(VICT) My Decision on Met
- From: metnme2 <metnme2@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: Vi-Clicker <vi-clicker-trainers@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 5 Sep 2007 20:20:18 -0700 (PDT)
As you all know I had decided last month to retire Met
from public access, then he gave me the what for over
it big time so I decided we would just cut back what
he does. He had stopped wanting to wear a harness and
obviously as a result stopped guiding but still seemed
to want to do some of his job. He was still doing all
of the indoor work with great enthusiasm. He was going
insane without some of that public access work though
quite literally. One does not want to experience an
insane Border Collie trust me on that! So that was my
decision with the inkling that he may bounce back and
want to guide again. I was not kidding myself though.
He will be 11 in 3 months and has outlived all but his
mother in his family.
Today I wound up rushing Met to the vet after he
projectile vomited after only getting a pill he
regularly takes. He had been acting off before that.
In order to rule out any blockages based on my
description of things- and her paranoia when she heard
he had been on a raw diet for about 1 1/2 months (not
my regular vet), along with the fact that there is
extensive hereditary cancer in the family, we did some
xrays. What I learned from this is his belly was fine-
no cancer, no blockage, and his heart looked great she
said. Not sure why she was concerned about it since it
sounded good with the stethoscope but anyway... I
degressed a bit there. Due to what Xray positions she
was after she got Xrays of his spine and he has
arthritis along his entire spine. Due to his issues
with getting dressed in his harness I have realized
today that he should never guide again. He eagerly
puts on bandanas and he even let me put a lightweight
ID Band on him recently,but one of his realms of work
has hit the end of the road. He can tell me of curb
cuts and of bumps in the sidewalk or things in our way
or people passing by, but he just won't ever be asked
to fully guide me. It's the right thing to do for him.
Though the vet said most dogs at his age have this and
it does not bother them, I know he has shown me in his
own way especially during the rainy season (which is
fast approaching) that for him it is a factor. The
vets are used to pet dogs... not dogs who dawn a
harness to guide this way and that like they are on an
agility course the entire time they are out with you.
She feels his belly problem stems from the issues with
finding Met a proper food for him since all the major
changes which began this upheaval and that he should
improve after putting him on pepcid AC. As the years
add up we two are becoming way too much alike! LOL
I just got the embroidery back recently that was to be
for new packs for Met's harness and its a pretty
melancholy event knowing they probably will be for his
successor.
So that is the scoop from here...
Karyn and Met
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