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  1. #1
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    Kimber's world gettng smaller

    Kimber’s okay. Just wanted to take a moment to reflect on where she is. I’m not going to lie, MontanaDakota’s recent loss shook me. It was another reminder of how quickly things can change.

    But for now, Kimber is okay. Our usual walk in the evening through the neighborhood starts with us walking uphill to the corner, and then continuing from there. Since we had a heatwave in July, she has refused to go more than halfway to the corner. We thought she was being a bit lazy, but we had the opportunity to walk with the neighbor’s dogs recently. It’s one of Kimber’s goals in life to walk in front of these boys. She’s always pushed herself hard to get ahead, even though she always loses the lead. But this time, we barely got to the start of the hill and she balked. The neighbor boy dogs continued on, and she had zero interest in going with them.

    So now we walk around our yard. We have 3.5 acres, so we can take a nice leisurely stroll. She loves to sniff the tall grass and consume wildlife /random cat poop. Usually at least once, she’ll get off balance and sit down on her backside, with her back legs straight out so she can’t get herself up. But she just smiles and patiently waits for us to put her back on four legs, and then limps on.

    There’s still joy in her life. It’s a quieter happiness, but different doesn’t mean worse. I hug and kiss her every day and one thing hasn’t changed- she still acts like my loving on her is torture.

    Thanks for reading.
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
    Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
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    Miss Kimber, CGC, 6/15/2005-1/27/2018 forever in our hearts



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  3. #2
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Ah, sweet Kimber. Like Mom says, different but still fulfilling. I mean, what dog doesn't like hunting cat poop! Gentle hugs and pets being sent.
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  5. #3
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kimbersmom View Post
    I hug and kiss her every day and one thing hasn’t changed- she still acts like my loving on her is torture. Thanks for reading.
    Kimber, Kimber, Kimber, let Mom hug and kiss on you all she wants. It makes her happy and you like Mommy to be happy, don't you?

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  7. #4
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Kimber's world gettng smaller

    Sounds like things here, though Kimber is getting more steps in She still has a good quality of life. I found it very hard as we cut off parts of the routine/walk but once we adapt and i take his cue, things are better. though with rock it isn't him that cuts it short but i have to watch as he can go into panting issues out of the blue. so i have to guess

    But like Kimber, rocks seems happy. He gets up when I come home with a tail wag. He is curious and awake. The cooler weather allows for two walks around the block (small block) and lessening of my stress. His mobility slowly declines. His back legs seem less coordinated. More times when when his back end gets low. BUT, he makes me smile and there are fewer tears.

    the sudden loss of Montana hit me too. The fear of starting a week normally and then...loosing them. Another friend struggled with the decision this week and put her lab to sleep today. And a friend's past foster died suddenly at 7ish this past weekend. He had a great day, went to bed and just never woke up . So lots of sadness.

    But - i didn't think rock would get thru summer, and he did!
    Last edited by Tanya; 09-01-2017 at 06:41 AM.

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  9. #5
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    My heart knows where you are right now. I've had all the same feelings when mine aged. All I can say is enjoy this time, some of my best memories come from their later years. Please give sweet Miss Kimber a good scratch from me.

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  11. #6
    Senior Dog MontananDakota's Avatar
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    Sweet Kimber. And Rocky. I'm sorry guys. I know this was such a shock to us all. There actually were subtle hints that I had been misreading. Dakota was my soul dog and I couldn't imagine losing her, I was blind. Love your sweethearts. And remember that it's this moment right here right now that they are working on. Like Annette said before- they aren't thinking about what is to come. It's us who does the projecting. Sounds like Kimber and Rocky - for both of them- this moment smells pretty good to them��. Let's hang onto that as long as we can��.
    We're in this together, hugs to you.

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  13. #7
    Best Friend Retriever Java's Avatar
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    Kimber and Rocky are loved, truly with all your hearts. How beautiful they both are.

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  15. #8
    Senior Dog Berna's Avatar
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    I know. It's so tough. Cookie is my first dog, now my first senior dog. His elbow is bothering him more now than his FHO leg, but he still does very well although he tires easier now. I don't know if it's age, arthritis, or just the heat (we've had a brutal summer this year). In the last two months we had to change our routine too. Instead of one long walk, we are now making two shorter ones. And the toughest part for him, I think, is that he has to be on the leash all the time. He still wants to jump, run, trot and still gets very excited, however it would make him limp badly and I have to keep his excitement in control. It really hurts to see him want to run and be a dog, but his body isn't allowing him to do that anymore. I don't know if it would be easier for me if he just calmed down and behaved like a normal old dog. I need to use the prong instead. Seriously?!

    I really admire people, like Fran, who open their homes for seniors. For me, it's the toughest part. Old dogs are so lovable, yet you are constantly aware of the fact that things can go south really fast.

    I miss our long walks, seeing him run happy across the fields. I'll never have that again with him.


    Kimber sounds happy though, I wonder sometimes how it's much easier for them, than for us. They live in the moment and don't get bothered by thoughts of illness or death. They don't dwell in the past and don't get sad over things they can't do anymore. Lucky dogs.
    Cookie Black Snowflake
    July 12th, 2006. - May 25th, 2023.

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  17. #9
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    I know where you are right now too. Can you get Kimber into your car easily? It seemed to really perk Jet up to go to new place to walk. There were many to choose from, walks we'd skipped in early years, knowing from the start they'd be too short. Now they were just her speed. I enjoyed seeing those new places and seeing her enjoy them even more, even if they lasted only 10 minutes.
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  19. #10
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by Snowshoe View Post
    I know where you are right now too. Can you get Kimber into your car easily? It seemed to really perk Jet up to go to new place to walk.
    She's not as comfortable in my car, but DH has a hammock in the backseat of his truck that she likes. He took her to the park a few weeks ago and while she didn't go far, she did love the change of scenery. He's talking now about driving her up to the corner to see if she can make the walk *down* the hill.
    Stormageddon, Princess of Darkness, aka "Stormy"
    Birthday 9-13-18, Gotcha Day 11-11-18
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    Miss Kimber, CGC, 6/15/2005-1/27/2018 forever in our hearts



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