Over the weekend the realization that I live with a mortal soul became a cold hard reality and I’m not sure how to process it. In his usual greeting exuberance from returning from an evening outing, Sam pogo-sticked his way out the door and raced down the driveway in circles, turned on a dime and tweaked his front leg. Badly. The blood-curdling yelping rocked me to my core. I’ve never heard that noise coming from him and it was quite unnerving. Sam wouldn’t put much weight on his front leg and given his other body language, we knew something was definitely wrong. After a few minutes of realizing my sweet goofball boy was injured, we gathered him up and took him to the after hours critical care center I’ve used when our regular vet office is closed.
The vet diagnosed a ‘soft-tissue’ injury, a ubiquitous term used for many injuries. They examined him and recommended pain meds and full R&R while this injury heals. Like I’ve done myself a jillion times, it appeared that Sam suffered a bad sprain (I have weak ankles and am kind of accident prone, Sam is just overly exuberant even in his senior years). They sent us home with pain meds and a recommendation to visit our vet in a couple of days for follow-up. Since Sam is getting his teeth cleaned on Tuesday it makes perfect sense. In the meantime, my heart and mind are filled with confusion, dread and all sorts of exaggerated scenarios that are not in the usual happy-spot realm that this lovable mutt usually engenders.
It’s a hard realization when you must face the notion of mortality of our companion pets. Even though intellectually I can wrap my head around his recovery and to a lesser degree, even a life where he won’t be bouncing around, my heart refuses to accept that notion today. As a bona-fide senior pooch I know recovery will take some time though he seems much improved as of this morning. A troubling comment from the vet was, “there’s a little arthritis I can feel in his front paws” which prompted past scenes of other companion pets aging less than gracefully. I’m just not ready for that right now; I’m used to the happy-go-lucky, bouncy boy who provides smiles to everyone he encounters. The weekend showed a pup clearly hurting and who gave me the “Mom, I hurt” look which absolutely broke my heart. We only want our pups to be pain-free and live forever or at least as close to that as possible, so when we see them experience something less, it clearly pains us.
Will Sam be ok, of that I have no doubt. He’s in otherwise good health. Will it take a while? Probably, but the hard part of course will be keeping him calm and rested as he heals. That will take a few days and definitely some creativity on my part-he doesn’t quite understand why he can’t be off leash in the yard and why we cant go on our normal long walks right now while he recovers. The truly hard part will be realizing my sweet prince is among other things a mere mortal. Not sure there’s a prescription that deals with that.
Live, love, bark! <3
Ohhhh damn, I wasn’t going to tear up since I know Sam is OK but I did anyway. I hate when anything happens that hurts the kids, and reminds me that they are getting older and father time is marching on. I am so glad that it wasn’t serious!!!
Thanks so much for the kind thoughts; we are grateful. ღ
Catching up on posts from my favorite bloggers so a little behind… hopefully I will catch up to the post that tells me that all is well with Sam. My fingers and Kali’s paws crossed!
Many thanks, Michael and yes, he’s doing better. 🙂
I am so sorry. Poor little Sam. Put his mortality out of your head for now – yes, I know, the hardest part of owning a furry companion – you will be busy trying to keep him quiet. Good luck with that!
It’s a real challenge to calm an ever-ready pogo stick down. ღ
Our hearts are in sync. I feel the same way about my guys. I’m hoping the pain meds and rest helps and he recovers quicker than you expect. In the meantime, I adding him to my prayers and sending you a hug.
Many thanks, Jodi. He is actually doing well enough to do a hospital visit! 🙂
I don’t think there is a more helpless feeling than our beloved pets hurting. I’d much rather endure pain than for either of my boys to suffer. I simply can’t think of the day when hopefully in the far, far, far future when Bentley shows his age. I want him to remain forever young. GIve Sam a kiss from us and tell him to take it easy. ♥
Kisses passed along; Sam thanks you and so do I. He’s doing much better and seems to be recovering well. The hard part is getting him to take it easy. That dog has two speeds: fast and faster! ღ
Sorry
On Mon, Feb 22, 2016 at 9:31 AM, Tails Around the Ranch wrote:
> Tails Around the Ranch posted: “Over the weekend the realization that I > live with a mortal soul became a cold hard reality and I’m not sure how to > process it. In his usual greeting exuberance from returning from an evening > outing, Sam pogo-sticked his way out the door and raced down the” >
Oh, Monika, I’m so sorry about Poor Sam hurting himself! I didn’t have time to read this post yesterday morning, and time just got away from me after that. Reading it just now brought on a flood of tears as I thought of Callie when she tore her first ACL.
Keeping our sweet, goofy wiggle worms quiet and on leashes for yard time is so hard. I remember I had to get Callie one of those soft-sided crates to stay in when I had to go out. Otherwise she’d have been chasing Shadow around the house. And the walks in the yard were a challenge, too. I had to get one of those leash handles with the clips so I could keep her right next to me as we walked around the yard the first two weeks (before the stitches came out). Even the 4-foot leash was too much. And all the time knowing it was for her own good didn’t make me feel any better when she gave me the look that said “I want to run and play with Shadow!” I don’t know which of us was happier when the surgeon said she could finally be off leash in the yard again.
Sam will be okay. And even though they don’t understand why they can’t have their freedoms for a while, I believe that they know we are doing what they trust us to do: what is best for them. If you want to talk, message me on FB and I’ll send you my phone number. I know it helps to talk sometimes with friends who have been down a similar path.
Thank you for the kind words! Sam’s doing much better and even seems to be enjoying the lazing around. Movement seems improved with each day though he’s still pretty clingy and of course, working the pitiful expressions to his advantage. 😉
I’m glad he’s doing so much better!! Pitiful expressions crack me up when I know what’s behind them.
And that mutt is an Oscar winner if I ever saw one at pitiful expressions! <3
i hope he soon recovers… All my best vibes and good thoughts…. much love. Aquileana :star:
Thanks ever so much! ღ
Oh Sam, we hope you feel better soon. And we are sending your mom some extra love too – our mom says she knows exactly how she feels.
BIG licks,
Wally & Sammy
Many thanks, boys. ღ
Poor Sam! As a life-long lover of cats I know and can sympathize with that terrible feeling when we realize that our beloved pets age faster than we do. Wishing your doggy a fast recovery!
Many thanks, Susan. All dog and cat lovers just want their babies to live the good life free from injury and pain. ღ
Poor Sam! What a bummer to be all ouchy and confined. Resting is tough when you are a rocket. Hang in there, buddy. Mom and I will say prayers for a quick recovery for you, wisdom and compassion for your doctors, and peace of mind for your mom. xoxo
Love and licks,
Cupcake
Thanks a bunch, Cupcake! Yes, it is very hard being a confined ‘rocket’ when your motor is always turned on! ღ
I have only ever had one dog that was injured – she was clipped by a car that didn’t stop. Her front leg was broken. She was attended by the vet and her leg put in a cast with a metal support. Oh yes, that slowed her down for a whole day! She recovered and was with us for a good long while after that without much ill effect. I hope Sam gets better soon. Take care of each other!
Aww, must be a universal thing, same thing happened to my 4 month old Standard I had back in the early 1980’s. She was sweet but lost her puppyhood that day. ღ
Poor Sam and poor Mom! Yes, my Mom knows exactly what you’re talking about. She wants me to tell you that she knows how horrible that feeling is but that it’s okay because as soon as this injury heals, Sam will be pogo-sticking again for a long time to come. As for me, I say, Arthritis-Smarshritis. He’s a tough cookie and that’s not going to stop him. Well, at least that’s what we’re praying for. *ear licks* and love – Noodle and Mom
Thanks, Noodle. I’m sure he will plus he’s very fit for his age which should help in the recovery! ღ
I didn’t quite know what to say, because I often feel exactly the same. I read Will’s comment, and he is right, we only have the “present moment”, don’t fast-forward ahead, enjoy now…and in the meantime, I pray he heals more quickly than you expect. xoxoxo
DakotasDen
That makes two of us. And I’m definitely taking Will’s advice to heart on this and a whole number of other things. ღ
I understand fully what you are experiencing. Our sweet Standard Jolie was leaping for a flying ball when she fell with a thud, screaming in pain. The vet found that she had a pinched nerve and the beginning of spinal arthritis so no more leaping for balls. Jolie is ball crazy so I sort of bowl the ball across the grass and she has great fun chasing it. She is curled up behind me as I write and is such a sweet friend that I can’t even imagine life with out her.
Thank you! There’s just nothing sweeter than having our Standards being right next to us. Fortunately Sam abhors chasing balls, squirrels or anything though he’s the first Standard I’ve ever had like that. I often wonder if he knows he’s a Standard Poodle…originating as a breed for retrieving water foul. Maybe he’s a “Sub-Standard”? BOL ღ
Those gut wrenching moments are a terrible reminder, but an important one. We have the present moment, nothing else – best make use of it. And we should all be so lucky to age as energetically as Sam!
Oh poor Sam! Hope he continues to improve. Between illnesses and injuries, it’s definitely hard being a pet parent sometimes. Nothing worse than being an eyewitness to a pet accident as it happens :o(
Everything goes into slo-mo agony. 🙁
We don’t even like thinking about those things around here cuz mom says it is too painful. We hope Sam heals quickly and chillaxes to help heal!
Keep Calm & Bark On!
Murphy & Stanley
Thanks, Murphy & Stanley; I hope so too! ღ
Poor Sam. We hardly go a week without one of these clowns accidentally hurting themselves or each other. It’s usually just fine in a day or two and they’re back to their usual state of crazy – meanwhile it really sucks for us humans because we never quite know how much pain they’re enduring. All the more reason to smother them with love <3
Luckily I’m good at the smothering part. 😉 I can tell it still hurts a bit, but he’s waay better than yesterday. Fingers & paws crossed.
Since we lost Kyla 14 months ago, we have a new appreciation of the time we spend with Kaci and Kali. It’s fortunate that you are realizing this while you still have time with him. As for the present, isn’t it time to order up a therapy human to make him feel better?
On it, Kismet; I thought the same thing this morning! ღ
Your paragraph about keeping Sam calm and rested? We feel for you! We had to have Ray leashed; only on short walks, and avoiding anything that might get him excited for 6 months during the summer of 2013. He was being treated for heartworm. Be patient, Sam soon be his former (or close to) bouncy self! 🙂
oooonooo. Well Cole has his share of these. It’s hard on the human because the pain meds make them feel invincible. Stand firm on the rest. One vet told us with a soft tissue injury, if you let him run it will be twice as long a recovery. oy. We kind of wanted to say, well just write us a pain med prescription at the same time.
BTW Cole is back on the muscle relaxants after weeks off… aging ain’t for sissies
Leeanna
Oh, so sorry about the relax RX. Yeah, aging definitely ain’t for sissies! So far he’s been pretty good about a civilized pace but I know he’s seriously jones-ing for some bouncing.
oh poor Sam… I hope it will heal up soon. that are the moments I sometimes think I get a heart attack… the sudden yelping, the walk on three legs and ooooh the eyes… Hugs to you and I hope there is a way to take it easy for a while till the leg is ok…
Thank you; we’re hoping for a speedy recovery too. Yes, those eyes and pitiful look stab me in the heart e.v.e.r.y. time. ღ