It's Spring

Sonny is getting slower and finding walking even with his whizzy wheels more of an effort!  Over the last few weeks he has managed the walk down the road OK but then found it quite hard going on the way back with the result that we have to pull him along.

Yesterday we had someone round so  to kept him and so as not to stress him, we put him out of the way  in his bed whilst we spent a long time talking with our visitor.  I could hear him whining through the door and at the time just thought he was feeling left out.  However, after the visitor had gone I found he had wet his bed.  This was a blow and an immediate worry that he is now getting incontinent both ways.  We already have problems with impromptu pooing.  Last week I discussed it with the vet but he thinks because Sonny is still happy to greet us, eat etc that we are not hurting him by keeping him going for a bit longer, I was beginning to worry that I had let him go on longer than I should, so this was a relief!

Sonny is so stoic about all his problems.  The really good thing is that he does not seem to know when he has had an accident, we think this is because the nerves in his back end no longer function, so he can't actually feel anything happening.  In the end these incidents are more upsetting for us than for him which is a good thing.

It's a beautiful sunny day outside today and he is lying out on the lawn.  Despite being a black dog he has always been a sun worshipper and loves to hog the heat which is completely mad of him.

The difficulties of having him now definitely outweigh the benefits and on some days I even look forward to the day when I won't have to do this any more and then I feel guilty, but in a way it's always been like this with having him.

There have been times when after yet another aggressive incident when we were out, we have felt we really couldn't cope with his behavioural issues any more. So his increasing infirmity is just another thing that he challenges us with, and I have to keep reminding myself that it is not his fault and he is entitled to as good a retirement home as I can give to our little old gentleman!