I just got back from taking Kimber on her shortened morning walk and she resisted. :( There's a sloped part and she just can't keep her back end from going sideways. She has always loved this walk; I've never seen her try to turn back before.
Yesterday, I took her on one of her favorite walking paths. We moseyed for about 25 minutes round trip, with a break for her to dip in the river. She used to love to swim in the river; now, just standing in the gentle current a few feet from the bank wore her out.
This is a dog that used to view 10 mile hikes as a warmup. Even as recently as last summer, she could easily walk two to three miles. Now half a mile is pushing it.
We keep adjusting and adapting to her limitations, but I'm so sad to see her world get smaller and smaller, and to know our time with her is coming to an end. I made a mental list of her favorite activities, and I can't honestly say she can do any of them, not really. She can't run after frisbees, she gets nervous in the car so car rides are no longer a treat, she can't do agility...
It's so hard because she's eating fine, and she still loves to hang out with us. Every day she gives us kisses and smiles.
I hope we can be brave and strong enough not to keep her selfishly for ourselves. I'm very concerned about DH; she is truly his best friend.