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  1. #1
    Senior Dog Sue-Ram's Avatar
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    New life with Ram

    Ram stopped doing the stairs almost two months ago so I've been sleeping downstairs with him because he whines if I go upstairs to sleep. I bought two crib mattresses and put them beside each other so it's not too bad. I have to put a pillow at the bottom because it's too short for me, but it has been cat tested and approved. I saw this week that Molly Mutt sells crib mattress dog bed covers so that should help with making my living room look a little less like a bedroom. I put the frame back on my bed last weekend and had good cry when I realized how high Ram was able to jump at one time and where we are now.






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    Ram - Adopted @ 6 y/o - 7/18/2011 - 7/4/2019
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  2. #2
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    The bonus of the mattress on the floor is you can still snuggle with him! that's a great set-up.

    Hopefully those mattresses are good enough that you don't get sore. I was worried about that but the futon has been good. Rocky doesn't get up on it though.

    it's amazing how we adjust to new routine. it almost seems odd now to think about sleeping in my bed again - it's been 4 months downstairs.

    I wish I hadn't bought such a tall bed. even with a young dog I'll be worries about injury jumping down (because I now worry about everything!)

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  4. #3
    Senior Dog
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tanya View Post
    The bonus of the mattress on the floor is you can still snuggle with him! that's a great set-up.

    Hopefully those mattresses are good enough that you don't get sore. I was worried about that but the futon has been good. Rocky doesn't get up on it though.

    it's amazing how we adjust to new routine. it almost seems odd now to think about sleeping in my bed again - it's been 4 months downstairs.

    I wish I hadn't bought such a tall bed. even with a young dog I'll be worries about injury jumping down (because I now worry about everything!)
    You could always get pet steps and teach the pup to use them from the beginning. With our oldsters, when Scully couldn’t do the steps, DH was able to carry her upstairs every night. Both Mulder and Jolie (who weighed 15-20 lbs more than Scully) just slept downstairs by themselves but at first they had each other, and then after Jolie passed, Mulder was so used to it he didn’t seem to care that he was alone down there.
    Annette

    Cookie (HIT HC Jamrah's Legally Blonde, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015
    Sassy (HIT Jamrah's Blonde Ambition, UDX, OM2, BN) 6/4/2015

    Chloe (HIT HC OTCH Windsong's Femme Fatale, UDX4, OM6, RE) 6/7/2009

    And remembering:

    Scully (HC Coventry's Truth Is Out There, UD, TD, RN) 4/14/1996 - 6/30/2011
    Mulder (Coventry's I Want To Believe, UD, RN, WC) 5/26/1999 - 4/22/2015

    And our foster Jolie (Windsong's Genuine Risk, CDX) 5/26/1999 - 3/16/2014

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  6. #4
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    Those who know you and Ram will be delighted at the classy setup. Those who don't, they need not visit.
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    Kissing Bandit

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  8. #5
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    I know Ram appreciates all you are doing for him. I've been camped out on an air Mattress since the Weds before Thanksgiving. I just leave it up and walk around it. Mine is because Samson is on strict rest for a bit due to a bum knee (or maybe hip?). When the time comes and he can't navigate steps, I do have a back room I can turn into our bedroom. I love how everyone is dedicated to their pups. Reading how you guys navigate through the older years with them really touches me and let's me know that when I get there, I'll be able to push through as well. Ram looks very comfy!

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  10. #6
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    I know it's a sad time. Some people have to do the same for their parents, or even their spouses. Or their child, the worst. Pets are just as important, of course we do it for them. I had my first physio appt. yesterday and the lady and I got talking about the contortions we go through so as not to disturb the cat sleeping right smack beside us when we have to get up to pee in the night. Ram deserves it and I know your sadness that you need to do this equals remembering when you didn't. Try not to be sad with Ram, only with us.

    So far I have only camped out downstairs for temporary injury or surgery recovery. Oh, except when Joey cat first started spending the nights in and I was afraid there might be a fight between him and my old girl, Itty Bitty Kitty. I slept on the chesterfield so Joe would stay with me but Bitty came down too. The chesterfield is very comfortable. It's nice to have the back to lie against yet it does not give off any heat of it's own. When I'm an old lady on my own I'm not going to have a bed, I'm going to have a big, long chesterfield. And a place with no stairs.
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    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

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  12. #7
    Senior Dog
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    Oh, hugs to you and Ram. It’s heart breaking to think about how much smaller their worlds get, isn’t it? DH and I were looking at houses recently and decided having a bedroom on the main level was an absolute must now.
    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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    MontananDakota (01-03-2018), Sue-Ram (01-03-2018)

  14. #8
    Senior Dog
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    I think many of us would do the same for the pet we love. The time with them is too short not to give as much back to them as they give to us. Right now Elle is on crate rest but the dog bed is in the living room with it. I am sleeping beside it on the couch. She wants to do too much.

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  16. #9
    Senior Dog Scoutpout's Avatar
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    You are doing what many of us have done or will do for our precious family members.
    I am so thankful i have a ranch style house. When my last boys got really old, i made a ramp to get up to the bed, put up "dog rails" around the perimeter of it (its a pencil-post, so was easy to do), put on a shower curtain under a really washable blanket on the bed when my one boy started having some light incontinence issues, and dad built a fantastic dog ramp off the deck down into the yard for them. That stayed. It was a godsend with the puppy, and its now a favorite way to go tearing off the deck, and when Scout is feeling sore, he uses it rather than the steps. Several years ago, i made sturdy steps that look more furniture-like for Scout to get up on the bed. Trigger is now loose at night, and from day 1, he has used the steps, and doesn't jump on or off the bed. Don't want to risk tearing anything.
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    Scout CD RAE6 WC March 6, 2007; Tullemore Browning Superposed PCD RN RI "Trigger" Nov 11, 2016
    Missing:
    Castelleja's Dual Mags "Mags" March 1993 - March 2008
    "Pocco" the chocolate wonder August 1993 - December 2007

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  18. #10
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scoutpout View Post
    You are doing what many of us have done or will do for our precious family members.
    I am so thankful i have a ranch style house. When my last boys got really old, i made a ramp to get up to the bed, put up "dog rails" around the perimeter of it (its a pencil-post, so was easy to do), put on a shower curtain under a really washable blanket on the bed when my one boy started having some light incontinence issues, and dad built a fantastic dog ramp off the deck down into the yard for them. That stayed. It was a godsend with the puppy, and its now a favorite way to go tearing off the deck, and when Scout is feeling sore, he uses it rather than the steps. Several years ago, i made sturdy steps that look more furniture-like for Scout to get up on the bed. Trigger is now loose at night, and from day 1, he has used the steps, and doesn't jump on or off the bed. Don't want to risk tearing anything.
    Guard rails! oh you sorta answered a question i've had in my mind....i may get back to you on this down the road hahaha!

 



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