Let sleeping dogs lie

Have you ever had a nap that was so good, so absolutely perfect, that when you did wake up you had no clue where you were?  Maybe not even sure what day it was?  Elvis has those naps all the time.  It's pretty obvious when he wakes up.  I guess that's what happens when you're blind - day turns to night and night turns to day and to Elvis, it's all just one long unending night.

It's been 6 months since Elvis totally lost his eyesight and I would say that he, Donna, and I have adjusted pretty well to this new life.  I guess in all honesty, his days aren't too different than any other dog - you sleep all night and most of the day only getting up to eat and go outside to take care of business.  And that explains Elvis' every day.

Elvis does have a remarkable internal alarm clock when it comes to meal time - his appetite is working just fine.  He's usually up in the morning anytime between 5:30 and 7 and is ready for breakfast.  And I mean ready.  He bangs around the kitchen very impatiently as I get his food ready and finally hones in on his dish and attacks it when I set it down.  And at night, you can almost set your watch by his ability to start whining for dinner at 5 PM.

He continues to fight some type of lingering bug or crud - mattery eyes, runny nose, gunky ears, yucky wheezing - you name it, he has it.  The Vet keeps trying different types of antibiotics.  Some work better than others.  Unfortunately, his ailment(s) seem to impact his ability to smell and hear - not a good mix for a dog that can't see. 

Just when I think his life must be miserable, he'll wag his tail when I pet him or call his name.  He still jerks his head around at the sound of something rustling in the backyard trees, and he still carries his stuffed animal (his "Bear") around when he comes out of his kennel if we've been gone.  So I guess Elvis is still happy and content and that makes me glad.

I hope he can remember being the king of his backyard and chasing the rabbits and barking at the squirrels that inhabit his world.  As much as it would drive me nuts when he would bark and bark out back at everything, I do miss it now.  Once in a while he might let out a muffled bark but just like his vision, his voice has faded too.  We miss Elvis doing what Elvis did best - be a terrier.

He still loves to jump up on the couch with Donna at night when we are watching TV and I know Donna loves that too.

I guess in many ways our lives with a sightless dog really haven't changed all that much.  He's still a member of the family and his headstrong personality shines through and we all hope that never changes.