Dog Profiles: Getting Old Sucks

This year, after we got back from California for the holidays, Pumba surprised me by throwing a curve on my budget--apparently, he's getting old.

Michael, who kept both Pumba and Bella while we traveled, said that for some reason, Pumba stopped eating his usual share the last five days.  He had lost weight and it really showed.  James thinks that my two week absence from Pumba may have had a detrimental effect on his health, because Pumba is very energetic when we got home.  He didn't act sick except for the diarrhea.  His appetite was back as soon as we got him home.  He still loves the treadmill and waits for me to turn it on. 

So what did I do?  Well the first thing I did was try and put some weight back on Pumba by cooking some rice for him.  I made some recipes from Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats that are specialized for dogs with allergies.  I didn't feel good about the whole raw meat thing, so the only thing I changed was cooking the meat.  I tried both brown rice and oatmeal.  And Pumba did seem to be eating more...but the diarrhea remained.  In one occasion, he had both vomit and diarrhea.  At this point, I've decided to take him to the vet.

Vet visits are never really fun with Pumba--even after training.  Don't get me wrong, the vet visits were WAY better after Pumba's rehabilitation with Michael and when I say way better, I mean the following:

• No sedatives needed
• Cheaper bills
• No need for back door entrances to avoid the other dogs
• We actually see the vet annually for all shots, not just the rabies
• A more thorough exam of Pumba is possible

But Pumba still likes to huff a lot and growl.  So I always have the muzzle ready, in case the vet is uncomfortable with Pumba.  I mean honestly, Pumba can look pretty scary. He's a shar-pei, and they don't have the best reputation and he looks like a pit, a breed which that definitely has a bad and UNDESERVED rep.  So, he can be a little intimidating to vets and vet techs.

Luckily, we've broken in a couple of vets.  The current one I take him is the North Wake Animal Hospital and Dr. Church is the guy who drew the short straw (most of the time) when it came to having to deal with Pumba.  Anyway, in this vet visit, I guess there wasn't much fight left in Pumba that it was actually one of our easiest vet visits.  The result? More meds, a steroid shot, and a prescription dog food :(

In the months later, we would realize that Pumba is at the point where he may need to keep getting steroid shots once a month because of his allergies.  None of his blood work show anything wrong with his systems so for that we are thankful.  I think this just may be a bad year for allergies, and it didn't help that Pumba's ten--an age most shar-peis I know do not even make to. 

Still, monthly vet visits with Pumba--not cheap :(