first thing this morning..popeye was down and could not get up. we called the vet right away and he came up. pops did eventually make it to his feet so the vet gave him some pain meds and left orders for us to ice his feet. mo and i went into town and brought back 1000 pounds of fresh and dry peat moss to create a soft and thick surface for him to stand on. the vet will be out to see him again and we will keep a really close eye on him. the issue is that his feet are so sore that he has been laying down for long periods...because he is so old, the longer he stays down the more sore the rest of him becomes and then he can't get himself up again.
sigh..it sucks.
larry and molly had their vet visit late this afternoon. molly came home again but larry did not. the bottom line was altho he is better than he was a week ago.... the vet did not feel that larry would ever regain the ability to walk again...his joints were just too fused. i did not need him to be up and trotting around but i at least wanted him to have the ability to get a drink if he was thirsty or move to another room or another bed if he wanted more space or some privacy. i didn't want him to feel trapped in one spot by his rigid and unbending body....that would not be fair to him. the vet said it was kindest to let him go and so we did.
larry was one of my most favorite dogs for so many reasons. i don't know why i adored him so much, but i did and i am truly going to miss him.
rest in peace larry, you were a very great dog and i hope you are easily trotting along somewhere feeling the love of all of us with you and the warm sun shining down on your face.
I feel so sad over the passing of a little dog who captured my heart without even meeting him...I can only imagine the loss for those of you who were Larry's real-life friends.