Tag: Shadow

And She’s Off!

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Ducky’s favorite game here at home is “Chase Me!”  Doesn’t matter if we’re inside or out. 

So, every day that she’s not at daycare, we play multiple games of chase with her. (Well, I do anyway. I have yet to be able to convince the hubby that the exercise – especially outside – would be good for him.)

Anyway, I decided that it’s been too long since my last Fit Dog Friday blog hop post. And I needed a decent video of Ducky at play. Crazy dog! ❤️

 

 
We don’t have a lot of options here for exercise; so since she loves this game so much, I play it with her – in the back yard – as much as I can. And in between, I play a modified version of fetch with Shadow. (More on that some other time.)

  
For more fun ways to exercise with your pups, click on the links below. Thank yous going out to our Fit Dog Friday Blog Hop hosts, SlimDoggy, My GBGV Life, and To Dog With Love.

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This Is What Happens

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When I was finished taking my shower and getting dressed this morning, this is how I found Shadow… 

 
My senior baby with the arthritis in both wrists and elbows. I was so surprised to find her on the bed that I almost forgot to take the picture. And then I decided I didn’t like the way it came out, so I took this one…

 
So this is what happens when I forget to lean the gate back against  the bedroom doorway.  

Surprise. Ducky didn’t get snarky with Shadow when she walked past the crate. Or if she did, it didn’t bother Shadow like it normally does.

  
Welcome to the Thursday Barks and Bytes Blog Hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like A Dog.  For more fun, check out the links!

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Another Vet Visit for Shadow

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Now before you think “oh no, not again!”, let me put your mind at ease. This was more of a consultation visit. Shadow has been eating pretty well since I made those routine changes in December.

And this morning, I was really proud of her. Normally, as soon as we enter an exam room Shadow will curl up in a corner between the bench and the wall.

She did this morning. But while I sat on the bench and entered her weight in my notes on the phone, she found the courage to come out of her hiding place.

 So, I got down on the floor myself and sat next to her while we waited for “Uncle Steve”. When he walked through the door, Shadow stayed put. We both smiled and praised her bravery.


The reason for the visit was her arthritis. On Friday morning while we were playing out in the yard, Shadow started “gimping” and favoring her left front leg. Her nails looked a little long, so I took her up to the vet for a nail trim. When we got home, I took her back outside for more play time. After a few tosses of the ball, she was gimping again. I called the vet and made the appointment for this morning. And got the okay to give her some Tramadol.

My poor girl definitely has arthritis in both wrists and both elbows. It’s not as bad in the right leg as it is in the left one; but we definitely need to manage it as best we can. So, it’s time to get a ramp and start training her to use it. Especially for getting into and out of the car.  We only have three steps to the back door – carpeted – so that’s not a big deal at this point.

I’m thinking I’ll check out Solvit; but if anyone has another brand preference, please let me know so I can check it out. As for supplements, I’m already giving her glucosamine, chondroitin, and the other hip/joint stuff in her current supplements. I need to check out some fatty acid supplements. Any ideas as to good ones that aren’t overly expensive?

It Is What It Is.

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Those of you who have been following my original blog, My Golden Life, for a while might remember that I completed my Dog Obedience Training Instructor course through the Animal Behavior College in May of 2012. It was because of the externship phase of that course that Ducky and I found each other. It is what it is.

Well, since completing the training course, I’ve also completed five of the school’s Continuing Ed courses. The first two I completed in late 2012/early 2013. Then I took an extended break before starting the third course.

I started the Pet Nutrition and Diet course just before we found out Callie had lymphoma. I tried to stick with it that first week of August but just couldn’t. Callie’s health and well-being occupied all my time, energy, and thought processes. So I got another extension to the beginning of January 2016. When I realized I was close to the exam due date, I called my program manager and got her to give me a two-week extension. I explained about Callie and how 2015 had been “the year from hell”. Well, the course was really intense but I got through it and passed the exam with a grade of 80%. Not bad considering I hated science and math in school.

Recently I finished the Pet Massage (really, it should be called Canine Massage) and Pet CPR and First Aid courses, with grades of 97% and 100% respectively. I wish I had taken these two courses first, while Callie was alive and well, so I could have helped her more through her illness; but it is what it is. At least the massage course taught me how to help Shadow when her arthritis is bothering her. And I have a manual to go by if either Shadow or Ducky should need first aid.

In a couple of months I hope to be starting the Vet Assistant course. I don’t regret waiting to take this course. If I’d taken it first I may have never found Ducky. And, as insidious as cancer is, there’s no guarantee I’d have recognized the signs of Callie’s illness before her annual exam in early August. I just want to have the knowledge so I can better help Shadow and Ducky if the need ever arises.

Okay, so now that I’m done tooting my own horn, I’d like to thank Jodi of Heart Like A Dog and Linda of 2 Brown Dawgs for hosting the Thursday Barks and Bytes blog hop.

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Welcome! 

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Let’s get started with “Hello! Welcome to my new blog, In My Heart 4Ever”. 

This new blog will eventually replace My Golden Life, but for now I’ll just be posting here intermittently and over there about Shadow and Ducky, as usual.

I have a lot of work to do – more than I bargained for, I think – so hang in there with me and eventually I’ll get it done.  Meanwhile, check out my “About” page, and my pages dedicated to my canine angels, Kissy and Callie.