Jerilyn

The palliative care vet I was using for Lila's final months was totally supportive of a home cooked diet for her and recommended the BalanceIT site to me. We were not concerned with micro nutrients at that point so we didn't talk about the supplements, but she really liked the tool for putting together a balanced meal. My understanding is that if a dog eats even a very small amount of kibble and not even every day, they will have enough of those nutrients. Good luck, I know how difficult a Little Miss Picky Pants can be.

I don't have any advice for you, just wanted to say hello and welcome! Many years ago I did a college semester abroad in Salzburg. I have many wonderful memories of your beautiful country.

Is that the Tasty kitty?

It's been a while, I hope things have settled down for you all. I did have experiences like that with Lila. In her case it was a belly ache.

Congratulations Katie! These are important milestones to mark!

Meet Wiki (PJ Wicked)! After losing my beloved Lila on December 2, I was planning on taking a break from having a dog. Just before Christmas a friend told me about a 7 year old brood momma up for adoption. She thought this might be a good fit for me after having old lady Lila, instead of an 18 month old who never raced which seems to be what is available around here. Initially it was a hard no, I was grieving Lila and didn’t want a new dog to disrupt that. But I couldn’t resist looking into Wiki. She’s black with white toes, which is what I secretly hoped next dog would be. She’s not cat or small animal safe, none of those here. She’s related to Lila through Gable Dodge. She’s got a complicated medical history, that doesn’t scare me. And she was with the adoption group since August with no interest in her. So I called the foster parents and she came for a visit on December 26. She terrorized my house for 90 minutes before laying down. But the fosters assured me she would settle after a day and she was very sweet and affectionate. I submitted my application the next day, the adoption rep called right away and we arranged delivery for January 2. She is my black shadow. Lila was content and confident from day one, Wiki comes to the bathroom with me. She wants to investigate everything. She is very fast, even by greyhound standards. She loves attention, food, and toys. We are working on some separation anxiety but I don’t think it’s too bad considering she has likely never been left alone before. I still miss Lila every day, maybe more so knowing just how perfect she was. But Wiki is a very good girl and I love her already. Helping me make soup yesterday. And proof that she is sufficiently spoiled already and doesn’t have to sleep on the hard floor. (I’m still figuring out how to take pictures of a black dog. It’s extra hard when the sun never shines.)

Happy birthday Spirit! I am so happy for you and your Ma that you reached this amazing milestone. You just keep on doing whatever you want for as long as you want.

Congratulations! He's a handsome guy.

Happy birthday, Merc! Did you get a Hamsammitch?

Nancy, I'm so sorry. The Venerable Nigel was such a very good boy! The two of you did good work together. He will be missed by many.

Poor Charlie! I'm just getting used to not having to do middle of the night turn outs. It's pretty nice.

Pretty ladies! What kind of temperature is chilly in the desert?

Welcome home Rita! You landed in a great place at the House of Duck! If you have too many now, I'll take Hada Parsnip off your hands....

Sweet snugglers!

We were going to a meet and greet at a fall festival and had to walk past those alpacas. Lila was the sweetest, most gentle creature ever, but she saw those alpacas and turned into a barking, snarling, lunging beast! Years later we were at a farmer's market and this dog who never put her mouth on something that wasn't hers chomped some alpaca mittens right off the vendor's table.

Looks like a great time!

Lucy, as you know, I was just in this exact situation with Lila. And as you also know, it’s not easy. The signs are not as clear as we would like them to be, especially when the body is failing but the spirit is still engaged. Spirit doesn’t seem to be as stoic as Lila was, but his personality adds an additional challenge too. Is he screaming because he’s in pain or because it’s a change to the routine? Then add in trying to figure out if you’re making the decision for your own needs or his – it’s a very difficult time. Hindsight being what it is, I think that if you are wondering if it is time, it probably is time. I don’t think I waited too long for Lila but if I had made the decision a few days or even a week earlier, it would not have been too soon. As hard as it is to think of, he’s not going to get better, only worse. The one thing can suggest is to have a plan. It sounds like you have a good relationship with you vet and can get Spirit to the office. But what if something happens in the middle of the night or on the weekend? My vet gave me some injectable sedatives to have on hand so Lila could be calm and relaxed until she could get here. I did use one, but just knowing I had it available was a great relief to me. Working with a palliative care vet was a great experience. Hugs to you and the venerable Spirit!

Again, thank you all! Your words bring me a great deal of comfort. I'm thinking that Lila's hole might be her final resting place. It seems appropriate.

I love this story! It's got everything - compelling characters, international intrigue, and a happy ending. Missing Whiskey, but I like to think he and Lila are finally together over the rainbow.

Thank you all so much! I am touched by your kind words about my girl!

Lila (Good Looking) 9/2/2006 – 12/2/2020 My best girl is gone and I am heartbroken. She reached the amazing age of 14 ¼ and was with me for 10 ½ years. It was not enough. Lila really was a perfect girl, she came into my home and immediately settled in. She was sweet but stubborn and easy-going but opinionated. She had her idea about how things should be and if she didn’t want to do something, nothing could make her. Her only “badness” was being a pesto when I couldn’t give her my full attention. She was the dog that people who don’t like dogs loved. She was my Adventure Dog, always excited to go somewhere and see something new. We had some wonderful vacations together. She loved to ride in the car and had to have her snoot out the window, even if it was pouring rain or below zero. She was well known for her thick bunny soft fur, the fact that she would steal any other dog’s bed, and her need to be at the front of the pack when we went for group walks. Lila was a good racer and she loved to run, she was still doing zoomies in the yard the day before she died. I would try to stop her because her legs couldn’t handle it, but I couldn’t and it made her so happy! She was also still digging in her hole the day before she died. There was such joy in her eyes when she would dig and spin around in her hole then take off running. She taught me to be patient and flexible; from her first night home when she refused to sleep in my bedroom through caring for her changing needs as she aged. I miss her peeking around the corner at me, wanting to go out when I was in the middle of a work meeting. I miss her excitement when I came home from even the shortest trip. I miss her staring me down for a treat every single time she came in the house. I miss her big gentle eyes and her velvet ears. Good bye my love. ETA: How could I forget her inexplicable hatred for alpacas?!?

Happy birthday Punkin cute as pie! Nice work with the donation and you will for sure beat lazy Aiden at the kibble game!

Happy 14th Katie!

I've been dealing with something like this with Lila (now 14.2) for a couple years. It could be lots of stuff and there are lots of good suggestions here. My first assumption is that it is some kind of pain issue. It took a really long time and trying multiple things with Lila. For her, it ended up being her tummy. Things that she ate without issue for years now give her some gastric distress and she's doing much better on a 100% home cooked diet. She also had a bad reaction to Gabapentin, which resulted in more pacing and panting. It can be a lot of trial and error. I hope you can find a resolution, it is so hard to see them in distress!

Happy birthday, Buddy! It looks like you had a great celebration.