Month: March 2023

Life has been pretty fickle and throwing massive curveballs at me lately. My 76 year old mom had a heart valve replacement procedure 2 weeks ago and is experiencing some pretty extreme post operative delirium. I’ve been dealing with that side of things and then the weather has been complete crap the past 3 weeks for dog walks. On the plus side, I’ve been waiting until Dudley gets up and goes to the door to go out or if I get the leash and he just rolls back on the bed, we call it good. If he really needs to go out, he will let me know. His new furhaven bed is working out for him. I actually stacked it on top of his old futon bed and he is absolutely happy with it. No worries about his leg getting caught up and he has the cushion and the firmness underneath…and I didn’t have to find a new place for the expensive bed.

We had a moment last week when I had to drag him off the bed…and out the door. We were going over to my sister’s house to do laundry and hang out but once he got over there, he was so happy!!! He’s getting better with car rides, still not enjoying them but they aren’t the end of the world. He is still a butt about ignoring me when he’s running up the driveway to my neighbor’s house. He did that last night and it actually was what I needed, to just sit with my neighbors and chat for an hour so that was ok. We will be dog sitting for them next month for 2 or 3 weeks so I’m glad he feels like it is his second home.

So I currently have a wonderful dog bed from my previous bed for Dudley that he is using. It is a Futon style dog bed that is filled with 10 lbs of wool and it is on the firm side. My old GSD loved it and he would stretch out on it in his full GSD/Malamute hairy glory. Dudley is more of a curl up and snuggle type of dog. He loves soft blankets and pillows. Dudley has been a bit of a grump these past few weeks, not sure if it is due to the crappy weather or his dislike of the bed. I have a pressure sensitive heating pad on half of the bed that he loves but I am looking at some of the FurHaven beds for the future. Dudley seems to have no problem getting caught up in pillows or blankets right now and he absolutely loves his sleeping space. I’m almost wondering if I should just get a mattress topper for the current bed and cut it to size.

I’m also questioning whether it is better to have a heated source for him to sleep on or if I should invest in the cooling mattress that FurHaven has. We have had to make the decision to limit his acupuncture sessions to a “tune up” every few months as my 18 year old cat really benefits from the acupuncture and I have to budget my expenses. Alice Cat is a true gem and has been with me for the past 13 years so I really want to give her everything in her senior years. Dudley is young and we can have more time to deal with arthritis issues etc. He just turned 5 and hopefully has another 9 years with us!!! Alice Cat is happy with a pillow to sleep on and a heating pad for when she needs it. She really is the most chill little cat and even though she is content to sleep most of the day and night…she is a happy little girl <3

Oh Dudley…This winter has been a bit up and down with getting outside. He has a love affair going with his bed, blankies and heating pad right now. I have witnessed him stretch his neck out as far as possible while remaining on his bed to reach a piece of kibble. We do get out for walks on the weekends but sometimes he just wants to go down the road into the woods and do his business and get back home. I get so worried about his back leg losing strength but when we do our real walks, he is a trooper. I pay attention to when he starts to look like he’s slowing down and turn him around to finish our walk.

As we head into spring out here at the Oregon coast, there will be more opportunities for adventures, even if it is raining. He does love the cold winter weather and the wind. I don’t know what magical little layer of fur that he has hidden under his regular coat, but he seems to do just fine when it is 32 degrees out. Fortunately, I get cold and force him to go home at some point! I just get worried that I’m not doing enough for him physically. I do see his body adjusting to being an amputee of one year now. His shoulders and neck have bulked up since he’s been with me and his back leg seems to have muscle definition. He definitely is the King of Sloth though 🙂

Kibble in a paper bag equals fun paper ripping and sniffing out kibble. This face is one that I can’t resist. Dudley is a major charmer and is adorable even when he’s giving the stare down and stubborn Dudley bits.