My Girl, Diamond

Yesterday was Diamond’s appointment for her yearly physical with her vet, Dr. Jeff. She knew something exciting was about to happen when we pulled the car into the parking area of the clinic. She could hardly wait to get out of the car and into the building. She loves Dr. Jeff and his staff, and also relishes the smells in there. Forgetting the ‘Heel’ command, she practically dragged me from the car to the door.

We were called into the examination area as soon as we signed in, not giving her a chance to sniff the floor and furniture first. “Let’s see how much you weigh,” the assistant said to Diamond, then to me, “She’s too big to lift. Can you get her to walk onto the scales?”

Obviously, she didn’t know my girl very well. I took the leash and pulled slightly in the direction of the huge scale. Diamond knew what I wanted from her, and stepped gingerly onto the platform and sat down. Then came the surprise – 102 pounds! Diamond had gained over 5 pounds since last year. I silently gave a prayer of thanks for the daily longs walks we take together – it could have been much worse!

Once settled in the examining room, we waited patiently for Dr. Jeff to come in to see us. Diamond kept her eyes focused on the closed door, and cocked her head in anticipation with every sound she heard from the other side. Finally, Dr. Jeff stepped into the room, greeted her warmly, and she was a happy girl.

Diamond didn’t know what Dr. Jeff began talking to me about. If she had, she might not have looked quite so happy. “Diamond is a Senior Dog now that she’s 7 years old,” Dr. Jeff told me. “Have you noticed any changes in her since last year?” I admitted that I had. Besides the weight gain, she seems to be getting lazier and not so energetic about racing around the yard or playing. She also has been showing less interest in her food, although she eats well. She’s just not excited about dinner the way she used to be. She also has trouble at times getting up from her favorite position, “Down –Stay.”

Dr. Jeff looked at me, and said, “She’s just like us. As she ages, her metabolism slows down and things begin to change for her.” It felt like déjà vu for me – I had heard almost these identical words at my annual physical exam a few months ago. We’re both getting to be old ladies!

Dr. Jeff proceeded to give me his advice. No more table scraps, except for special treats. No more bones to gnaw on, unless they are big and lean (and don’t let her chew them up), increase the daily exercise (walking), begin including glucosamine and chondroitin in Diamond’s diet for arthritis, take off a few pounds. The good news was that peanuts are still o.k.- Diamond’s favorite treat. I was relieved to hear this, and I felt like Diamond was, too. While he talked, he slipped in 4 shots, which Diamond didn’t even seem to notice. She was fascinated with Dr. Jeff’s voice and his gentle ways with her.

“Let’s give her three to four months of good eating, plenty of exercise, and the glucosamine and chondroitin,” Dr. Jeff said to me. “Bring her in to be weighed on a regular basis. If she doesn’t perk up and lose some weight, then we’ll run some tests on her to see if there’s something going on inside that we can’t see.” And, to Diamond, he said, “You’re a beautiful lady, Diamond.”

And she is. As we left Dr. Jeff’s office, Diamond looked up at me with understanding in her eyes. “We may be getting older, but we’re in this together,” her eyes said to me. Wagging her tail and giving my hand a nudge with her nose, I knew she was ready for a walk and a treat for being such a good girl.

The long walks will do us both good!