My wife said Pax, our Rottweiler mix, was lying in the same spot for at least three hours. I tried to get a rise out of him but he would not move: his eyes just followed me. We did not understand it. We thought that, maybe, he had a stroke. I feared for his life.
He had a biscuit that lay right next to his mouth untouched. I was afraid I would wake up next morning and he would still be in the same spot dead. In the middle of the night I awoke and noted he had moved. I cheered. He was still alive. He was now walking very gingerly on one rear leg.
He has arthritis and is twelve years old. I thought he just got “old” all of a sudden. I remembered the vet once told me he could be given aspirin for pain. I called the vet’s office and they said for a dog his size (he weighed ninety pounds) I could give him an aspirin and an half twice a day.
He responded to the aspirin right away. He perked up almost immediately. Now he would run into the kitchen for the dogs’ nightly biscuit. He once ran into the furthest reaches of the yard to bark at someone from his favorite spot. His recovery was remarkable. Both of us were thrilled.
I have known Pax my whole marriage–over nine years. He is one intimidating dog. I remember in the beginning he once followed me into the bathroom and I asked my fiancee, “What is he doing now?”
I realized now he is only on loan to me and I needed to appreciate him more now. No dog lives forever.
Tags: appreciate him more now, arthritis, aspirin, big dog, called the vet, dogs, dogs' nightly biscuit, he is only on loan to me, my wife, Pax, pets, rottweiler mix
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