Aging Body, Aging Mind

Having just celebrated my 13th birthday in August (party pictures to arrive soon!), I have noticed some things have changed over the last year.  I suddenly feel "old."  I never thought of myself as being that old, but I am starting to get those old dog problems.  Getting up and down from the couch and bed have become a little difficult.  I am not as springy as I used to be!  Mom went to a used furniture store and found a set of wooden steps to help me get up on the bed.  She painted them and covered the treads with fabric so they wouldn't be slippery for me.

She has also put an old couch cushion in front of the couch to help give me a boost up.  Since I shed a lot and my hair really likes to stick to fabric, mom wrapped a sheet around the cushion so she can unwrap it easily to wash it.  The tan thing on the couch is a rubber-backed non-slip bath mat.  The leather is slick for my paws and I was always slipping around on the couch.  The mat makes me feel a lot more secure!  I no longer slide around and fall into the crevices between the cushions.

The saddest part of getting old for me is that I can no longer catch the frisbee.  My most favorite thing to do in all the world is catch the frisbee.  My eyesight has changed and it has made it difficult for me to accurately see where it is in relation to my mouth.  Mom suspected it was my eyes so she took me to the vet to make sure.  My veterinarian performed a pretty thorough eye exam and was able to determine that, aside from the usual age-related change to my eyes of nuclear sclerosis*, I actually have small cataracts in the center of my eyes.  He does not think I will go blind - thankfully! - but it does leave me with my peripheral vision being better than central vision.

Ah, well, I guess there is nothing I can do about aging except get used to it!  No point in fighting it.  In fact, I asked mom if she would dye the big spot on my face.  It has almost completely disappeared!  She refused to do it!  She said it's better to accept the changes as they come and not try to hide from them.  I understand what she is saying, but I still miss the spot.

Take care of your friends and neighbors!  Especially the elderly ones.  We need it!