Sunday, March 23, 2008

Amy the Dachshund

Becky wrote and wanted to see a picture of my dachshund, because she has one also and has a photo of him on her blog. Her dog Rusty looks like a red-haired dachshund and is a very cute little guy. Amy is also a red-haired dachshund, but she is so gray now around her muzzle and is graying on her legs and feet too.

My Amy is not like all those cute, playful dogs and cats I've seen on other blogs. She is old, tired, and ailing; and this is where we generally expect to find her about 23 hours of the day. The only time she really perks up is at meal time and on the rare occasion that we have a guest in the house. She has cloudiness, maybe cataracts, in one eye, and we discovered recently that she's losing her hearing. Amy will be 14 or 15 this summer, I've forgotten now which it is. She's outlived her brother, who was a year older and succumbed to disc disease many years ago, as well as another companion, also a dachshund, who was seven and passed away suddenly just about a year ago.

Amy is, without a doubt, the sweetest animal I've ever known. We've noticed that she's slowed down even more lately, and I am fearful we may not have her for too many more years. Our goal is to keep her as happy and as comfortable as possible as she ages. We will all miss her terribly when she's gone.

3 comments:

Pat at Bell Creek Quilts said...

Amy looks like a sweet, grand lady! I think if I am lucky to live as long as Amy that I would love to snuggle in a quilt most of the day :) Our dog, Daisy also has cataracts developing and she in almost 6 years old. She also suffered a trauma to her left eye and has a scratched her lens. Amazing how a sweet animal can be part of the family and time only deepens our bond!

Becky said...

Thanks so much for posting Amy's picture! Since Rusty joined our family two and a half years ago (he was three when we adopted him), I have a real soft spot for all dachshunds. Your Amy looks like a sweetheart. I agree with Pat, let her enjoy sleeping in her favorite quilt. She's one special lady!

Becky in Georgia

Cyn said...

Reading this post made me think of my guy. I have a 14 year old Dachshund named Gus, and he has also been slowing down lately. He is gray around the muzzle and on his feet. He isn't sick but does have a problem with fatty tumors. Does your puppy have them, too? I think it might be an issue with Dachshunds. We love him so much, and I can't bear to think he may not have that many more years. We are trying our best to give him all the love we can. He is the sweetest dog we've ever had. He doesn't want anything so much as to be loved. Some days, he is spry like a puppy, but most of his days are spent relaxing.