Mushu is my soulpuppy. He’s the one that carries a bit of my heart with him. It’s really hitting me hard that he’s almost fourteen-years-old (on Jan. 1). He’s the sweetest most good natured dog you could hope to find. He started out as an outdoors dog, mostly because I don’t know how to house train a dog. Somehow, he started manipulating me to let him in during storms and then when it rained and then I was used to coming down in the middle of the night and opening the door and then I gave up. He’s an inside dog. While I’m at work, he has full run of the house and never has accidents or destroys things. He’s perfect! In fact, he’s the world’s best dog (as long as he doesn’t have a chicken in his mouth)! Lately, he’s had a very hard time getting up the steps to come inside.
Then he had an accident in the house on Friday evening, and I knew he needed to see the vet. They were good to see him on Saturday morning. He just couldn’t get out of the car, so they even came outside to examine him. Talk about service above and beyond! He had a fever and his white cell count was very high, indicating an infection. That’s not a good sign for an old dog.
We’re giving him antibiotics and hoping for the best. It might just be a simple infection, or it could be an infection secondary to cancer. He’s lost one sister to cancer, and another has had a couple of cancerous tumors removed. He hadn’t eaten at all on Saturday. He only slept after coming home from the vets. I decided to try to entice him with some high protein food.
It almost looks good enough for a human!
I brought the plate to him, and he ate his eggs and even had seconds a couple of hours later.
He’s still tired and lounging quite a bit. (Sorry, Mushu, for the unflattering photo.)
Did I make you yawn too?
But he’s much perkier and seems to be feeling better. He’s getting some of his strength back.
I am grateful for the nearly fourteen years we’ve had, but I’d really like to have a few more.
Linking to You Capture where today’s theme is inside.
Teresa
Sep 24, 2012 @ 15:43:56
This made me teary. My dog is my best friend in the whole world, and I will never regret my decision to adopt her, but it kills me how short their sweet lives are. Loving a dog is to know loss, but also to know the truest and best kind of friendship.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 15:52:14
Our animals friends are truly some of the best heartbreaking relationships we’ll ever have. He is responding to antibiotics, but we don’t know the source of the infection yet.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 15:49:27
i know this dread well. i hope he can rally for a bit more time with you – in comfort.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 15:52:33
I am hoping for the best.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 15:59:18
I will say a prayer for Mushu, I hope he makes a full recovery. xo
Sep 24, 2012 @ 16:59:33
At his age, I’m not sure what a full recovery would be. He’ll never be young again, but I do hope we have a while left together. Thank you.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 16:33:08
Awww! He’s cute! I love that wide-eyed photo of Mushu smiling! Old doggies are so very, very dear. Thinking of you here….xoxoxoxo
Sep 24, 2012 @ 16:59:53
Thank you. We appreciate it.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:04:11
Hello from Millbrook, NY, I feel so bad for you. I have been there and it hurts so bad. Thinking of you, Anna
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:08:35
Thank you so much for your kind thoughts. It’s a good thing we don’t think of this when we open our hearts up, but I don’t regret loving him and sharing my life with him for one minute. It’s just not fair that their lives are so much shorter than ours.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:14:39
I hope Mushu gets better.It is not fair that their lives are so much shorter than ours.We have 2 old puppies in the house too and I know their time with us is winding down and it is very hard to think of. I took our Rascal too the vet last month for a limp and was told he was really too old to operate on..sigh..how did that happen, when did he get so old….Mushu looks much better after that special dinner!
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:47:16
The food really did perk him up. Of course that was about a full day on antibiotics too. They are such sweet pups by the time they get this old.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:37:56
Oh, Teresa! I hope Mishu continues to get stronger. It’s so hard to say goodbye to good friends.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:48:57
I really hate the idea of good-bye. I know it will come some day, but maybe if it’s “I’ll expect you to greet me when it’s my time to join you,” it won’t seem so sad.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:50:36
This is the hardest part of having furry friends…whew… I hope he gets better and you get some more time with him!!!
Sep 24, 2012 @ 17:51:34
It is horrible. He is my first dog, too, so he truly holds my heart in his paws.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 20:36:13
Oh, I hope he feels better soon. I think the worst part about an older fur friend is that they can’t speak to tell us when they’ve had enough. I keep watching my OldWoman to see if she’s giving me the signal, and hoping I’m not too dense to see it.
I love his greying muzzle, he looks so dignified. Even in the yawning picture.
Thinking good thoughts for OldMan Mushu to get well.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 21:09:05
He really is truly wonderful. I always think of you when I think of how old my boy is getting. I know how close you are to yours as well. I’m sure OldWoman will tell you when it’s time.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 20:56:51
We did good picking out those puppies… and they are still hanging in there. Love’em both!
Sep 24, 2012 @ 21:09:18
We did awesome!
Sep 24, 2012 @ 21:00:47
I am with Sara C. Nice to see Mushu doing better.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 21:09:53
I’m so glad he’s feeling better. I know it’s not likely to be a long term fix, but he’s at least okay for now.
Sep 24, 2012 @ 23:10:04
What a sweetheart he is! TLC and specially prepared meals can’t hurt. Wishing him a long term rally.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 06:40:35
Thank you. I just plan on loving every minute we have together.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 05:57:25
I hope he gets well. Dogs become just like a family member. That is one of the reasons I can’t bear to own another animal. I can’t bear to see them suffer as they get older, it just tears at my heart.
Good luck to you and Mushu. May he get and stay well.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 06:41:15
As much as my heart breaks with the thought of him leaving, I wouldn’t have traded it for all the broken hearts in the world. It really is wonderful to have them in our lives.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 07:26:41
I hope he gets better. A long life he has lived. And deserves more. When I met him, I knew he was sweet. Maybe you just have that effect on everything. Tell Mushu to get well soon
Sep 25, 2012 @ 07:59:29
Thank you. I do believe he was born sweet, but I do try to nurture that side of all my creatures. (I do better with some than others.) By the way I like the “Broken Barn Farm.”
Sep 25, 2012 @ 19:37:04
We registered are farm under that name. Our buck is sick. He is wobbly on one side. Something Is wrong. Have any goats of yours done that?
Sep 25, 2012 @ 19:42:59
It could be an injury. A weakness in the back legs can be a vitamin deficiency or polio. Overeating on grain. Poison. There’s a lot of things that could cause weakness or wobbly. It would probably take a vet to tell you what it is. Hope he feels better soon.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 08:28:47
Hope the antibiotics kicked that infection out of his system. Best wishes for his speedy recovery!
Sep 25, 2012 @ 08:49:00
Thank you. I do know it’s at best a temporary delay, but I’m going to love every moment I have with him.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 10:07:59
Yeah, so…..I promised I’d be good reading this because we’ve been talking about it on FB so I was braced. Well, then I saw the pics of those empty steps and lost it……… :’(
Ah….the love of a dog……..if only we can be worthy of it………
xo
Sep 25, 2012 @ 10:19:38
I don’t think anyone is ever worthy of the love and devotion of a dog. I’m so sorry you lost it. He’s hanging in there, but I don’t know for how long.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 13:29:47
It’s always so hard when our furkids start getting older but Mushu looks like he’s feeling better in the last few pictures. {{HUGS}} to you both!!
Sep 25, 2012 @ 13:34:43
Thank you. We know it’s going to be difficult in the days ahead, but he’s still my sweet boy.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 18:36:20
I hope he recovers and you do get to share a few more years with him. It’s so horrid when they are old and get ill, I do feel for you. We had to leave our last dog in South Africa when we moved to Australia, it was so sad. I wrote about it on my blog Zigazag, “Moving on without the dogs” and leaving Charlie almost broke my heart.
Sep 25, 2012 @ 19:39:06
I can’t imagine how hard that would be. I’m not sure he’ll recover, but he is better. I’m not sure if we have days or weeks, but I’ll cherish every moment with him.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 13:00:56
I love the story and pictures of your ‘inside’ puppy. He very pretty. I’m glad he’s perking up a little and hope very much that by now he’s truly ‘on the mend’.
Sep 27, 2012 @ 18:57:45
Thanks. I really do think it’s not going to get much better, but he’s hanging in there. So glad you stopped by.