Cafe Hitch-hike

2022-11-21

My Senior Wiener Dog

Miss Marley is age 13 and 6 months. When she was 8, she raced (for fun, for fun, for fun!) in a dachshund race and was in the senior category, so technically she has been a senior wiener dog for quite some time. She always had white hairs under her mouth, and it has been creeping around her pointy black nose.

I talked to the vet today. Her heart murmur hasn't progressed, thankfully, but it is in the high middle range. The doc didn't mention anything about a heart medicine yet, so I don't have to force the dog to take pills. But, the thing the vet wanted was for me to switch her to a diet of senior dog food.

This little pup had high energy and was a cheerful, anxious, but sweet little dog. She is still quite friendly to people and other dogs, and also cats! Sometimes when she focuses on something, she might ignore people. Sometimes when I walk, there's some people she's OK with me stopping to talk to and others where she just wants to keep walking; huh, I do actually want to talk to some of those people, too!

I think the dog and I have similar personalities. She's also clever, has a flair for comedy, and knows how to get a point across. At least 2 people described us both as obstinate and stubborn. Dachshunds are known to be that way along with their independence and strong personalities; maybe it's not a coincidence for the dog and I to be similar!

Marley looks so funny with her swagger and even more funny in the hikes. She is short with little legs, but she can really hike like she's a bigger dog! She's willing to scale rocks and likes to sniff around shrubs and tall grass to root around (though I keep her on a shorter leash if there's a chance there's venomous snakes in the area). She likes walking just as much as her mommy, or maybe it's because it's something we do together.

Like her mommy, she is a little tomboy. Maybe the flea infestations we've had over the years were an occasional consequence along with the burrs stuck in her fur. Unlike her mommy, however, she hates water!

I've known for a while that the little dog may have fewer years left than she already lived. In our last Texas roadtrip in 2019, we hiked a state park in Bastrop but she was unable to hike the last third of it and I had to put her in my backpack. Around that time, I stopped taking her to the beach for hikes, and eventually stopped walks on hot days or more than 20 minutes. I've noticed signs the pup wasn't up for our wonderful hikes, although she is happy to go outside.

Other age-related things I do differently is her care. I don't get the dog's teeth cleaned anymore by the dentist because she has to be put under and that is not recommended with her old doggie heart. I don't let the dog jump up and down on furniture because she had a bad injury just over 2 years ago where she was kind of lame and not walking well. I don't want it to happen because this time it could be permanent. I attempted to train the dog to not jump (and even argued and pleaded with her not to) and she won't (as long as I'm looking, hahah).

This morning's visit to the vet was another reminder of our years together (just about 13). I look at my girl in the morning, and am so happy to have her and the time we've been together. The dog and I have had a lot of adventures together. I joked that my dog has friends, and she really does! I think about how Marley really has bonded with my family and others around me, and that she is usually welcome when they are around.

It is true that they say a dog really is a (hu)man's best friend. I can't really think of anyone who has been with me through life the way she has. Of course, I'll cherish the time I have with her, and when it's time, cherish the memories and what she brought me. I can't even think about how I might take whenever she crosses what animal lovers call the Rainbow Bridge, but thinking about it does help me embrace the time Marley and I can have now and together.

I'll pick up Miss Marley from the vet later today and offer her a little ice cream cone or a puppycino from Starbucks (whipped cream in a cup). I'll make my dinner tonight, give her some veggies that I dice up (she loves those), and maybe we can keep each other company on the sofa with a book or watch the rain we've been having for a good day or so.

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