For the Love of Dogs by Alicia Joseph...

Last July my dog, Phil, suffered from liver failure. The situation was touch and go for a horrible two weeks. But, against the vet's grave prognosis, my baby survived. He's twelve, and though I know he won't live forever, I was completely unprepared for losing my dog. My baby. My sidekick. The face that makes me smile even when I want to cry. The eyes that watch my every move, because his world revolves around me as much as my world revolves around him, maybe even more so. 

During that miserable time of not knowing whether or not Phil would turn that miraculous corner to recovery, I was consumed with the idea of losing him. I didn't eat. I cried when I held him and buried my tears in his fur. He seemed to know his precarious situation, but never gave up.  I love him so much for that. 

But all through that time and after, I only considered my loss of losing him. What I would have done. What my life would be like, while never considering his loss should something happen to me. I know he waits for me when I leave the house, as all dogs do, but how would they feel, how would they react, if we never make it back home to them? 

I've been thinking about this a lot since last month, when a neighbor passed away suddenly. She had a dog, Ricky. We used to walk our dogs together, along with another neighbor and her little dog. The woman's parents could not take Ricky, he didn't get along with their own dog. This woman had no brothers or sisters. They didn't know a lot of people who could, or would, take Ricky in. He went with a family friend, but that didn't work out. 

I volunteer at a shelter. I've seen many dogs come to the shelter in the way of Ricky's predicament. Through no fault of their own, they lose their owners to death, and there is no one to take them in. So these dogs, used to living in a home filled with stability, love, security, now come to a shelter filled with loud chaos and uncertainty. Even the best shelters are a scary place to a dog who has only known a house as a home. 

Luckily, Ricky didn't have to meet that fate. My neighbor with the small dog took him in. She had the intention of keeping him, but two dogs were a bit too much for her. But she was determined to keep him until she could find a home for him, which wasn't hard at all because Ricky is adorable. 

Last week, Ricky went to his third home in less than a month. This was a friend of a friend, so my neighbor passed Ricky off confident he would be well-taken care of. I often wondered for those weeks that my neighbor had him what he was thinking. Did he think his mommy would come for him soon? Was he waiting for her? Did he miss his home and wonder why he was moving to different places? We avoided walking Ricky down the street he used to live. We didn't want to confuse him.  

But then on the day he was leaving, I took Ricky for a walk and thought maybe it was the right time for him to say goodbye to his old home. We walked down his street. He definitely knew where he was. He led me straight to the familiar place, sat down in the driveway, and stared at the house. He didn't try to pull me to the door, which I was glad for.

Ricky's mom's name was Tracy. She didn't die at home, but if spirits find their way back home no matter where we pass, maybe she was there to see him one last time.

I hope so.

I thought about Phil, remembering what I went through when I thought I was losing him, but we need to consider what our furbabies go through when they lose us. Luckily, I don't have to worry about Phil going to a shelter or being shuffled to three different houses. He has an uncle and aunties who love him, and who he loves, especially his uncle.

Uncle is his favorite. 

Here is a glimpse into one of my books. I hope you enjoy it. 

“When a train runs over a penny, the penny changes form, but it can still be a penny if I want it to be. Or, I can make it be something else.”

Lyssa and her best friend Abbey discover a hideout near the train tracks and spend the summer before sixth grade hanging out and finding freedom from issues at home. Their childhood innocence shatters when the hideout becomes the scene of a tragic death.

As they’re about to graduate from high school, Abbey’s family life spirals out of control while Lyssa is feeling guilty for deceiving Abbey about her sexuality.

After another tragic loss, Lyssa finds out that a penny on the track is sometimes a huge price to pay for the truth.

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Alicia Joseph grew up in Westchester, Illinois. She has many works-in-progress that she hopes to finish soon. Life permitting.

When she is not writing, Alicia enjoys volunteering with animals, rooting for her favorite sports teams, and playing “awesome aunt” to her nine nieces and nephews.

Learn more about Alicia Joseph on her blog. Stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

Senior Doggy Dilemmas…

Our furry boy at 6 weeks (2007)

Our Labrador Retriever turned eleven this past August. Other than the fact that our yellow fellow was taken home by us (I swear the Universe planned this), the hand he was dealt with has been a tough journey. Plagued by allergies (cats, fleas, trees, grass—you name it) that required shots and pills before he hit one-year-old, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his back left leg when he was two, and having a tumor on his chest removed at five, I’d say he has paid his dues. Our furry guy is still on allergy meds, but I removed the shots from his treatments when we moved down to southern Ontario, and was glad of it since they proved to be expensive over the years. Poor dog must have been allergic to all those pine trees up north! LOL!

Don’t get me wrong, there’s been plenty of blessings and good times too. More than I can count. So when our old boy’s back legs were giving him trouble because arthritis had set in (mostly from his ACL repair), we had to do some hard thinking. Presently, he’s on pain medication (five pills a day), and I still haven’t counted out Cannabis Oil to ease his pain now that it’s legal in Canada. However, before I try that, I thought I’d invest in some therapeutic laser therapy for him to help relieve his pain. I must say, the results surprised me, and has added to the quality of life for our senior dog.

So what exactly is laser therapy, and how does it work on dogs?

Getting his treatment. So relaxed!

I won’t bore you with the studies or science, so simply put when laser light (using a long wand with a wide head) interacts with tissue it causes certain photochemical reactions to occur and stimulates natural biological healing processes, thus transforming light energy into chemical energy. There’s absolutely no damage to cells and doesn’t burn. In fact, getting a treatment seemed to relax our dog. The therapy sessions take about twenty minutes, and so far our dog has had about eight treatments. Contact your veterinarian to ask about laser treatments if this is something you think would be a good fit for managing your dog’s pain. If you want more information about this procedure, please click HERE.

I found out about laser therapy for dogs through Lina Ventura Kaput, the owner of Salubrity, my local health store. When she mentioned that she did house visits, I booked an appointment immediately! Each treatment costs around $40, but prices vary depending where you live and what your veterinarian charges. My neighbors noticed a considerable difference in the way our dog walked (his back leg straightened) and he seemed not to lag too much on walks. A huge bonus as his leg was turned out before the treatments.

Available soon on Kijiji...maybe!

Another thing we’ve done to ease our old pup’s life is building a dog ramp from the top of the deck. Of course when I say ‘we’, I mean my hubby. If you’re thinking of doing this for your senior dog, you can order ramps in different sizes online, or if you’re handy with tools, then you might save some money doing it yourself. Though, a heads up. So far, our sucky Lab refuses to use it. Pulling him up or down the ramp should be deemed an Olympic sport. He’s not too happy about it. We’ve even dotted the ramp with dog biscuits, but alas he only goes for the ones he can reach. This will be a work in progress, so for now, I’m sure we can teach an old dog new tricks. At least I hope so, or this ramp will be going up on the buy and sell! Any takers?

Do you have an aging dog? If so, what have you done to add to the quality of his or her life? Would love to read your input and comments. Cheers, and thank you for spending time with me by reading my blog!