Kirislin Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 (edited) Feather whippet will be 15 next month. She is thin and frail and takes a lot of nursing, but she's only on one medication and although she mostly sleeps she still has her moments of joy, happiness and animation, so I don't think her time has come. That almost changed in the early hours of Wednesday morning. I was roused from a deep sleep by a dog panting under the doona. I pulled back the cover and poor Feather was just laying there, immovable, panting frantically with bulging eyes and bright red gums. She'd lost bladder control which she NEVER does normally but the area around her mouth was just as wet from her panting. My my poor little girl had got too hot under the doona but was trapped by the other dogs and possibly my legs, and she was too weak and frail to get out of there. I yanked all the bedding off and laid her on a damp towel and then put a damp face washer on her chest and turned the fan on her. I started syringing water into her mouth but it still took about 20 minutes for her to stop her frantic panting. After a while she seemed calm but when I tried to get her to stand she couldn't. She could use her front legs, but her back ones just dragged behind her. I just lay beside her till morning and continued to rehydrate her by syringing honey water every few minutes. I made an appointment with the vet but the earliest I could get in was 11.45am. She hadn't tried to stand once since I'd "rescued" her from under the covers at about 2.20am. I carried her outside once it was light and she was weak but able to have a wee, but when she came back inside she didn't want to open her eyes and the inner eyelid was halfway across her eyes. I wondered if she might have had a thumping migrane from dehydration. I sat sat beside her on my bed with my hand on her chest feeling her heart beat so weak, and her breathing so slow, I was sure she was dying. I even rang and cancelled the vet appointment as I didn't want to stress her and thought she wouldn't make it to 11.45am anyway.. But that time came and went and she just continued to lay there peacefully. Then sometime around 1pm she lifted her head and her eyes looked a bit clearer. I lifted her off the bed and she was able to make her own way outside for a wee, then toddled back in and went to the fridge making it very clear she'd like a bite to eat!. So I happily fed her and since then she's recovered and is back from the dead to her normal self! I know she won't be around for very much longer, we take each day as it comes, but clearly I had it wrong on Wednesday and she told me, not today mummy, not today. Edited April 22, 2017 by Kirislin 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boronia Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Yes K, it's like that isn't it 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harley Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Dear old girl. Do you have a photo you wouldn't mind sharing? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 Our oldies give us such frights sometimes... and then they recover and pretend it never happened... Zeddy was pretty darned healthy (apart from a touch of arthritis) right up until a couple of hours before it was her time... no lingering illness or severe frailty to get me used to the fact that she was getting near the end. Sometimes that is "easier", but at the same time it's so quick that we aren't exactly well prepared for the end to happen. Fingers crossed that Feather doesn't give you too many more frights like that! T. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 What a fright!! Dear old thing .... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 How scary for you! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Gosh, I am in tears reading that K. She sure isn’t ready to leave you yet, but being such a great age, she just took a long time to recover from the overheating. Such a darling girl, such a treasure. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazm Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Aren't our fur friends just amazing how they get us thinking and then the next moment it's like they read your mind and up they get once more. Treasure the time you have left with her. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gretel Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Oh my how scary! So glad she rallied! I have a 15 year old who I know won't be with me much longer. I feel so upset when she's having a not so good day. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 (edited) 14 hours ago, harley said: Dear old girl. Do you have a photo you wouldn't mind sharing? Feathie hates having her photo taken but I got this last weekend while she was snoozing outside. I had a friend and his dogs come to visit and even though she mostly sleeps she still doesn't like to miss out on anything, so instead of sleeping in my bed, she still comes out to socialise, by sleeping in public :D instead of in private. That's Neko she is using as a pillow. IMG_4170dpp by kirislin, on Flickr Edited April 22, 2017 by Kirislin 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 (edited) She's been doing well ever since. Back to eating, although she has to be hand fed, but I indulge her because I suspect it's a bit of senility that is the reason she just stares at her food and wont pick it up herself, and even if it is just being spoilt, I dont care, it's not that hard to feed her by hand, so what if she's got me wrapped around her skinny little paw for the time she has left. Edited April 22, 2017 by Kirislin 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westiemum Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 She's just lovely Kristin. I have such a soft spot for the seniors. Enjoy every moment. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted April 22, 2017 Author Share Posted April 22, 2017 10 hours ago, Dame Danny's Darling said: Gosh, I am in tears reading that K. She sure isn’t ready to leave you yet, but being such a great age, she just took a long time to recover from the overheating. Such a darling girl, such a treasure. You're such a softie 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Kisses Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 What a sweetheart. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottsmum Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 3 hours ago, Kirislin said: She's been doing well ever since. Back to eating, although she has to be hand fed, but I indulge her because I suspect it's a bit of senility that is the reason she just stares at her food and wont pick it up herself, and even if it is just being spoilt, I dont care, it's not that hard to feed her by hand, so what if she's got me wrapped around her skinny little paw for the time she has left. I hand fed Scottie more times than I care to remember. Its totally worth it. She's lovely. Love that photo of her & N. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjosa Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 dear Feather, she is just so precious. When they get on in years you treasure every moment that you have with them, making wonderful memories, 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harley Posted April 22, 2017 Share Posted April 22, 2017 Thank you for the gorgeous photo, she is divine 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 12 hours ago, Kirislin said: She's been doing well ever since. Back to eating, although she has to be hand fed, but I indulge her because I suspect it's a bit of senility that is the reason she just stares at her food and wont pick it up herself, and even if it is just being spoilt, I dont care, it's not that hard to feed her by hand, so what if she's got me wrapped around her skinny little paw for the time she has left. That is not being spoilt; that is being loved and understood. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kazm Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Isn't she sweet Lovely photo. Hand feeding is just what we do when necessary. I hand fed both my girls when they got picky with food during their pregnancys and I hand fed Zena almost every day of her last few weeks with us. We do it because we love them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Gifts Posted April 23, 2017 Share Posted April 23, 2017 Gosh what a fright! I'm so glad she rallied around. I found the hardest thing about caring for a nearly 17 year old girl was preempting the situations she might get herself into when noone was home (or when we were asleep like what happened to you). At least you can make adjustments to avoid this again. And as I have a doona diver getting on in years it is something I will be mindful of too. Not your time yet Miss Feather! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now