Dora's Sunny Days
Learning to slow down and enjoy the little things with an elderly pet.
5/26/20263 min read
If there’s anything that Pandora the shih tzu has learned from her 15 years on earth, it’s that you’ve got to take advantage of the sunny days while you can - doubly so in Michigan!
Dora has never been all that adventurous. At least, I think that’s the case - I met her when she was already a senior citizen, about 8 or 9 years old. By that time in her life, she was more interested in long naps than long walks. Still, she always loved discovering a new park; the fresh smells and unfamiliar sounds always put a little bounce in her waddling shih tzu step.
Winter walks were practically impossible because she’s a tiny old dog, and tiny old dogs get cold incredibly fast. I assumed she’d make up for it once spring rolled around again, but the warm weather took its sweet time this year. Now that the sun is finally sticking around somewhat, her mobility has declined enough that long walks through the park are no longer feasible.
I’m a veterinarian who practices solely in the realm of end-of-life and senior pet care. I recognize all of the signs that, day by day, my time with this sweet dog is growing shorter. She’s losing muscle mass, and her hindlimbs are growing uncoordinated - even with mobility aids, she can have trouble on slippery floors. Her cognitive functions are also slipping; she seems to get a little lost in her home sometimes, and even occasionally forgets that she's supposed to go potty outside.
I know that I can’t go back in time and take her out on those “imperfect” wet, spring days. I’m allowed to be sad about that. But, I don’t need to let that stop me from helping her take advantage of the sunny days that she has left!
This weekend, that means shuffling slowly around the backyard together. She’s painfully slow, but she’s enjoying every second putting her nose to the ground to soak up every interesting scent. Every few minutes she’ll look back up at me, the look on her flat little face a mix of “who are you again?” and “isn’t this great?” I find myself paying more attention to the things that I normally miss when I’m walking at a normal pace - the ground is a little uneven here, there’s some bunny poo there, and wow, the grass has gotten so long and soft - I’d want to lay down and take a nap, but for all the bunny poo.
Meanwhile, Dora has found the perfect sunny spot. To my human eyes, it looks exactly like the rest of the yard, but I’m not an elderly dog, so I’ll defer to her expertise. She slowly eases her body down and contentedly tilts her head upward toward the sun, looking for all the world like some strange, gray heliotrope. Bunny poo be damned, I sit down next to her and turn my face toward the sunlight.
I’ve got stuff to do. I’ve ALWAYS got stuff to do. But right here, right now, a little old dog has decided that we are going to take our time and enjoy the sunny day, so here I am.
What about you? What’s the best excuse your pet has given you to ignore your responsibilities for a few minutes?
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