And it's been a difficult past week, especially regarding the wolfhounds. Dubhlinn has shown some disturbing indications that he probably does have lumbosacral stenosis. He's always been a bit unsteady in his hindquarters: he drags his feet or shuffles, and his legs don't seem to be as strong as they ought to be. But the most recent unpleasant symptom is a lack of fecal continence. (Pardon the imagery, i hope you weren't eating.) I'm sure some of this he just can't control. I think some of it is that it's tough and somewhat painful for him to rise from a prone position. But i'm trying to encourage him to go outside to poo by giving him a treat when he comes in, which seems to have helped the last two nights.
And then Monday Afternoon, Beal Fierste was acting oddly: she wouldn't eat, and she seemed like she wasn't feeling right. So i called Dr. Culp, and decided to take her in. I was worried it was "bloat" (AKA gastric torsion), but when i took her in to the Emergency Vet Clinic on 183 Monday evening (which was somewhat exciting giving the icy roads and inexperienced ice drivers), it turned out she had pneumonia. I was very glad i brought her in, but surprised how quickly it seems to have progressed. After spending the evening at the Emergency Vet and the Tuesday with Dr. Culp at HiWay 620 Animal Hospital (amazingly, they were open) she's already seems back to her normal self.
But all of this animal care can be tiring. And then it can be strangely rewarding. About an hour ago, Dubhlinn got up and stood around. This often means he wants to go outside to the bathroom, so i took him outside, and was quite pleased when he did relieve himself. I'm sure parents of small kids are no less happy when they get a break from diaper changing. And in this case, the kid weighs 142 lbs, with appropriately sized poop.
So the really cool thing was, i got to see -- and be reminded of -- just how serenely beautiful a snowy winter night can be. True, our snow is mostly icy crust. But it's white, and the night was still, and i got to see Dubhlinn standing in a big field of that white crunchy snow, which made me oddly happy. (I think i imagine him back in his native Irish climate or something.) I fetched my camera from inside, and took some pictures. The little bits of falling snow or ice caught the flash and made the pictures kind of magical. I didn't get a picture of Dubh in the yard, but i did snap some pictures of icicles and one good one of Dubhlinn standing on the driveway. He seemed slightly amused by the icy snow.
I do miss these sorts of winter nights. I also recall that Winter in colder climes can also be cold, relentlessly oppressive, and brutally depressing. And then it can become surprisingly beautiful, which reminds me that i have to savor those brief, magical moments to help with the day to day drudgery and unpleasantness.
