In Praise of the Elderly Pet

Life moves a little slower these days, since Francine moved in. Each morning, Lizzie, Jezzie Piglet, and the Mastiffs are waiting to rocket into the backyard as soon as they can convince me to get up and let them out (it’s hard to ignore a Mastiff who thinks that 6AM is definitely too late to be sleeping). But not Francine…no Mastiff dares to wake her. Their nose scars attest to THAT danger!

I tiptoe into the kitchen where she still sleeps, curled up small in her bed. At least I think she’s sleeping – she sleeps so soundly that I sometimes have to hold my breath and put a hand on her chest to make sure that she’s still with me. She yawns and stretches, without getting up. Of course (she says), I’m here! I gently help her to her feet and we start the long walk to outside. Down the hall, through the door, across the deck, down two steps, and into the front yard she goes – stiff at first, but always wagging her tail when her feet hit the grass.

I used to wait for her, hopping impatiently at the door on cold bare feet and calling for her while she dawdled on the lawn. Then one cold spring day, I realized that I was doing the equivalent of pounding on poor Grandma’s bathroom door. It occurred to me that this was a fine opportunity to check out the spring flowers that were starting to come up, while I waited. And so our walks around the front lawn started. Every day, I check out the flowers, keeping a careful eye on Francine as she totters around the yard. We’re both less stressed now.

Then it’s breakfast time. Who knows what she’ll eat today? It sure won’t be the same thing twice, so the menu changes from day to day. Lots more fresh food in the house now, and all the dogs benefit (me, too). Who knew that an 8-pound dog could be so stubborn? Or that she could eat so much, if she likes what is offered?

Now it’s time for her fluids. Francine was found to be in nearly fatal kidney failure right after I adopted her, a little over two years ago. I thought I could at least give her a few nice final months, after being abandoned at her advanced age. But the twice-weekly fluids we administer, under her skin, have definitely given her a whole new lease on life. Her kidney disease is stable now, and she can "growl down" any other dog in the house.

I found Francine when a client who worked at McHenry Animal Control called to tell me that she had "the perfect dog for me." I excitedly rushed to the shelter to find a small, filthy, bedraggled, half-bald, rotten-toothed creature who was most certainly NOT someone I was going to be fool enough to adopt! Too old, and I could tell that she was quite ill. I was working on an appropriate excuse when she walked up to the cage door – making eye contact the entire way – and put her paw through the cage bars towards me. Well, most vets are suckers for this sort of thing, and I’m worse than most, so home I went with Francine. ("You PAID for her?," my horrified niece asked.)

Two years later, I’m here to tell you that it was one of my better decisions. No, I won’t have her for as long as I’d like to have a pet. But she brings me a quiet joy every day. It hits me every morning, during our little walks. I’ve learned to slow down and to appreciate the small things one notices when one takes the time to look for them. I’ve learned that there’s a solution for practically anything. A little pee on the kitchen floor? Pee pads are an entirely acceptable and hygienic solution. She won’t eat anything? Well, it ain’t "holistic," but a McDonald’s dollar double cheeseburger works when nothing else does. Never a patient person, I’m a little bit more tolerant now.

So the next time you’re at a shelter – don’t automatically turn away from that older pet who is waiting for a home. There are too many dogs like Francine out there. Adopting an older pet might be one of your better decisions, too.