Having pets is sometimes worse than having children and taking care of them is a big responsibility. Most of us consider them as our children and worry just as much about them. When I was young I simply thought of dogs as dogs of course, but when I got older and I no longer had a child to mother I started feeling different. This last one somehow became my baby and filled a void, he’s going on 11, well 77 human years, sorry I had dog years there.

When we go away I have to make sure someone stays at the house with him instead of putting him in a kennel because I want him to be in his familiar surroundings. I leave a list of his likes and dislikes and numbers where I can be reached. I never worry of course when I go away by myself because I know Bill’s there and my dog loves him more than me even though I had him almost 5 years before I met Bill.

For some reason my dogs have started eating dirt or at least that’s what I think it is. I know the squirrels and rabbits play in our yard all the time and bury stuff and I have no clue what else they may be doing that my dogs are always sniffing and picking and digging and eating. I know that dogs love to eat cat turds because I read somewhere they consider them treats, but yuck, poop is poop.

I’ve given them pet supplements in the past, but it looks like they may be missing something in their system now so I guess it’s time to restart them. I seldom have any health related problems with them except my old guy recently had an ear infection and his medicine cost 33 dollars. I started to get pet insurance when I first got him, but it didn’t fit in my budget then, but I’m thinking now that he’s older I might need it.

Just like older people they start having more aches and pains also. He doesn’t get around like he use to and I hate to think he’s in pain. I know he has a fatty tumor, but at his age I don’t want him put under and have it removed. The Vet said if it grows it goes, but it’s stayed the same for the past few years, he’s slower getting up and down the steps though. He’s even started to snore, but that might have been from the infection.

He has slowed down a lot unless you drop something on the floor then he’s there like lightening. Both dogs are fixed, but it doesn’t stop him from getting amorous thoughts even at 77 he still tries to get frisky. Of course she’s younger and simply flips him around and shows him who’s boss, but it doesn’t stop him from trying and it’s very embarrassing when we’re outside and kids are playing in the next yard and my female dog is acting like the male.