My pretty dog Sophie, an alleged yellow lab mix (RE: Mutt) has developed a serious condition. She is about 14 now.

Our vet tested her and it turns out her kidneys are failing, she has hypothyroidism, and her liver is also having serious problems. She is taking 5 prescription drugs and not a single one goes in easy...

She started refusing food a few weeks ago, and it continues even though one of the meds our vet gave us for her is an appetite stimulant.

Sorry if I've been a little absent fido-wise but it is awfully hard to deal with this. She is still so kissy and sweet natured.

Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-6
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

Janis,

Sorry if I've been a little absent fido-wise but it is awfully hard to deal with this. She is still so kissy and sweet natured.

To many people, their pets are their kids. I've been there, done that,
with the dachshunds my wife and I had during our marriage. Today (May 18) would've been my 20th wedding anniversary, had she lived. :'(

The first time I met her, she had a female dachsund...a real b!+ch <G>, because she pooped on my shoe. :P It's a good thing the relationship did
not end there, but that dog was obviously jealous of her Momma. :)

The dachshund Janice had a few years later, was a male named Fritz...and
he fell in love with me on first sight (tail wagging, licking, etc.). The
day before I proposed to her, I had gone to her apartment for a visit...and she asked me if I wanted to take the weiner widget for a walk. Now, he had
one of those retractable leashes, which I *ORIGINALLY* thought were great;
let the dog go into the poop filled grass, and let me stay on the sidewalk.

Well, I was holding the leash in front of my groin...that was my first mistake. Somehow, the leash came off his collar, retracted at full speed,
and "popped me in the most vulnerable area" (can you say "nuts" to that??
I knew you could <G>). I fell to the ground in pain, and she had gone
inside the apartment, not knowing what had just happened. When she realized that I didn't go in with the dog, she came out, and was horrified to see me down on the ground (the dachshund had then jumped on the "jewels", and the look on his face was to ask "is something wrong??". My thought was "What do
you think, Junior??!!" :P

She helped me inside, now in moderate to severe pain, and I thought that
I was in mortal danger, as males can bleed to death from an injury in that area. So, I embarrassingly had her "take a look", thinking that she'd drop
me like a hot rock. I asked her "Do you think any less of me??", and she replied "I give you credit for your common sense. I would've called 911 if
I had seen blood". I knew, right then, that THIS was the girl I was going
to marry...and proposed to her 2 days later.

One night though, she was asleep on the Futon, and he was at her feet,
with me next to her. Fritz must've thought I was going to hurt her, and
he started growling, and coming after me, showing his teeth, in attack
mode. It was like you flipped a light switch, as if The Lord told her
"Your husband is about to die at the hands of your dachshund". She sprang
up, and screamed "FRITZ!! NO!!". I backed up, as he was heading right for
my face, and popped him on his butt as he jumped off the Futon, still
growling and snarling.

Now, this woman, who was dead to the world just seconds earlier...is
now moving as if Satan and the whole demonic hordes of Hell, are after her...screaming "In your carrier!! Now!! Move it, lard ass!!" (one of
the very few times she used profanity). He nearly bit her, as she got
him in his carrier, and she snarled "Overgrown four legged sausage ball!!".
I'm surprised the neighbors didn't call the police, as loud as she was screaming, as if WE were fighting...it was the angriest that I ever saw
her.

I said to her "What would you have done if he had gotten to my face??". Looking me dead in the eye, she said "First, I would've taken care of you. Then, I would have killed me a dog. I will NOT let an animal rule me in my
own home!!".

He must've understood that, as he then went absolutely ballistic in his carrier, barking, growling, snarling, and snapping for all he was worth.

Janice looked at me sweetly and said "Excuse me, darling. I'll be right back!!". She had fire in her eyes at that point...can you say "royally
pissed off??!!" <G>.

She calmly walked over to the carrier, grabbed the small water bottle,
and the high pitched training deal (she called it "Mister Blue Dude").
She pressed the button, and squirted him, and said "I can take it longer
than you can, Fatso!!". That stopped him momentarily, and she walked back
to me on the Futon. Well, he still had his tail in a wad <G>, and it did
not take long for him to start up again. She raised her finger, as if to
say "Just a moment", and she walked back to his carrier, and did it again.

Sadly, he became diabetic (quite common on older dogs), resistant to the insulin, and he went blind from glaucoma and cataracts. The poor thing was suffering, and we knew that "the only humane thing to do" was to have him
put down. I cried like a baby for 15 minutes as I walked out of the vet
clinic, but she was there until he was gone.

Three months later, we got a new dachshund that we named Slinky. But,
the first night we brought him home, I got hit with a severe attack of gastrointeritis (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain). We called
the ambulance, and took the dachshund to a neighbor. But,I re-homed Slinky
the day my wife died, 3 weeks shy of our 4th anniversary...and never got another dachshund...because I couldn't afford it.

I still follow "Crusoe, The Celebrity Dachshund" (search for that with
your favorite search engine). He also has several videos on YouTube, with merchandise available for purchase.

Daryl

... A male dog is truly an S.O.B. -- and he acts like one, too!
=== MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)

Hi Daryl!

Sorry if I've been a little absent fido-wise but it is awfully hard to
deal with this. She is still so kissy and sweet natured.

To many people, their pets are their kids. I've been there, done that,
with the dachshunds my wife and I had during our marriage. Today (May 18) would've been my 20th wedding anniversary, had she lived. :'(

That must be a rough day for you, Daryl - thank you for taking the time to reply to my message - it did help a lot reading about your dog(s) and your wife. Thank you for that distraction :)

It is so hard to deal with all this, knowing that it is the only way Sophie can survive for the brief time she has left.

Sadly, he became diabetic (quite common on older dogs), resistant to the insulin,

That is what I am expecting to happen here sooner than later. Most nights after forcing some of the meds down her throat, I end up crying myself to sleep - it is just too too painful right now to see her trusting eyes look at me, and then I have to force these meds on her :(

I still follow "Crusoe, The Celebrity Dachshund" (search for that with
your favorite search engine). He also has several videos on YouTube, with merchandise available for purchase.

I will :)

Take care and thank you again,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-6
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

Hello Janis Kracht!

** On Saturday 20.05.23 - 18:31, Janis Kracht wrote to Daryl Stout:

...Most
nights after forcing some of the meds down her throat, I
end up crying myself to sleep - it is just too too painful
right now to see her trusting eyes look at me, and then I
have to force these meds on her :(

Dogs generally can't resist peanut butter. Can you hide the
meds/pills in that?

--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.57
* Origin: A cats worst enemy is a closed door. (2:221/1.58)

Hi August!

** On Saturday 20.05.23 - 18:31, Janis Kracht wrote to Daryl Stout:

...Most
nights after forcing some of the meds down her throat, I
end up crying myself to sleep - it is just too too painful
right now to see her trusting eyes look at me, and then I
have to force these meds on her :(

Dogs generally can't resist peanut butter. Can you hide the
meds/pills in that?

From Google: "Peanut butter is rich in heart-healthy fats and is a good source of protein, which can be helpful for vegetarians looking to include more protein in their diets. A 2-tablespoon serving of peanut butter contains up to 8 grams of protein and 2 to 3 grams of fiber."

My Vet told me _no_ protein because her liver and kidneys are failing along with some of her other organs (the blood test tells it all). When I got desperate to get some of these meds in her I did put a really small touch of peanut butter on her lip.. then she licked that and it caused her to swallow - but that's it.

The insane thing is this kind of thing used to be so easy with my two dogs when Indy was alive (Sophie's brother). I could just stick meds in some beef or chicken and they'd wolf it down. Now I can use bread with her, that kind of works. But the first reason I even called the vet was because she stopped eating - and she still isn't eating ...

Right now she's finished the antibiotics he gave me (thank god those are done), and she will get thyroid meds every day - it's a really small tab that I can slip in her mouth.

Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-6
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

Janis,

That must be a rough day for you, Daryl - thank you for taking the time
to reply to my message - it did help a lot reading about your dog(s)
and your wife. Thank you for that distraction :)

A male dog is truly an S.O.B. -- and he acts like one, too. <G> But, even
the females can be real b!+ches...as noted, that first dachshund Janice had
pooped on my shoe. :P But later on, she had males...because while they pee
on everything to mark their territory, it's cheaper to neuter a male, than
it is to spay a b!+ch.

It is so hard to deal with all this, knowing that it is the only way Sophie can survive for the brief time she has left.

To many folks, their pets are their kids. This one family in Maumelle, to
the northwest of Little Rock, don't have any kids...her name is Karen, and
her husband is named Lars (Swedish, I think). But, they have 4 males and 1
female dachshund (all fixed). The males are named Baxter, Floki, Thor, and
Gunnar, with the female named Torvi...and I think all of them are "Rescue
Dogs".

When the dogs "hump humans and each other", it's actually a "dominance
move"...as they feel they are "the alpha male" or "the alpha female". Torvi
apparently has become "queen humper", learning it from one of her brothers!!

That night Fritz tried to assert such, Janice sternly told him that "he was
NOT the alpha male anymore". <G>

That is what I am expecting to happen here sooner than later. Most
nights after forcing some of the meds down her throat, I end up crying myself to sleep - it is just too too painful right now to see her
trusting eyes look at me, and then I have to force these meds on her :(

As noted, I cried like a baby for 15 minutes the day we put Fritz down,
but Janice and I knew it was "the only humane thing to do"...as the poor
thing was suffering so.

I will :)

One of the things they had awhile back was a deal called "Weiner Airways",
an airline espeically for dogs. It featured complimentary toilet water, with
plenty of treats to snack on, and toys to play with. I love the memes that
they have of dachshunds and other dogs. Here are three that come to mind:

1) The birthday card for the lady notes that "for your birthday, I thought
you'd like to see a good looking guy, with a nice weiner". There was a good
looking guy, and a dachshund that said "You look wonderful today". <G>

2) There is a fat bulldog (who obviously overdid it on the treats), who notes
"I'm Trans-Slender. I identify as SKINNY". <G>

3) On the way back from burying my wife in Florida in 2007 (after a service
in Arkansas, so I got a double dose), I had taken Amtrak to/from there as a
"bereavement trip". In the dining car, at the table across from me, was this
young couple (the loneliness bug was biting severely), and the woman had a
T-shirt on, which had a super fat dachshund on it...his belly was literally
down to the ground!! Below the pudgy pooch, it noted "Dachshund Is On A Diet!!
Please Do Not Feed!!". I could hear Janice's voice, as clear as day, saying
"What Was Your First Clue??!!".

Take care and thank you again,

No problem...been there, done that, with losing the pets. When Janice died,
I re-homed Slinky...as I couldn't afford to keep him.

Daryl

... How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
=== MultiMail/Win v0.52
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: The Thunderbolt BBS - Little Rock, Arkansas (1:2320/33)

Hello Janis!

** On Sunday 21.05.23 - 11:16, you wrote to me:

My Vet told me _no_ protein because her liver and kidneys
are failing along with some of her other organs (the blood
test tells it all).

Yeah.. sad to know this. Irreversable. The animal is simply
progressing to death in a natural way.

My dog gradually but steadily lost the strength of his hind
legs until he simply couldn't stand up on his own or walk.
During that time, he also had loss of appetite and was losing
weight. I believe I shared my google photo album of Monster
with you a few years ago.

When I got desperate to get some of
these meds in her I did put a really small touch of peanut
butter on her lip.. then she licked that and it caused her
to swallow - but that's it.

I did mean just a bit of peanut butter to get help with the
meds, but not in larger quantities or multiple times during the
day. Glad to hear that the peanut butter helped.

I'd usually cut an empty plastic peanut butter jar in half and
let Monster enjoy cleaning out the little bit that would
remain.

...But the first reason I even called the vet was because
she stopped eating - and she still isn't eating ...

Is she trying to lap up some water? My dog eventually found no
joy in eating lying down. He'd take a little bit of water but
not enough imho. The photo of him on his last day before I
took him to be euthanized showed quite a bit of weight loss.

Right now she's finished the antibiotics he gave me (thank
god those are done), and she will get thyroid meds every
day - it's a really small tab that I can slip in her
mouth.

Hope those meds can relieve some discomfort for the dog.
--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.57
* Origin: A cats worst enemy is a closed door. (2:221/1.58)

Hello Janis!

Check out this song: Maggie's Song - Chris Stapleton

The live version Miranda Lambert is quite well done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PTcr33AAhI

--
../|ug

--- OpenXP 5.0.57
* Origin: A cats worst enemy is a closed door. (2:221/1.58)

Hello Janis!

Check out this song: Maggie's Song - Chris Stapleton

The live version Miranda Lambert is quite well done:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PTcr33AAhI

Beautiful :) Thank you :)

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-6
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)

Hi August,

** On Sunday 21.05.23 - 11:16, you wrote to me:

My Vet told me _no_ protein because her liver and kidneys
are failing along with some of her other organs (the blood
test tells it all).

Yeah.. sad to know this. Irreversable. The animal is simply
progressing to death in a natural way.

Yes.

My dog gradually but steadily lost the strength of his hind
legs until he simply couldn't stand up on his own or walk.
During that time, he also had loss of appetite and was losing
weight. I believe I shared my google photo album of Monster
with you a few years ago.

I remember ... That happened to our first Shepard as well.. Heartbreaking.

When I got desperate to get some of
these meds in her I did put a really small touch of peanut
butter on her lip.. then she licked that and it caused her
to swallow - but that's it.

I did mean just a bit of peanut butter to get help with the
meds, but not in larger quantities or multiple times during the
day. Glad to hear that the peanut butter helped.

I was glad as well.

...But the first reason I even called the vet was because
she stopped eating - and she still isn't eating ...

Is she trying to lap up some water? My dog eventually found no
joy in eating lying down. He'd take a little bit of water but
not enough imho. The photo of him on his last day before I
took him to be euthanized showed quite a bit of weight loss.

She's still drinking water, thank goodness.

Right now she's finished the antibiotics he gave me (thank
god those are done), and she will get thyroid meds every
day - it's a really small tab that I can slip in her
mouth.

Hope those meds can relieve some discomfort for the dog.

Agree there.

Take care,
Janis

--- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-6
* Origin: Prism bbs (1:261/38)