It seems I only talk about the kittens lately, but of course the house is crawling with the adult cats, the parrots, and the dogs as well. It’s one big party all the time, and it usually involves a bit of hissing. Eli the German shepherd turns 10 years old today, and she’s a wonderful sport about sharing her space with cats and kittens (it’s the cats and kittens who have the attitude problems).
Tonight Eli had a rare opportunity to reclaim “her” sofa for a nap, and she made the most of it. When I took this photo she was sound asleep, snoring slightly, with her head wedged into the arm of the couch. Yes, that’s a catnip mat hanging over the arm—Eli’s not fussy about such things.
When I get up in the morning, I’ll be giving her a bath with a good brushing and an ear cleaning—we do this in the backyard with the hose. She’s never thrilled about the ear cleaning part, but has always loved to bark at the hose (I’m sure it thrills the neighbours as well). On Monday she goes to the vet for her “geriatric wellness” exam, which consists of blood work, urinalysis, and chest and abdominal x-rays.
It also now includes a heartworm test, which seems a bit silly at her age (especially with our complete lack of mosquitos), but whatever… she can have anything that’s recommended. I also want to see about putting her on Rimadyl for a while, as this past winter she seemed to slow down considerably and is more frequently stiff and “limpy” if she plays or runs hard in the yard.
She’s been taking Cosequin for a couple of years, and also eats food with glucosamine/chondroitin, but it hasn’t stopped the onset of what seems to be some light arthritis. I don’t want her to be in any discomfort, and she certainly enjoys life, so I hope Rimadyl will make her a bit more comfortable. I really love the old girl, and hope she’ll be one of those timeless German shepherds who’s still running and playing on their 15th birthday
