Beautiful Beautiful Rozie

OUR FRIEND ROZIE IS GONE

Bill and I have been crying off and on all day. 

She gave up even as the needle helped her on her way

 to a forever slumber.

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Sympathy Pains and Weight Loss

Rozie at 103 Pounds

ROZIE REPORT

Our big old dog, Rozie, is still fighting for her life.  She was big at 103 pounds when we started.  She is no longer big however.  I can’t believe Rozie has lost 19 pounds in about six weeks!

 Bill says, “Good thing she was overweight to begin with. If she had been the right weight, she would now be emaciated.”

He said that a week ago.

Actually Rozie was looking rather handsome then, at her new svelt 89 pounds.

 That was until she lost five more and is now 84 pounds.

 And now we can feel her ribs and shoulder bones.

She simply refuses to eat, even with appetite stimulants and coaxing with all the goodies of her previous life.

She is also getting weaker.

Bill and I have been up and down and all around trying to help her recover from an infection that set in after she had an abscessed tooth removed.   Her appetite disappeared along with the tooth.

Today she met the vet again, who realized there is another questionable tooth in there, so we left her for another extraction.  He thinks this may do the trick and that we will see a dramatic improvement in a few days.

Keep your fingers crossed for good old Rozie.  She really is a sweetheart and we are hoping for the best.

Now Rozie’s stress has rubbed off on me, so I am losing my appetite too and have lost two pounds in six weeks.

I can’t feel any ribs yet though and my shoulders and other more prominent areas are still well padded.

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It’s a Dog’s Life

My Dear Family,

I took this picture of Rozie on Thanksgiving Day.  Isn’t she beautiful?  As you know, she is probably very old  – maybe 13 or 14 years by all our guesses.  But sometimes, when she has her ears up, she looks young again (wish that worked for me).  I often wonder what she was like  as a puppy though.  As you know, she was  a rescue dog – rescued by our beloved Judi, so Rozie’s  history’s a mystery.

The Games Dogs Play

When Rozie first came to us four years ago, she was still pretty rambunctious (me too).   She was fast on her feet (me too) and would disappear down steep hills (not me) into the woods.  The thought of losing her would leave me panicked and calling her name over and over until I gave up, ready to cry, too hoarse to continue yelling and well –  distraught.

What if she can’t get back up the hill?

What if she broke her leg?

What if she is lost?

What if she ran into a bear?

What if  I can’t get down there to her?

But, as soon as I stopped hollering, the rascal would nonchalantly stroll into view.  I think she was deliberately playing Hide and Seek!

Nowadays she knows her limitations.  She seems to understand that an uphill climb would be problematical since her legs are weak.  We are a well matched pair! But sometimes I know she is wistfully contemplating another escape just for the fun of it.

Peculiar Habits

Bill calls her “Rose” and I had to laugh last week when he asked her, “Are you ready to get your nails done for Thanksgiving Rose?”  He was taking her for a doggie manicure.  When her nails get too long she bites them.  I never met a dog who did that.

I never met a dog like this one anyway.   She is a creature of rather peculiar habits:

• Her teeth chatter (loudly) when she is frightened.  Ever hear a dog’s teeth chatter?  Very strange.
• She also has the ability to whisper-bark.   That means she can bark at  low decibel levels so as not to awaken us in the middle of the night.
• And she pants for attention.
• Oh, and by the way, the anti-depressants are working and she hasn’t tried to jump off the deck lately.  We are watching her carefully for wild mood swings or erratic behavior.

I did want to tell you she may be losing her hearing, and that’s a blessing.  Thunderstorms and gunshots were once terrifying events, but she is either finally ignoring them or does not hear them anymore.  It was hunting season in our part of Virginia on Thanksgiving Day and  there were multiple shots.  Rozie was oblivious.  What a relief that must be for her.  And what a relief for us not to deal with teeth chattering panic attacks (hers, not ours).

All in all, I’m delighted to report that Rozie is healthy, happy, and well loved.

And by the way, we are too.

Love and hugs from us and Rozie to you.

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