cookies to be eaten. He loves being loved and we love to love him. That seems like a lot of love but....Buddy is the sweetest, most perfect, lovable little guy. I love my boys.
