Hey guys! So I am finally getting settled back at my parents' house in California. If you missed my last post, I moved back to my old town a little over a week ago, and since I road tripped it I got to bring my wonderful Husky, Blue!
I can't believe I didn't write about Blue when I first got him. I adopted him from the Aurora, CO shelter with my boyfriend in mid-July, so I have only had the pleasure of knowing him for around a month. We were a little hesitant when the shelter told us that he was around eight years old. But he was found on the street, and went through two shelters before we crossed paths! Can you believe nobody wanted to adopt him?! We couldn't stand to leave him there for even another hour, so we made the impulse decision to rescue a senior dog. He is such a sweetheart, very mellow and very curious about everything.
Unfortunately, almost immediately we realized something was wrong with Blue's back legs once we got him home. The shelter told us his only medical problem was some dental issues and did not mention arthritis or injury, so we were upset to see him walking around a bit funny. We figured that he was just a little stiff from limited exercise, and decided to wait and see if it got better or worse.
The weakness in his back legs definitely did not go away, and it was hard to ignore his difficulty walking upstairs and rising after laying down. The worst part was the constant wandering and the panting. Even after he was completely comfortable with us, he continued to spend hours roaming the house and only laying down to sleep. And even while laying down, you could hear his panting from the other room. He was obviously in some pain that was not going away, so here in California I took him to the vet to get some x-rays done.
Today, I received the sad news. Blue has intervertebral disc disease, and the vet said there is a good possibility that without warning, Blue may become completely paralyzed in his back legs. It's a problem with his spine, not his legs, and arthritis has very little to do with it. I'm a nineteen year old with limited funds, and Blue is already an old dog (the vet said she thinks he's actually around ten), so surgery isn't an option. The only thing to do is wait and see how the disease progresses.
Even so, I have accepted the fact that Blue is an old dog that will not live forever, and I am prepared to simply enjoy our time together and continue to learn from one another. Already, he has eased my transition to another place and been my solace when everything seems scary and impossible. When I feel like I'm wasting time by not being in school or working at a job with potential to move up, he becomes my one purpose and I'm comforted by having something to genuinely care for. We are blessings to each other and enjoy each other's love, and I won't let something that
might happen in the future ruin that. He'll be with me until the end, no matter his condition, and he'll be so loved and cared for that nothing else will matter. I don't at all regret welcoming him into my life, as he is already humbling me and keeping my head down on Earth.
It's tough to have an animal of your own when you're this young, and it isn't a light decision to make (especially if adopting an older animal with potential medical problems), but if you're financially strong and have a lot of time to care for a pet, I think it can be a life-changing experience that will teach you so many life lessons. Pets aren't for everyone, but they are definitely my calling and I can already tell that I will be repeating this process with many, many animals in the future. It gives me such joy to give animals the shelter, food, warmth, toys, and affection they need. I'm already thinking about how I want to adopt a cat in the future... but that'll be a little while. Right now I will just enjoy my Blue and my family dog Nacho (a yellow lab!) and experience life here as much as I can.
