rockosrewards.com

Today we had a reading with Patty Summers, an animal communicator.  Patty was recommended by one of our friends who used her in the past to gain insight into her pets and animals she is fostering.

I’ve thought about doing this for a couple of years.  I do believe that certain people have an ability to communicate beyond traditional methods.  It was not skepticism that kept me from doing it, it was actually fear.  Rocko is a very old dog, he will be 18 in just a couple weeks.  My biggest fear was that I would find out he is in a lot of pain and has been hiding it from me.  If that happened, I would not only feel like I have failed in taking care of him, I would also be hit with having to make a decision that I don’t want to make for a while longer.

My fears were laid to rest.  My heart is happy at what I’ve learned.

First, let me say that between facebook, his blog and our website, Rocko’s life is an open book.  Anyone who wants to know about him can find out with a few clicks.  You, all of his fans, know a lot about him but it isn’t the same as being with him every day and knowing his personality as deeply as I do after all these years.

Now I will translate my scribbled notes and give you a recap of what I learned.  I did elect to get a recording of the session so I will have it to review later, but here are the high points.  My goal was to get insight into his general health and physical condition and I also had some specific questions I wanted answered.

To start, Patty introduced herself to Rocko (not on speaker phone, strictly through mental communication).  She let him know that she was there to talk to him but she was not coming into the house.  That’s pretty important because as you know, he hates everyone!  Consistently throughout the reading when she was talking to him he would raise his head and look around, not in a scared way but more of a curious manner.  And he smiled.

Patty confirmed some things I sensed about Rocko.  I believe he does not know he is a dog when compared to other animals.  He knows he is not a human, but does view himself as set apart from others of his kind.   To him, we are partners.  He acknowledged that he has been my anchor in the world.  And he said I was silly.  That’s very true, he is the one I laugh with and joke with.  Our days are full of “how’s my bubby bub” and “hey punkin pie, what’s up?”.  He said he likes the silly part.

Rocko is a stoic old guy.  He told Patty he has trouble getting up, but after he stands for a minute he is ok.  So very true.  He tires easily.  His kidneys are slow, something that happens with age.  She recommended adding probiotics to his diet (we’re going to see if yogurt will work).

Since Rocko’s latest illness, I have been adding warm chicken broth to his dry food.  This is something not many people know.  Patty asked me if I put warm water in his food.  She said he likes his food warm.  This explains the recent change in his eating habits.  He used to wander in and eat when he was hungry but now he turns down the food that is sitting in the bowl, I will start making it fresh as he is hungry.

I wanted definitive information on his eyesight and hearing.  I know both are going but couldn’t tell how much.

Rocko has had cataracts for many years.  His vet said he can’t drive at night any more.  To him sometimes things appear blurry but the change has been so gradual he adjusted to it.  The next part gave me an important answer to a big concern that I hadn’t voiced.  Sometimes he has a problem with depth perception that will make him walk into a corner or into a wall.  I’ve noticed this a number of times and I was afraid he had a stroke.  Now that I know what it is, I can let it go without worrying so much.

The hearing issue was more complex.  He can’t hear the doorbell any more and doesn’t always hear when someone knocks.  It bothers him that he can’t keep on top of things that are going on outside like he used to.  (Old family joke, Rocko would alert us of danger if a strange leaf fell in the yard.)  In his mind, he feels he is failing me because he isn’t warning me about impending danger.  Patty let him know that he has done his job well over the years and the world knows that he is on guard.  That’s good enough.

My fear was that he would go deaf and think I had just stopped talking to him.  Patty said that he knows I am talking to him even though he can’t hear much of it.  Imagine stereotypical the old man sitting in his chair, reading the paper and as his wife is talking he is just nodding and saying yes dear.  That’s Rocko.  He nods and smiles, but he really doesn’t care that much about what I’m saying.  Since most of it is silly anyway, he acknowledges me just enough to keep me happy.

He also sleeps sounder than he did when he was younger.  I need to give him more time to orient when he wakes up.  It would also help him if I massaged his back and hips as he is waking up in the morning to warm him up and help him get moving.  Overall he is not in pain, his main issue is arthritis limiting his movement and primarily affecting his back end.  I can deal with this.

Rocko also said that he misses hunting around the yard.  In the last video I posted, you can see him sniffing in the leaves at Dr Boswell’s office.  Patty suggested that he and I go into the yard with some biscuits and make a game of throwing out a couple to let him find them.  Make it easy but fun.  Another thing I can do to make his life happier.

Patty recommended some natural flower essences that I will look into.  I’m going to check Green Hope Essences for their Run and Play essence and the Senior Citizen mix.  There’s also a New Beginnings scent which leads to the next issue I wanted advice on.

Rocko hates for anything to change.  Absolutely hates it.  If I move furniture to vacuum he leaves the room.  When I painted the walls a different color, he wouldn’t look at them for a week.

Now we are preparing for the biggest change we can make – we are looking for a new home.  We have steps everywhere.  Two flights of steps to get from the sidewalk to the front door.  Steps to get down into the back yard.  Steps to get from the yard into the garage.  Every day we deal with steps down into the bedroom and back up in the morning.  If he was 25 pounds I could carry him, but he is around 65 pounds and I just can’t lift him.  Well, I can get him up into my arms if I have to but to try to navigate steps while carrying him would put our safety at risk.

I’ve made up a new word.  Other people are down-sizing, I am flat-sizing.  I am dreaming of a home where Rocko can move from room to room without dealing with steps.  I want a back yard where I can put in a small ramp and he can just walk out the door.  I want a garage for our biscuit operation that is close to the house so he can walk back and forth whenever he wants. (Side note:  our garage has been converted into a commercial kitchen with ovens and the other equipment to make Rocko’s Rewards.) More and more he is staying inside while I work on the biscuits because it is so hard to get him back and forth.  That is against everything I have built, my happy place is making biscuits with Rocko asleep at my feet.  I feel bad leaving him inside, it seems so close but so far away for him.

Patty gave me pointers on how to make the transition.  Sending Rocko mental images is very important.  When I find our perfect home, I should picture him moving freely through the house and how happy we are going to be.  She talked to him about the big change.  He expressed that if I was happy, he was going to be happy.

Now for the hard part of the reading.  I wanted to know if Rocko knew I was going to be ok when he had to leave me.  Patty’s insight into this was very comforting.

Dogs do not look at death the same way people do.  For them, it is just leaving the physical body.  His spirit will stay with me.  When Rocko came into my life, I felt safe.  He was there to protect me.  He was my anchor, my partner, my companion. He wanted me to know that he was proud of me, it was my own strength that overcame my fears and he wanted to reassure ME that I would be ok.

Rocko wants me to get another dog when he is gone.  His spirit will guide me to the right one.  On a funny note, my mother has wanted me to get another dog for years to make the transition easier for me.  Patty did not know this, but she did say Rocko was really clear that he does not want another dog in the house while he is still here.  I’ve said that it wouldn’t be fair, I was afraid that he would think I didn’t love him as much, but his answer is much simpler.  This is HIS house and it will stay his house until his body leaves.

As we were wrapping up the reading, I thought of one more thing I wanted Patty’s help with – the camera!  Rocko hates the camera.  I thought maybe Patty could help with that.  I asked her to explain to him that these were the memories I was going to be able to keep forever.  I told her to tell him that there were a lot of people out there who loved him and they liked it when they could see his picture.

Throughout the reading, each time Patty was talking to Rocko he would raise his head and smile.  This time he got his stubborn frown on his face and clenched his jaw.  He did not like the idea of the camera at all.  Patty did get a sense that Rocko may have been a Native American in a past life because he felt that when I took a picture I was taking something away from him.

Patty made some progress by explaining to him that he was my business partner and we needed the pictures for the business.  He liked that idea and suggested a compromise.  No more waiting with the camera and clicking away.  I could take ONE picture at a time.  That’s it.  And I couldn’t make a big deal about it, just pick it up and click.  No big fuss, no begging him to let me take his picture, just click and go on.

And even though Patty said I probably shouldn’t put this out there for everyone, I will anyway because it is so funny. Rocko said do you really think I care what all those other people think?  I do not want my picture taken and I am not going to do it just to make them happy.

That is exactly the attitude I expected.

I feel a great sense of peace knowing that Rocko is happy and comfortable. He knows how much I love him and that he will be a part of my heart and soul forever, even when I don’t have his physical body with me.  While I cherish every moment we have together, I know it isn’t going to last forever.  I know I will be able to let go when that time does come.

Instead of taking a picture to include with this post, I’ll add our favorite video – The Perfect Picture.  What happens when you want the perfect picture to put on a bag of dog biscuits but your dog hates the camera?  Watch it and see!

We haven’t updated our blog lately, been doing a lot of facebook posting, but this is a little longer and more to think about than a couple lines and a picture.

Everyone knows Rocko is old – really old for a big dog. Based on his estimated age when we found him, he is 17 years and 10 months old. Very old.

And I’m not anywhere near ready to do without him.

We had quite a scare this week. He was having trouble just standing up, his back legs were weak and wouldn’t hold him up. This happens every now and then usually when Rocko is overactive. He plays with the cats, he wants to be out in the yard with me when I am working. There are days when I am working in the shop baking and I have to make him stay in the house because it gets too hot. I know on those days he’ll stand at the window watching for me to come in. But it always gets better in a day or two. Ice always helps (that’s what is wrapped in the yellow blanket in the picture below).

Rocko has grown to love the ice packs. I think that we’re into the placebo effect now because he will tell me when he wants one and it instantly relaxes him. I learned this trick from Dr Boswell – where there’s heat apply ice. I feel around on his back and hips and the warm spots are the ones that hurt. When he goes to bed he likes one wrapped in a bathroom towel. On a side note, I am now down to one good bath towel. There’s the one Phoebe lays on in one of the bathroom sinks, the one Rocko has on the shelf where he likes to lay his head to sleep, and now another for the ice – leaving one for me. The sacrifices we make for our pets!

But back to Rocko. This was different. He was walking crooked. He was restless, he’d be laying on his blanket almost asleep and all of a sudden he’d jump up. It started Thursday afternoon and by Monday night he laid down at the top of the steps and didn’t want to come to bed. Bedtime is a whole different story, I’ll post that next week. Let’s just say we ended up getting down but it wasn’t easy or fast – he weighs 70 pounds so its not like I can just carry him.

And I could tell he was in pain, something I have vowed to not let happen. I will give him everything he needs as his time goes on but I will never let him live in pain because I can’t let go.  I look at him and I can’t breathe.  Is it time?

We already had an appointment with Dr Boswell for Tuesday. For those new to our adventures, Dr Elizabeth Boswell practices alternative veterinary medicine. Rocko sees her every three weeks and absolutely loves her. Through a combination of ultrasound, laser and other therapies she takes care of what hurts him.

After careful examination (all very magical), Dr Boswell concluded that Rocko must have slipped and fallen, injuring his left shoulder and right hip along with pulling a muscle in his groin.

Let the treatment begin. Sitting on the floor for an hour, her holding one piece of equipment, me holding other things in place, treating inch by inch of the places that hurt. Rocko is very cooperative, changing positions when needed, tolerating stuff stuck all over him. Smiling.

When it was all done she asked him to get up. He hopped up, walked around the room and up and down the hall like nothing at all had been wrong.

And finally I can breathe again.

Every time something happens I think is this going to be it? Is this the thing I can’t fix? Am I doing what is best for Rocko, not what is best for me? And how can I even begin to think about life without him? I want more time. A lot more time.

When I first started making dog biscuits, my dream was to do that all day long with Rocko by my side. We’re almost there. I kept thinking we’re so close, don’t leave me now.

And finally I can breathe again.

In the after thoughts, I think about all the people who don’t have someone like Dr Boswell to turn to. Maybe it’s a matter of money, I make a lot of sacrifices to do this for him. Most people don’t know that treatment like this is available. If I wasn’t able to do this for him, if I didn’t know, if it hadn’t helped, this may have been the time.

It isn’t time. I can breathe again.

We took a potty break while I was writing this. Rocko wandered around the back yard, chewing on some of the crabgrass that has sprung up after the rain. He’s back inside now, sitting on his blanket in front of the door enjoying a sweet potato biscuits (his new favorite).

He’s smiling and back to his old self.

I have more time. I can breathe again.

Rocko enjoying one of our new sweet potato biscuits
17 years and 10 months old

Taking a short break from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season to let everyone know that Rocko is doing fine. 

Rocko is still seeing Dr Boswell for physical therapy.  We tried stretching it out to two weeks again with the Thanksgiving holiday and he didn’t quite make it.  Close, but as the time for next appointment neared there was a noticeable difference so we’re back to every week for a couple of weeks.

We ran out of one of the nutritional supplements he was taking and within three days he had quite a bit of weakness in his back legs.  It didn’t occur to me I could call and get some more before our appointment, but this also proved that it is part of what is making a positive difference in Rocko’s ability to get around.

Dr Boswell is trying something new, she calls it her pilates machine.  It is a more vigorous stimulation of his muscles.  He likes it.  He’s a little bit sore the next day but then really bounces back.  We’ve been using an ice pack on him that first day (new tip – if it’s warm, put ice on it).  After about a half hour of moving it around, Rocko is ready to go.

Right now he’s sleeping on his blankets in front of the door.  And snoring.  I like the snoring.  Rocko use to snore all the time and stopped for a while.  Once we started the new treatments, I can tell when he is feeling especially good because he sleeps so sound he snores.

Rocko is a little aggravated with me about all the mess in the house with gift baskets everywhere.  Phoebe, our young cat, takes spells where she must capture her food before she can eat it.  This involves getting the food out of the bowl, chasing it around the table and finally knocking it to the floor before eating.  Every now and then she misses one, Rocko will wander through the dining room and check the floor.  The other night he got tangled up in a sea of baskets and let me know he had enough of all this.

I was able to get a picture as we were staging the orders to go out the next morning – you can see he’s not too happy about the whole thing.

Rocko says keep your pets safe this holiday season, be aware of leaving things out that you don’t want your dog to eat.  With all the excitement, sometime they forget their manners. 

You keep safe too.

Time for catching up on the life of a senior dog.

First, apologies for not posting last week.  I was in the middle of a baking marathon.  Wore me out.

Now it’s time to update you on how Rocko is feeling.  We’ve had another week of ups and downs.

Two weeks ago when I posted Rocko was doing so good we had extended the time between his appointments with Dr Boswell by an extra week.  I wish I could say all went well but at about 10 days he really started to feel bad.  Each time I think it gets a little worse.  We couldn’t get in for another appointment, so it was a matter of giving him extra pain medication and trying to keep him comfortable.  I couldn’t let him come out baking with me because the cold certainly wouldn’t help his old bones feel better plus he was back to following me every time I moved.  It was better that he had the house to himself to relax.

I counted down the days with him, Rocko, today is Friday, we only have three more days until we see Dr Boswell, Rocko, today is Saturday, we only have two more days . . . you get the picture.  We just focused on getting through the weekend until our appointment on Monday.

There was only one small problem with that.  When we walked into Dr Boswell’s office, she said “did you know your appointment is tomorrow?”.  Thankfully, more than you can possibly imagine, she moved a meeting to get us in. 

I had noticed that Rocko’s lower back was really warm and we were putting cold cloths on it.  Dr Boswell was surprised at the extent of the heat and said she believed he had hurt himself somehow.  That’s entirely possible, he still runs through the house barking if he sees another dog or if our not-too-smart neighbor cat Dimitri comes up on the porch.  After treatment he wasn’t back to 100% but there was a definite improvement.   She did say if it returned I should treat just that area with an ice pack but it hasn’t come back.

She and I noticed something strange.  Rocko’s lip seemed to be a little swollen on one side and his tongue was a darker color.  Weird.   I decided to start him on another round of antibiotics.  You’ll remember that Dr Habig did this a couple months ago and said we may have to just dose him on a regular basis.  I picked that up at Cherokee Animal Hospital on Tuesday and made Rocko an appointment for Thursday.

Dr Grace took care of us.  He clipped Rocko’s nails and shaved a little spot on his leg to draw blood.  We only do bloodwork when something is wrong but I thought it was time to get some backup on what is going on.  The last thing on the list was Rocko’s lip.  Remember the post where we worked on looking in his mouth?  I was quite proud of the old boy when he let me hold his open so Dr Grace could look in with a flashlight.  Wow.  Good news – no masses, lumps or broken teeth.  Even though this is not a good way to find out what is wrong, I also stopped giving Rocko the drops Dr Boswell had him taking.  I always give them to him on that same side of his mouth so maybe he is having a reaction to them.  Ack, as I was typing this I realized she told me in the beginning that if he wouldn’t take them to put them on his skin.  I’ll start doing that tonight and keep a close eye on the spot.

Dr Grace called me today with the results of the bloodwork.  That’s one of the things that gives me confidence in the quality of veterinary care Rocko is getting – Dr Grace always follows up.  GOOD NEWS!  For a dog who will be 17 next week, he is remarkably normal.  His liver enzymes were slightly elevated – always a concern with long term use of Rimadyl – but they were actually less elevated than the last time.  He is also slightly anemic so it’s time to pump up with the liver (see the post The Things You Do For Love).  We’ll check a stool sample soon to make sure he doesn’t have an ulcer or anything going on in his intestinal system, but it probably goes back to the benign fatty tumors he has.

In other news in the life of a senior dog, I think we’ve found the stair lift mechanism we were looking for.  I was supposed to see it yesterday but the seller was tied up so that will happen sometime this weekend.  This would be an answer to a dream.  MeMa asked if Rocko would actually ride on it – let me tell you, this will rock his world.  It will only take a couple of trips before he realizes how much easier his life has become.  We’ll get the process on video to share with everyone. 

Rocko is sleeping now, dreaming the dreams of a long life.  Thanksgiving day marks 16 years since we stopped on the side of the road and he chose to come home with me.  Who knew that day would change both of our lives forever.

I love being a part of the life of my senior dog.

Rocko sleeping, November 18, 2011

Happy progress in the life of a senior dog!

Rocko made it through the entire week without going backwards.  No breakout pain, no bad days.  He’s a very happy boy.

Rocko with ultrasound gel all over his back, October 31, 2011

We had our fourth visit with Dr Boswell last Monday.  He was all amped up to go.  When we walked out the front door he just trotted down the steps like it was nothing.  It really caught me off guard, by the time I got ready to start helping him he had taken off.  Wow.

Rocko had a relaxing therapy session of ultrasound and tens-like treatment.  When he was through, I wanted Dr Boswell to advise me on some pictures of harnesses I had found on the internet (more on that in a second).

I let Rocko off his leash – remember, if he wanted to kill her he would have already done it so I felt pretty safe.  That boy walked all around the office, up and down the hallway, checking out each room.  Every few minutes he’d come back and check on us, then he was off again.  We had to laugh, this was the most Dr Boswell had seen him move around.  On the first visit it was straight in and straight out.  Now she sees the Rocko I remember.

I did ask Dr Boswell about how to deal with the bursts of energy that Rocko has now.  As I thought, we should keep that somewhat under control.  He might be ready to party but it is best to slowly increase his activity level so he doesn’t hurt himself.

We’ve graduated to a new level of treatment – Rocko doesn’t have to go back for two weeks.  Of course if he starts feeling bad he can go right away, but if things keep going like they have been the time between visits will increase to every 4-6 weeks or whatever is most comfortable for Rocko.

Total cost of treatment to date:  $488.00 Has it been worth it?  Absolutely.

On a side note, one of my original goals was to get Rocko off the pain medication (which only started around March).  I am now wavering on that goal.  I was talking about it to Me-Ma who is a very young 73 years old and she made an interesting point.  Rocko is old.  Just like when people get old, they start taking a prescription every day for their arthritis or other aches and pains.  It is just part of aging.  Instead of thinking about it like a bad thing, she said I should accept that he needs the medicine, the medicine is helping him, and let well enough be.  She has a good point – I wanted him off the pain medication for ME, not for him.  That way I could keep on believing everything was perfect.  It isn’t, I’m doing everything I can to help him, and sometimes that’s enough.

Back to the harness.  If anyone has any advice for me, please either post it here or on the facebook link to this post (to find us on facebook, click on Rocko’s World in the upper right corner of this screen, then scroll down the right side of that screen for the link.  It’s also a good time to Like us and check out the rest of Rocko’s World).

our steep stairs

We have to go down the stairs every night to go to bed and back up in the morning.  Up isn’t too bad (yet) – I lift his front feet up on the first step, he gets up to the landing, then I get behind him and hold up his butt as he climbs up.

Down is not so easy.  Rocko uses every excuse in the world to put off going down.  NOT going down is not an option for him, but he has to get three drinks of water, check a couple times to finish off any food left in his bowl, look out the window and so on.  When he’s ready he comes through the doorway in a straight shot to go down. 

It seems that recently he has gotten more hesitant about going down.  It might be his eyesight – that’s a pretty daunting drop if you can’t see the bottom.  I have to hold him up and keep him from just sliding or going down too fast.  Because one side of the wall is open we can only go down one way.  My fear is that one day both of us are going to take a tumble.

I tried something new last night on the spur of the moment and I’ll see if it helps.  I took blue painters tape and marked each step, then put a giant mark on the wall at the bottom of the stairs.  Maybe if he has something he can focus on instead of almost all the same color he will feel more confident.

My extreme dream is to put in a stair lift like senior citizens use and modify it with a walled platform to move Rocko up and down.  One side would have a high wall so he couldn’t jump out of the side of the stairs.  When we get to the bottom that side would drop down to make a ramp for Rocko to get down the last couple steps. 

I would be able to build the platform and have a friend who could help if I had to make any modifications to the switches that make it move.  I would hinge the platform walls so they would fold out of the way if I was going up and down the stairs.  This is a very narrow and steep staircase.  Our house was built in 1923 and like many old houses, they were an afterthought and would never pass code now.  The treads are narrow and there is no room for any kind of ramp or changes to make it easier.  A bonus would be that I wouldn’t have to carry anything up and down the stairs myself, I could just put it one the lift.  As it is if I’m carrying down a box I can’t see around it because they are so narrow, so I’d win too.

You can see I’ve given this a little thought.  The only thing I’m missing is the stair lift.  Old used ones sell for over $1,000 and no dealer will sell parts because of the liability.  If you ever hear of one about 10’ long that someone needs to get rid of, please let me know.

In the meantime, Dr Boswell recommended a harness to support him as we’re going down.  I would still have to put in a railing to stabilize myself but at least it will help right now.

If anyone has used a good harness for this (remember, he’s a big boy so I have to hold on to 70 pounds) please let me know.  I’ve checked a couple of websites but there is such a variety I’m not sure what to use.

I’m not the one who knows it all, I’m the one seeking answers and would love to hear from anyone who has any advice.

Gotta make it easy on the life of a senior dog!

Wow, it has been quite the week in the life of a senior dog.

When we last posted, Rocko had his first visit to Dr Boswell and was doing exceptionally well.  That lasted until late Friday night (a little over two days) and he took a really bad downhill turn.  We’re back on the good side, but it was rough.

It started with the sad eyes and warm nose. That can come and go over a matter of hours and that’s also how I learned that Rocko can’t eat anything even remotely spicy.  At first I wasn’t worried.

When he got up Saturday morning and still felt bad, I switched his food to rice / sweet potatoes / chicken to soothe his stomach.  It soon became obvious that this was more than just an upset tummy.  Rocko was nervous, wandering around the house, licking his lips and wrinkling his nose.  I could see how uncomfortable he was.

Here’s the hard part.  Although this was a little more extreme, it was the same behavior that brought us to Dr Boswell.  Things change little by little and you don’t really realize how much, especially when you really don’t want to see it.  I don’t think I’m alone in feeling this way about my beloved companion.  In comparison, the two days I talked about last week when Rocko was relaxed, happy and feeling good were such a stark contrast that it forced me to see how uncomfortable he had been all along.  Oh my gosh, my heart hurt.  I’m all he has and I let him feel that bad.  It hurt to even have to let my heart go down that path, I am not ready for that.  Luckily it passed.  Rocko kind of bounced back although he was still behind where we were those two days. 

Our next appointment with Dr Boswell was on Tuesday.  When we finally got Rocko settled down she started his treatment.  First she used a small machine that was developed for Russian astronauts to use in space that helps re-energize the muscles.  He was iffy about that, it took some work to keep him down and relaxed.  Since he had those two exceptional days Dr Boswell decided to focus on the same therapy as last week.  That’s when he really relaxed and started smiling.  Every now and then he would turn his head and look at Dr Boswell, breaking his #1 rule – If I don’t see you, you don’t exist. 

That leads into a funny note.  We had a chance to talk about several things while she was doing his therapy.  She had talked to Dr Habig about Rocko, Dr Habig asked if Rocko had tried to bite her yet (those of you who know Rocko know that he is just mean).  Dr Boswell asked me how she could tell when he was getting ready to snap.  I did tell her that it was when his nose wrinkles up, but I also laughingly assured her that if he hadn’t tried to kill her by now I was pretty sure she was safe. 

Right now the treatment plan is to see Rocko for the next four to six weeks then he would be on a maintenance schedule of once a month or so.  She gave me the name of an all natural body building supplement to get at the health food store to work on strengthening the muscles in his back end. I do want to note that I am avoiding naming the specifics of what we’re using on purpose – if you want to try anything like this with your senior dog it really needs to be under the supervision of a vet.  Dr Boswell shares a lot of fascinating information, I couldn’t even begin to remember all of it but it gives me a lot of hope for how this is all going to come together.

Once we were through, we made the trip home and Rocko was worn out as usual.  Frankly so was I.  Now we’re at Friday night, three days after treatment.  While he isn’t (and hasn’t been) as great as he was those two days, he is doing good.  If those were tens I’d put him at a seven, but it is still an improvement over how he was before we started seeing Dr Boswell (let’s call that three).  So far so good – I will admit I was holding my breath yesterday at the two day mark.  We’re going back on Monday so I’ve got my fingers crossed until then. 

I followed up with Dr Habig to get the last set of spine x-rays that were done in 2009.  I thought that was going to be more complicated because I took Rocko to Audubon, Cherokee’s related clinic, to have them done, but then I found out they were on file at Cherokee – close to home.  I will bring them to the next visit and it will help Dr Boswell see what to focus on.  I also got a laser pointer, when we’re ready she will show me some things I can do at home.  I’ve started spending a half hour or so each night just sitting with Rocko practicing how to relax and getting him used to having his back legs touched (it doesn’t seem to bother him much as long as I don’t get near the FEET!).  I’m debating taking one of his quilts to his next appointment so he has something familiar to lay on.

I know this has been a long one, but one last note – sometimes money does matter.  Total investment to date:  $298.  I’ll try to keep everyone updated on this in case it is something you are considering.

Let’s hope we keep on the same path until Monday.  Rocko is snoring in his sleep now, and I can’t help but wonder if it is because he feels better.  I have to remember to ask Dr Boswell about that . . .

 Yes, it has been quite the week in the life of a senior dog.

Stop.Taking.My.Picture - October 21, 2011

This week we had our first appointment to explore what started out as acupuncture with Elizabeth Boswell, DVM.

Dr Boswell told me during our initial call that she practices a variety of additional treatments including laser, ultrasound and several more, along with natural remedies.  I am all for anything natural, especially if it reduces Rocko’s reliance on pain medicine. 

I have to digress for a minute.  Many of you reading this already know Rocko.  Some people might be landing here for the first time on their own journey through life with a senior dog.

The decision on how far to take treatment of the aches and pains of an old dog is one that only you can make.  I had a friend who laughed when I told her what we were doing.  Another wondered if she could have taken this step and gotten just a little more time. 

I don’t know how I got so lucky with Rocko.  At one month before he turns 17, he is alert and still active but I have watched him age before my eyes.  The last year has been especially hard (and of course, the next one will be even harder).  If I can do this for him and make him more comfortable then I want to give it a try. 

With that in mind, back to our adventure.

Rocko, October 12, 2011

The day before our appointment (rescheduled from Monday to Wednesday) I started telling Rocko that we were going to a new doctor to try to feel better so he could get used to the idea.  Dr Boswell was going to see him at his weakest stage.  For the past two days I had been outside doing yard work all day and he stayed out with me so he was worn out.  Of course, once we get out in the car his adrenaline kicked in, hiding some of his symptoms.  We got to our appointment about 15 minutes early and he refused to sit down in the waiting area.  You can see from the picture that he wasn’t stressed, he just didn’t want to sit down.

Once we entered the office the doctor and I went over his history, diet and current medications and supplements.  The three of us then sat on a mat on the floor and Dr Boswell began her examination.

She felt around his body, first commenting on his liver function.  Liver problems are a common side effect of long term use of Rimadyl and Rocko has been taking it for five years or more now, so that’s something we keep an eye on.  I wasn’t surprised to hear that it wasn’t quite up to par.  Dr Boswell then checked him for a variety of nutritional deficiencies, finding three areas he was lacking.  She ordered a general neurological supplement that should be here tomorrow, she mixed up another one and also said that he needed some extra vitamin C.  I had read about the use of esther-C in dogs but Rocko kept spitting it out so I gave up.  I still had it so we are going to work on getting him up to his maximum tolerance level.

Dr Boswell then performed a treatment on Rocko similar to using a tens unit for pain control.  I know a little bit about how irritated nerves give off signals and if you can interrupt or redirect those signals the pain will calm down.  Again, Rocko was quite calm during the treatment.  Most of the time he was smiling, occasionally he would look back over his shoulder at her (but in a nice way).  We completed the treatment and left with written instructions for the supplements.

After we got home, Rocko was exactly as I expected – worn out.  He could barely stand up.  Every time he tried to turn a corner his butt dropped to the ground.  He had just pushed himself to his limit.

I started him on the first supplement.  I have to note that this comes in an alcohol base but the dosage is only three drops twice a day.  Dr Boswell said that patients typically start to show improvement starting three days after treatment, but the next day I already noticed a difference. 

Rocko already seems calmer.  Over the past few months he had started walking aimlessly around the house.  I would get up to see if he needed to go out, if he needed water, anything, but he would just wander around.  He seems more content and focused.  I also have to admit that I have been making jokes about the alcohol in his supplement.  It could be that he has a little bit of a buzz and all is happy in his world.  I’m not ruling that out.  I also don’t have a problem with it because it seems to be helping.

As far as getting around easier, we’re still not to the third day and sometimes I see what I want to see.  I do think he seems a bit more limber as he is moving but that could be wishful thinking.  By next week we’ll know more.

Rocko has another appointment Tuesday.  I have to get his old x-rays from Dr Habbig – this will help Dr Boswell see what areas she need to focus on.  I also need to order a laser pointer so she can teach me some therapy to do at home.

This is going to be an interesting path and I’m curious to see what happens.  We’ll keep you updated right here on Rocko’s blog – the life of a senior dog.