M&M Monday

I had a scare last week with Maggie. I'd noticed she was having problems walking; her back legs were slipping. But then it was her front legs and then she would try to stand up and fall down. She couldn't walk at all. I thought perhaps she'd had a stroke or something. Other than that, she was her usual, cheerful, waggy self. My waggie Miss Maggie. She was even playing her food-bowl-growly game with Millie. I called the vet to bring her in, thinking it was the beginning of the end. I was preparing myself for the worst, and even tho I know that she's old and the end is inevitable, I didn't want to say goodbye.

I loaded both girls into the car. Early on, when I first got them, Millie had a vet appointment for her ear. She wouldn't come off the porch without Maggie, and Maggie stood in the kitchen, howling thru the French doors. Then Millie started howling. Anyway, so I ended up taking them both, even tho it was just Millie with the appointment. They're both very used to loading up in the car to got to Mystic Pet--altho, I'm thinking that they're going to put 2 & 2 together and figure out that when I don't have a suitcase & their beds, they're not going to Mystic Pet, but to the vet. Not that they mind getting loved over by Dr. Clark.

So back to to this visit:  I called Neighbor Dave to see if he could help me carry Maggie to the car. No such luck, he was at the dentist. So I managed to get her to the car. Millie trotted behind. I called Lena at Mystic Pet and told her what was going on. We were both boo-hooing. I got to the vet and went to the front desk. The woman behind the counter was just doing her job; completely oblivious to my sobbing as she's verifying my address and phone number.

A vet tech come in behind her, and without saying anything, handed me a tissue and a sympathetic nod. "Thank you," I croaked out. I pulled the car around to the back, and Dr. Clark came out. Maggie sat up. Hey! "She wasn't doing that before," I told him. "Well, we tend to inspire dogs to be on their best behaviour."  He looked in Maggie's ears and her eyes and then carefully lifted her and put her on the grass. She wobbled-walked and then plopped down. He said, "Well, I see 17-18 cases of this a year. It happens in older dogs. She has vertigo." Vertigo? Really?  "It's not life-threatening, and she should slowly get better." WOW! My day just got a whole lot better! I called Lena and told her the good news & stopped by on my way home. Disaster averted! And she has slowly gotten better, except that yesterday she got wobbly again with the drunken sailor walk. But I think she's getting better again. We'll see; will keep you posted. In the meantime, here are a few pix from this past week:

Maggie fell asleep with her ear in her food bowl. SO CUTE.

Asleep with her bone.

Whenever Millie's lying down and I go up to her, she stretches her front paws against my foot and groans her happy groan. This is our ritual first thing in the morning, when she's still lying on her bed.

Still nice enough for Millie to be Porch Girl. Maggie stays in with me, unless I'm on the porch, too.