Fortunately Levi is doing a lot better. What a weight off my shoulders. I didn’t even realize how upset and worried and terrified I was last week, until now that I know he’s better. I do worry that he is getting old. I know he’s going to get old. I know there’s nothing that can be done for it. No way to avoid it. I feel like Connor MacLeod on Highlander. He lives 1,000 years and the people he loves… Continue reading
Levi Loves Parties
They had a great time. Levi spent most of the evening going from person to person begging like a goof. Then guarding the chew toys from the other dogs. All his favorite things. Jet and Tatum also had fun. Levi, however, well, Sunday, he was miserable. His back hurt a lot again. 
He was walking with a roach back and a limp. And at night he was in so much pain he was shaking. My heart just broke that I caused him so much pain. It was my fault, since it’s my responsibility to keep him safe and healthy.
Over the next few days he did better only slowly. I worried like crazy. Fortunately, today, Friday, six days later, he’s better. He was getting better yesterday, too. He’s been on Tramadol for the pain. We stopped the rimadyl on Tuesday, thinking we may have to go to the big guns and use steroids. Today we took him into the vet and they gave him a steroid shot, which should help him feel better. He’s 12, it’s a balance between keeping him healthy and keeping him comfortable. He’s also on adequan, duralactin, glucosamine, and he’s going to start acupuncture next Monday. I’m doing everything I can think of for my boy.
So no more parties for Levi. Just a week ago he was going to the park with me, Jet and Tatum and we’d walk for a mile and three quarters. So we just have to work back up to that slowly. I worry about my old by. I know I have to be happy he’s 12 and has had a good long life, but Levi is my heart dog, and loosing him… I just don’t even want to think about it.
Happy 12 Levi!
He’s been licking his bum, too, but he came back okay about that, too. He doesn’t do it enough that he’s red or raw. The vet said maybe he’s cleaning his own anal sacks. Which I guess is fine, though kinda gross. 
So he’s now on adequan and rimadyl. I know rimadyl can be bad long term, but he needs some help with his arthritis. He’s also on duralactin and glucosamine. I still want to get him some acupuncture, too. And the other dogs are not allowed to push him over, or he spends the day on the memory foam toppers on the bed and sleeps. Because he gets sore. My poor baby boy. I just adore him.
Here’s a video of him doing agility from back in 2008. His weaves never were good. Maybe his back always did bug him, I don’t know. I hope not. But I didn’t force him, I just tried to make them happy. He did so good at agility, except for the weaves.
He loves his birthday pizza, so do the rest of the dogs!
Levi's Birthday Pizza
At CampW
I’m also going to look into getting him acupuncture on a regular basis. Unfortunately my schedule is really messy right now, since we are transitioning to five day work weeks, but at the same time I have time off the next couple of weekends because of flyball and then agility. But I’m going to make the time for my Levi, as he means the world to me and I want to give him everything I possibly can to make him feel better.
Levi did so good at camp… but really he is fine, if he’s not pushed over, if his back isn’t twisted. That’s where his pain comes from. The arthritic bridge in his spine. He’s my heart and soul, this boy. I wish he could live as long as me. He’ll be twelve in just under a month. He still has to have some good years ahead of him. I’m thinking of looking into Reiki as well.
Maybe the cooler weather will help him, maybe it will hurt him, I’m not sure. Fortunately we don’t have any metal buildings around to keep the cold in, if that’d make him worse. My boy… I want him to get better. Even though I realize he is on the downward slide of his life now.
My Family
So when a dog does, a part of me dies. Even though at the same time a part of the dog lives on inside of me. Still, I feel empty and hollow and I don’t know how to deal with it. Since I don’t really have an after-life belief system, either, I’m not sure where they go, though I do have my ideas.
Anyway, where I’m going with this is that all my life I’ve really avoided getting close to people. I’ve had trust issues with people. Haven’t really trusted those who were trustworthy in the past, instead I’ve trusted those who were not trustworthy. Though I think that I’ve changed in that regard now, it’s still hard for me to get close to fellow humans. It’s always been easier for me to get close to dogs. And so the main support network I have in my life is that of my very short-lived dogs.
And so when they leave me, I’m pretty crushed. Though now I’m at a place in my life where I can finally trust people more, get close to people more, which is a good thing. And most of my life I’ve really denied the thought that I need people, and dogs, to rely on as close friends and family.
And I’m so worried about Levi. He’ll be 12 in just about a month. And sometimes I think that my entire world of sanity is balanced on his life. Which is way too much to ask any creature to endure, I know. Even though he gets extra attention now, which he really loves.
So I guess where I’m getting to with this is that today I had some sore of revelation. That it’s natural to love these creatures in our lives. And it’s so sad when they have to leave us. It’s just a natural part of life and it’s okay to love completely. I’ve avoided loving completely, because it means that when the object of your love is gone, then live is just about over and being crushed and miserable sets in. But it’s okay to have both, isn’t it? To love completely and still go on living. It’s natural and normal. Guess it took me a long time to realize this. But I have always loved my dogs completely, without reservation, unconditionally, just as they love me. They are so much easier than humans. So very much easier to love and live with.
I’ve been sick the last few days and feeling pretty rotten. I know it’s a combination of having too many losses, stress, catching some nasty cold, and also this underlying virus that I think I carry with me all the time. It all adds up, dangit. But today, or at least right now, I can look at our little graveyard of ashes in our cabinet that I have set up, and find a little bit more peace. At least for a while.
So I have to get back to the normal aspects of life. Missing those I’ve lost. Settling into a new life with the ones who are still alive. Maybe I’m a nut, I dunno. Maybe I just need a Steripen Adventurer Opti water filter to keep myself healthy… oh, and I joined Weight Watchers, to drop these awful pounds I’ve put on in the last couple of years. Still gotta take care of myself, eat healthy, and love completely the family I have with me still. And try to come to realize it’s okay to love completely, as well as lose completely. And still be okay.
Well Levi is getting old… he’s our last oldie for a while. And we want to keep him around for a long time, happy and healthy. Since he’s been having problems with his back, he doesn’t like to do the stairs much anymore. So we decided to build him a ramp from the back yard so he doesn’t have to walk up and down the stairs. The first picture is just of the stairs.
Levi and Tatum
Of course every project ends up being a lot bigger than anticipated. We got this wood from my work place years ago. They were doing construction and gave it away for free since they were going to just throw it out. So I snagged it in my Toyota Pickup and brought it home.
Ramp Starting
It’s been on the side of the house, but we use it now and then. Lucy’s chair was made out of the stuff, too. And free is always good. It’s thick sturdy wood. The above pictures is the platform that my husband thought Levi needs when he comes out of the dog door. If he angled down right away, it might be bad for his back, so we put up a platform first.
Jet Snoozing
I had to get a picture of Jet sunbathing on the stair. So cute, he’s the only dog we have little enough to sleep on a step.
The Ramp Forms
It was hot outside when we built it, mid 80s… though summer would have been hotter. This ramp was a bigger project than we thought, maybe some Beverage/Sommelier Jobs would have been easier to do! But we kept on. And I thought the edges would be dangerous and Levi might fall off the side. Like he fell off the pier (was pushed my Tatum, actually) at camp a month ago. So I insisted to my husband that we put sides on the darn thing.
Putting up Sides
Levi or Tatum could both fall off, they are not the most limber of dogs in the world. Jet and the Border Collies would fare better, but they are also younger.
From the Inside
So it’s all done, railings and all. Well actually not all done, we need to paint it and put some sand or something on it so the dogs don’t slide down. Us too. It’s pretty solid because of the thick wood, and my husband does an excellent job of building things. It was kinda a pain to put the sides on, but I do think, when all the dogs ran out full speed barking at something, Levi would be the one to fall, and that would have been bad.
Another cool note, our neighbors were giving up their fire grate today, it was on the front of their house with a sign. And I’ve needed one for a long time! Since we moved our TV room upstairs, I want to have fires in the fireplace again. But we’ve needed the fire grate, and now we have one! It’s super nice, too. Solid and way better than the last one we had. I dusted it off and put it up.
New Fire Grate
And yes that’s a mattress we have on the floor. Levi likes to lay on it. And we only have one chair in the living room upstairs. And a bean bag my sister gave us. We don’t want to haul the couch up, and we don’t have room for it anyway. So we sack out on the mattress to relax. And Levi loves it too, it’s his special bed.
Wow… where did the time go! I was planning on posting every day, but didn’t end up having time. I do have pictures loaded from every day on my Picasa Web Album. To see all my pictures from the whole week, you can visit my Picasa Web Album. There will be more from this afternoon too.
Anyway, here are some highlights.
I’ve been posting more on Facebook, so you can friend me there if you want to see more.
We are having a blast at camp. What can I say. Tatum and Jet ran so much this morning that they are pooped dead tired. LOL. As I am writing this Tatum is on the bed with the boys and she is growling because she is tired.
This morning we went on a little hike/walk around the camp and down to the beach. It was about all Levi could do, and once we got to the beach he laid on the sand and took it easy. He’s doing a lot better than I thought he would do. He’s hanging in there on the walks, and his rear and back look just fine. He’s not slipping much when he walks.
Jet is also doing well. This afternoon he pooped, and it was small and fairly solid. So I think he’s doing fine coming out of the sedation. He’s also sleeping, and he went swimming, and is having a great time. Camp is just dog heaven.
Here are some pictures of our adventures today:
The Beach
Jet Swimming
Handsome Jet
In the Shade
Sleeping on the Beds
I have more pictures posted on Facebook if you look there. I’m tired and I think it’s time for a nap! Maybe I should have brought some lincoln ls custom floor mats for the cabin, as I’m getting lots of sand in here, and I need to sweep it out.
I’m sharing the cabin with one other lady, and she has a Chi. So there’s plenty of room for me and my three kids. Camp is awesome, so much fun, I wish I could come here more than once every four years!
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