It’s been a little over a week since we let Buster go, and several of you have asked how the rest of us are doing. Thank you for that. Mikey and the Mister prefer not to think about it and Nico likes to look at pictures of him. I’ve taken to calling Nico “Buster” for some reason. I guess I have my first second-born on my mind. I’ve avoided blogging, mainly because to access my pictures I have to scroll through dozens and dozens of pictures of Buster. I’ll get there. It’s only been a week!
The Monday after Buster died, the Mister had to leave for another business trip. Buddy seemed unsettled by the combined absence of the Mister and Buster. For the first couple of days, Mikey would find him waiting at the kitchen door. That broke my heart. He slept nonstop, refused to eat, and eventually developed a mild ear infection that I was able to treat at home. He rarely eats breakfast these days. His stomach gets upset, but his appetite always returns for dinner. The knee of his left hind leg, which he injured right before he turned 13, bothers him all of a sudden. He won’t put but the minimum weight on it and he occasionally slips on the hardwood floor. Last week, I tried to take him on a walk around the block, which he normally loves. He went less than a quarter of a mile before I had to turn around and carry him home. We worry that he’s lonely during the day.
Buddy sleeps with Mikey every night now, and this weekend, when I had a mild fever, he slept with me.
So, that’s the update. We’re doing OK, essentially.
Speaking of fevers, I treated my own this weekend with peppermint oil. I’ve never done that before, and it actually worked! The Breathe oil I use on the boys when they’re sick, and it seems to work well. Much better than the vapo rubs I’ve used in the past. I’ve even used the Breathe on Buddy, since his lungs are crap. (They’re safe for dogs–I checked.)
Oh Buddy – you look so sad it breaks my heart. :( I wonder if there are herbal remedies that might help him a little. Also, we have a 10yo dog with bad hips and I worry about her slipping on our wood floors. The vet says to be sure to keep her nails trimmed as that will help keep her foot in contact with the floor – the pads on her foot and not just her nails. It lessens the chance of slipping.
Thanks for the update on all of you. Keeping you all in my thoughts.
I had three dogs–two littles and one big. Lost one of the littles right before Thanksgiving, and still feel that loss pretty acutely, and I have owned and lost many dogs, so this is a bit if a surprise. Also the other little suddenly began to show his age and became far more needy. I’m not into anthropomorhizing animals, but having observed dogs who have lost long time pals, “brothers” if you will, they do certainly grieve. And as with every loss, only time can help us heal. Hugs to your family, the two-legged and four-legged as well.
Hi Jules,
So this is very off topic, but I wanted to share these before I forgot them, and I’m not sure when the time will be right again for your family for a William Morris post.
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2012/09/14/why-i-took-all-my-kids-toys-away-why-they-wont-get-them-back/
http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/09/13/why-i-took-my-kids-toys-away-one-year-later/
You’ve probably seen these, since they are over a year old, but I just ran across them. I don’t have children, and its not meant to be a recommendation to all the parents out there to throw out their kids toys. Living with less is something we all struggle with, and we’ve talking a lot about William Morris, but her kids reactions to having less really resonated with me, more so than some adult reflections on the process. The ability to get more enjoyment out of what they have, enjoying not having to clean up all the time, and focusing on experiences instead of things. Its what we all seem to aspire to, but with varying degrees of luck.
I just moved to a smaller house, and its inspired me to finally tackle my wardrobe…
Ugh. Tears in my eyes girlfriend.
It hurts. Heart and soul.
It will get better. Hang in there. Hugs to you and the fam.
Lighter note- Love. LOVE Doterra oils!
Have you tried the On Guard? We battle the germies with On Guard on the feet and Breathe on the chest.
My heart is breaking for Buddy. We got our cat, Charlie, as a kitten when our other cat, Sadie, was 10yrs old or so. Charlie grew up with her. They didn’t get along but she was what he knew. When she died 7 years later, Charlie had very noticeable changes. He very obviously grieved, and when he was done grieving he became quite the cuddle-bug – something he’d never done before.
Poor Buddy. That’s sweet that Nico wants to look at pictures of Buster. Are you reading The Road? That book was a really rough read for me.
Oh gosh–I am so sorry. We put our old lady dog down at Christmas. Our other dog is suffering from some bad anxiety (walking around licking the hardwood floor almost constantly, licking the couch, and scratching the front door)–my husband and I have talked about getting another dog or a cat so our dog isn’t lonely during the day and to help CrackerDog, but neither of us is ready to make that commitment to another dog or cat. Pet ownership is hard stuff.