The Swamp

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Jul 30, 2018 7:56 am Seriously one of the best videos ever.

Only thing better is adding Yakkity Sax:

Rex wrote: ↑Sun Jul 29, 2018 3:48 pm I just lose it every time the running person comes back into the frame.

You're absolutely right. Just seeing their hands in the air in a desperate plea to stop. I think I've watched this 10 times.

Anything is better with yakkety-sax!

Some of you may have seen that our dog (MC Gusto) turned 14 (roughly, we guessed at his birthdate based on how old the shelter thought he was when he was picked up as a stray) last week. While he's going super grey, he's a very spry 14, especially for a bigger dog (lab/pit mix, weight in the mid 40s). Maybe too spry. I got home from shopping early Saturday afternoon and was greeted with the usual barking and running around the house, trailing after me from the front door to the kitchen. For added excitement, my parents were visiting this past weekend, and the kids came upstairs from the basement just as I got home looking for us to resolve some ridiculous argument. They headed back downstairs as I started unpacking the groceries, and he appeared to start to follow them, then stopped and took a couple of steps backwards. His motion seemed a little weird to me, but dogs aren't always graceful walking backwards. My wife says she heard him yelp at this same time (I didn't) and thought I stepped on him (I didn't). He made his way out of the kitchen into the dining room, and it wasn't until he peed a little in the dining room that we noticed he left a trail of pee behind him, too. I took him outside, and his trot was definitely off. He wasn't limping, but he was listing to one side, maybe missing a step or two here and there. It looked like he was drunk (his motion was later described technically as "astatic"). Something was obviously wrong, and the commotion of us cleaning up after him and discussing what to do was enough to bring the kids back upstairs, and when the youngest saw the way he was behaving she started bawling.

We called our normal vet, and not only were they closed but the emergency office their message suggested we call was closing, too. They recommended a 24 hour vet a couple of towns over (oddly enough, I learned on Friday when I ran past the still under-construction brand new office building that the same group is opening an office next month in my town...of course this led to me being accused of jinxing the dog) so we tossed a blanket into the back seat and I put him back there, and my wife sat with him. He's never been the biggest fan of car rides, especially when leaving our house, since in general the only two possible destinations are the vet or the kennel, so he panted and whined the whole way there. He used to get car sick regularly when he was younger, and did throw up during the ride on Saturday. He was nice enough to avoid my leather seats, but did hit mostly carpet and not my weatherproof mats.

We got him inside, filled out paperwork, and waited a couple of minutes for someone to come out and check him over. I guess they determined he wasn't in dire need of care, because the one hour wait we were told to expect ended up being closer to one and a half. Over that time, he more or less went back to normal, outside maybe a little stiffness in his back legs when I would walk him across the waiting room.
We finally go to see a doc, and told him his whole history (an undescended testicle, a heart murmur) as she checked his joints. He resisted her attempts to fully hyper-extend his right rear-leg, but didn't yelp or growl. Absent any active symptoms she couldn't give a definitive explanation. She didn't think it was a issue with his legs, and her best guess was either something neurological (a pinched nerve?) or vascular (a stroke???). She gave us a pain killer that has made him super sleepy at night, but otherwise he's been almost 100% normal since Saturday evening.

We're going to call his normal vet this week and get another ultrasound of his heart. It's been an abnormal/active couple of months with the contractors in the house (though our GC was in love with him and regularly let him out in the backyard to play with him) and we don't know if that wore him down. He normally has free roam of the house, and alternates between a couch in our living room and our bedroom (upstairs), so we decided to keep our bedroom door closed so he spends the day downstairs to minimize the stairs. I had him trained not to jump on the bed (at least at night while we are in it) but at some point my failure to also train my wife finally bit me, and she decided a couple of years back he was too cute and old to leave on the floor. I'll have to see if I can get stairs for the bed, I guess.

Man Rass...I hope everything is alright with it. Maybe just a quick hiccup and back to normal. Sending you guys good vibes.

Poor Gusto, and poor you.

Sincere thoughts and prayers heading your way.

Fuck man. Hope that gets explained and treated, or never happens again.

Hoping for some good news rass.

Most of you already know this already cause FB, but I thought our 14-year-old gimpy dog was going to drown in a canal down by Galveston Bay. She lost her footing and went in where the boat would've been and immediately disappeared under the deck. As I was about to jump in, she emerged from the other side, saw me and somehow started to paddle her way back to me and I was able to pull her out. But with her bad back leg, I was certain when she disappeared it was straight down. Pretty terrifying 24 seconds.

Thanks guys. Really hoping this was just an expensive blip (or a blip with an expensive series of treatments, because the ultrasound isn't cheap).

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 10:13 amMost of you already know this already cause FB, but I thought our 14-year-old gimpy dog was going to drown in a canal down by Galveston Bay. She lost her footing and went in where the boat would've been and immediately disappeared under the deck. As I was about to jump in, she emerged from the other side, saw me and somehow started to paddle her way back to me and I was able to pull her out. But with her bad back leg, I was certain when she disappeared it was straight down. Pretty terrifying 24 seconds.

I saw that! I got confused because you guys post entirely too few dog pictures. Glad she's OK.

We're the worst dog parents, honestly. I don't know why we don't post more pics of her.

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:21 pm We're the worst dog parents, honestly. I don't know why we don't post more pics of her.

It's funny, as much as you share about your personal life, I had no idea you had a dog until that FB post.

The Sybian wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:29 pm

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:21 pm We're the worst dog parents, honestly. I don't know why we don't post more pics of her.

It's funny, as much as you share about your personal life, I had no idea you had a dog until that FB post.

Some shit is personal, dude.

Ha.

Good luck, Rass.

And, happy it worked out for you, Giff. You know we worry for you.

It did take me a few minutes to get OK.

Giff wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 12:42 pm It did take me a few minutes to get OK.

It's going to take a little longer to be OK this time. Ellie finally gets to run like she did when she was a pup when she joins her sister Maggie in doggie heaven tonight. Shit this sucks.

Damn. Sorry, Giff.

Sorry, man.

Sorry, Giff. Rough month for you guys. Hoping things bounce back soon.

brian wrote: ↑Mon Aug 27, 2018 11:49 am Sorry, Giff. Rough month for you guys. Hoping things bounce back soon.

Yeah, it hasn't been the best, but we're optimistic about things in general. If nothing else, a spontaneous road trip with my best friend full of good food, beer, scenery, and legal stuff is just what the doctor ordered. Wednesday morning can't get here soon enough.

Sorry buddy

Sorry Giff

Yeah, sorry.

Aw hell, I am so sorry.

So sorry to hear...I understand what you are going through.

I have no idea why, but I severly underestimated the response my oldest would have to this situation.

Really sorry Giff. Know it's been a tough couple months. Keep your head up!

I guess if it has to happen, that was the best way. The vet came to our house so Ellie could go to doggie heaven at a place she was comfortable. She had not eaten anything since Thursday, but managed a treat my mom had crumbled up into her palm. We never fed her pork, but I always said if I knew she was going to go, we'd give her some bacon. Thinking worst case scenario we'd have some bacon to eat if she didn't want any, but she scarfed it down. Not a terrible last meal.

I was really shocked at how quickly it all went down after he injected her.

Sorry to hear Giff.

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:06 am I guess if it has to happen, that was the best way. The vet came to our house so Ellie could go to doggie heaven at a place she was comfortable. She had not eaten anything since Thursday, but managed a treat my mom had crumbled up into her palm. We never fed her pork, but I always said if I knew she was going to go, we'd give her some bacon. Thinking worst case scenario we'd have some bacon to eat if she didn't want any, but she scarfed it down. Not a terrible last meal.

I was really shocked at how quickly it all went down after he injected her.

Sorry to hear it. Tuesday, we lost our Miniature Schnauzer, Ricky. He was 13, and had a heart murmur, along with failing hearing and eyesight, and diabetes. He was the most affectionate 4-legged creature that I have ever had the pleasure to share a household. It has been rather dusty in here.

Fuck man, sorry to hear.

Oh these poor dogs. It really gets to me some times.

Sorry HDO.

Sorry bud

This is the worst thread in the whole damn place. Sorry everyone.

HDO45331 wrote: ↑Fri Aug 31, 2018 10:44 am

Giff wrote: ↑Tue Aug 28, 2018 10:06 am I guess if it has to happen, that was the best way. The vet came to our house so Ellie could go to doggie heaven at a place she was comfortable. She had not eaten anything since Thursday, but managed a treat my mom had crumbled up into her palm. We never fed her pork, but I always said if I knew she was going to go, we'd give her some bacon. Thinking worst case scenario we'd have some bacon to eat if she didn't want any, but she scarfed it down. Not a terrible last meal.

I was really shocked at how quickly it all went down after he injected her.

Sorry to hear it. Tuesday, we lost our Miniature Schnauzer, Ricky. He was 13, and had a heart murmur, along with failing hearing and eyesight, and diabetes. He was the most affectionate 4-legged creature that I have ever had the pleasure to share a household. It has been rather dusty in here.

Sorry to hear about Ricky as well.

Yeah, blanket condolences, I tend to steer clear of this thread.

Shit you guys. Sorry.

Our favorite see-him-every-year shore house dog had a hard year going from 12 to 13. We bought him some treats at a doggy shop in town, and I think we just said goodbye.

Sorry to HDO and Giff. Losing a friend sucks.