Canine Trouble

It is remarkably difficult to stay on point (on being a dad) when your dog, who has been an important part of the family for over 6 years, is suddenly lame. Our yellow Labrador Retriever Cooper had a difficult time yesterday, coming up lame on his left shoulder. Right ahead of the Memorial Day weekend, when all the vets go on a long weekend. Perfect timing. Until Wednesday, when he is slated for x-rays, the treatment plan is to address his pain and keep him comfortable. As I write this, he is sleeping and, apparently, judging from the grumbling, blinking, and snarling, is in the midst of a dream. I like to think he is dreaming of chasing rabbits or squirrels. It is so disheartening to watch him limp around the house on 3 legs, I like to think he can at least DREAM of doing what he loves. He's a field dog, after all.

Anyway, he is taking the prescription anti-inflammatory drug Rimadyl, as well as some narcotics as needed for pain. I hate doing it, but it is so hard to watch him in such pain (with the quivering, panting, and whining that I saw yesterday). At least now he is able to rest.

Switching gears back to my human baby, Fletcher is now developing a nice pattern of sleeping through the night. He does so fairly regularly now, sleeping from 9pm to 6-7am. The last several days, the challenge has been to get him to nap. But even as I read the book, Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, he is beginning to settle in to a 10am nap. To help encourage this development, we swaddle and rock him, to help him get to sleep. And, as the book points out, "sleep begets sleep."