This morning Snowy was up in Sarah’s room just hanging out so I took a few pictures of them and . . . oh wait . . . um . . . excuse me for just a moment.
Hmmm.
It seems as though Snowy feels like it’s his turn to write a little something and so he told me that if I wanted to go and take a nap or a walk or something, he would take it from here. Nothing like being kicked out of the writer/editor chair.
But okay, fine. Take it away, Snowy!
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Hi. Snowy here.
And just so you know? This is not my happy face.
This is my “I’ve been feeling sad and awful” face.
However, I am really not the kind of fella who gives into a little physical distress. In fact, I am just going to sit right up right now and tell my old spine exactly how I feel about it going all wacky on me.
Take that, Mr. Spine!
I realize that sticking out one’s tongue is not yet a universally accepted medical prodecure but I have personally discovered that it can work wonders for one’s morale. Try it sometime!
Also, another way I’ve found to lift my spirits when my 12-year old body is feeling a little old-ish is to burst forth into song. While any old song will do, I’m a bit partial to “Ain’t Nothin’ But A Hound Dog.”
Once more! From the top! All together now!
Sometimes you have to lean in a little to catch the high notes but that’s okay. You just gotta go with the groove, man.
See how happy the singing made me? Works every time!
It’s also helpful if you can find a sister (or a friend) to hang out with you during your recovery time. It’s especially nice if they can provide a lovely soft and pink ottoman for you to lay your weary body on.
Wait. I’m lying on a pink ottoman? Ew!
Someone call The Pink Ottoman Aura Eradicator and have them extract the pinkness from my personage. Please.
Pink? Ick. How could she?
Oh well. I guess in this life you have to pick your battles. And if I have to put up with a pink fluffy item in order to score a comfy place to hang out while I convalesce . . . well, I suppose I can make that work.
Well, it’s sure been nice talking with you! My mom has been reading your comments to me and each one of them has made my doggy heart very and extremely happy. I never knew I had so many wonderful folks out there who love me so much.
I’m sorry my story has made some of you cry. My mom has been crying a whole lot lately too, and I guess that would make me sad if I wasn’t so sure that her tears were made of love.
I feel very happy to be a part of the Smith family and also the Smithellaneous family. You guys take very good care of me and I feel very thankful about that.
Okay. I’m done now. It’s just me and Sarah’s toes . . .. signing off.
And now I’ll turn it back to my mom, who just happens to be the assistant writer at Smithellaneous.
Thanks, Snowy, for letting me write a few words on “your” blog!
Snowy has felt really great most of the day. However, right before dinner he suddenly hunched up his back and started walking slowly and stiffly again, as if every movement were painful. He also started doing his trembling thing again which is the worst thing to see.
For some reason, whenever that happens, instead of lying down in his kennel to rest, he’ll just stand in the middle of the floor and stare morosely and vacantly into the distance. It always makes me so sad to see him do that.
I’ve learned over the past couple of days that having him lie completely still for thirty minutes or so seems to calm the spasms and the trembling. So I hurried through dinner and brought him up to the writing chair and tucked him beside me into the place he feels most secure and peaceful. After a few minutes, the trembling stopped and I reached over to give him a gentle stroke on his neck.
Well, he screamed a terrible scream that stopped my heart and brought Steve running. And then he went back to trembling again.
Unfortunately, we’re not supposed to give him his next pain pill for two more hours, however, if he doesn’t settle back down in the next few minutes, I am going to give one to him anyway.
As many of you said in the comments, we just need to enjoy the moments we have with him, and especially the pain-free ones when he is running through the grass, grinning, writing blog posts, and singing his heart out.
Because those are the ways we will always remember him.
Note: By the time I finished this post, Snowy was much more calm and at peace with greatly reduced tremors and trembling. Thankful.
Enjoyed Snowy’s blog and praying for ease with his pain. God be with all of you and give comfort and peace.
hey, Snowy, I for one think a guy looks great in pink. I’m not sure about the fluffy part…but, don’t worry about the color; it is quite becoming. I tried to sing along with you, but must admit that I didn’t know the lyrics after the first seven words, and actually the tune was sorta forgotten, too.
woof and love and prayers for you, buddy!
Snowy, you write very well and you make me smile. I’m glad to hear you are feeling a bit better and I hope you will have a nice Saturday and a lot of yummy fruit 🙂
Dear Snowy,
I’m glad you are having some good moments. You tell your Mum and sister that you need lots and LOTS of small treats, if they say no use the pink ottoman indignity (fancy doing that to you).
You look like you are a very fine singer, I hope this is appreciated by your family, frequently things like this aren’t – very distressing and the only way to make up for this …. lots of small treats.
Snowy I hope your back feels better very soon, being in pain is awful. I am so glad you are surrounded by such love and so many blessings.
You are loved all the way over here in Sydney, Australia.
With MUCH love
Bec (just like your Mum)
Prayers for Snowy and your family!
Ohh poor Snowy… it’s so hard to see our friends in pain! When you described Snowy’s scream when you stroked his back I had an immediate recollection of the back issues of my parent’s 6lb, 8 year old toy poodle. Their little guy also has a degenerative spine problem that has had severe flareups where we were sure we were at the end. What really aggravates his back is jumping off furniture, any quick running (ie chasing) and going up/down stairs. After having three episodes very similar to what you described with Snowy, they eventually figured out what worked best for their dog. The solution for him was, in an immediate flare up, the anti inflammatories (aspirin) and muscle relaxant (methocarbamol) and three days of absolute crate / lap rest. Following that graduated to walking around, and then slowly back to normal activities. However they had to eliminate all stairs and jumping down. The hardest thing with their little guy in figuring this stuff out is that they’d get the meds into him and he’d take a few hours to rest, figure he felt *much* better, and then go tearing after a toy and cause himself terrible pain later that day. They had to be really firm with the activity restriction and no jumping rule. Perhaps part of their routine would help with Snowy. I knew I had to share it with you when you mentioned the scream. (Absolutely heart stopping and gut wrenching, I know!!!)
This same dog has surived several other close calls, one of which involved a concurrent severe leg fracture, muscle detatchment, skin ulcers, and bone infection all spiralling out from one bad jump-landing. The crate rest was really important for him then too. When he was finally on the mend, the other thing that made a big difference was warm water walking / swimming in the bathtub. I would fill the tub, put a life jacket on him, and verrrry gently help him swim around the tub. If you do a search for canine water therapy you may find some good stuff. At least with the small dogs you can do it at home!
Alll the very best with dear Snowy. Sending him lots of love and healing energy.
Tessy
Snowy, Please forgive me if this doesn’t make much sense! I am also convalescing after having emergency surgery this week! Like you I am on heavy pain meds and morosely staring into space! But I had to check in on you as soon as someone would allow me to have something to check with! They all thought it was the drugs when I cried (real tears, Snowy), “Please, I have to check on Snowy, the Smithellaneous Macot, he’s under the weather!” Finally, someone gave into my sobs! I hope you start to feel better! You’re a very loved, and Studly Fella (you wear pink well)! Rest, rest, rest so that you can once again prove those doctors wrong! Much love and soft and gentle hugs, Your Drugged Recovering Human Friend
Well, that didn’t work, Snowy! It’s Jodi!
Snowy: you have the traits of a real writer/journalist! In spite of your boo boo, you take to the ‘puter and write your blog updates, all while singing your little Maltese heart out! Amazing! You are a canine inspiration!!