Dog Phile - home cures and uncurables

Readers, friends and the whole world should know by now how much my little precious means to me. My little Maltese, Shasta. She is 14 years old, going on 14, and she is my shadow, my arm fixture. She prefers to be carried instead of walking and sniffing, she sleeps next to me on my pillow, behind my knee, by my stomach, under or over the blanket, on my arm, and she eats with me, sometimes while sitting on my lap. When I am home, I have to be within sight, preferably right next to her, or she will whimper til I pick her up. And I do. Pick her up...always. Bad mommy - I know.

I had her since she was 7, given to me by a total stranger, a older lady. I knew nothing about her. She didn't respond, was freaky scared, didn't eat, didn't potty, I thought she was def, and or abused or neglected. The vet confirmed my suspicions when told me that she was at least neglected, maybe abused. So I was very gentle and babied her till she started walking with her tail in the air.

Now she takes me for walks, lets me sleep in once a month passed 6am, lets me nap when she feels like laying on the couch with me, lets me cook if she can hang out in one of her 8 beds around he house and watch me, even lets me go out to breakfast if we can sit outside and she can eat with us.

Than sometimes she gets very disinterested in her food (which I cook for her and mix with dry dog food), and I get anxious. I get that way a lot with Shaz. Even though I learned to read her very well , I don't speak Maltese and she cannot convey her thoughts and that concerns me with extra sensitivity to any sign at all that yields a change. Naturally, I want to know why she acts out. So I ask her. "Shassy, what's wrong? You don't like your dinner? Are you not hungry?" And if she starts jumping backwards, away from her dish, shaking her head, I know she doesn't like it. If she just walks away slowly with her head down, I know she doesn't feel good. Sometimes this persists, then I give her some children's Benadryl and it brings her appetite back. It also helps when she rubs her face like a cat, or thrashes around on her back trying to rub her eyes and face, or chews and chews her paws - allergies. The fleas are pretty much under control and they're easily detectable in her white silky hair. Although I give her some people food, I try to limit it and she only gets one or two little cookies from te Lorna Doone 100 calorie packs. Her treats include an ounce of Lactose free milk (poor dog) every other day or so, a rib bone once a month, those cookies, a few licks of yogurt, and everything in between I happen to be eating and sharing with her. She is in good spirits and even plays and runs around like a little puppy after her bath and hair drying. She loooooooves her hair dryer! I think the heat sooths her arthritic bones. She doesn't get around like an average dogie, doesn't jump or walk up steps, she has to be picked up. Sometimes I find her behind a step, stuck, just looking for someone to get her out of her predicament, and I don't even know how long she's been stuck there. She is old... But when we drive she stands up on my leg and puts her paws up on the window sill and sticks her face into the wind. A friend of mine pointed out once that she looks very much like Valcore (Never Ending Story) when she does that. She loooooooves to ride, loves going to places (except the groomer and the vet's office) and licking people. Or the couch. Lick lick lick. It's strange, but that's what she does.

She should have a great day today 'cause mommy is going to stay put and read and write (study) all day! Off to work we go! Hopefully I'll get a break when she takes me out for a short walk or asks for some food. She is my little precious after all and I gotta do what she needs me to do, who else is going to?