Jake is still with us. He must have sensed the decision we were struggling with, because for the last few days he’s been making a heroic recovery. You can almost hear him: "No no, I’m fine, really!! I’m fine!".
He’s definitely got a bit of a drunken tilt to his gait, but he’s handling the stairs all by himself, eating like a horse, and getting his strength back day by day. He may not completely return to normal, but what’s normal for a nearly 15 year old dog anyway?
My vet friend in Ontario told me that he probably has a variation of something called Canine Vestibular Syndrome, which is pretty common in geriatric pooches. She has a 17 year old border collie, and he gets it too.
So we have officially relaxed, and accepted the challenges of an old and wobbily dog. And I fell in love all over again with my husband, who nursed and tended and encouraged Jake all week, and was just as distressed as I was.
POLLENATRIX 