I'm tired of winter

It's been a long winter for McAllister. We've had many more cold days, snowy days, and icy days.

The fact that (as far as we can figure out) Mac is now 15 years old means he isn't taking the weather and the season as resiliently as he did even a year ago. His heart is still in it, most of the time. It's just his spine and his rear legs, which have started to give out under the stress of the cold and his advanced age. (Yes, that would be about 105 in people years. It's even longer in Collie years.)

With some problems holding himself up in the back (and for that matter, holding some other things in), it was time to visit the Vet today.

The good news: we can try some simple medications with Mac to see if it helps his stability and his "self-control." Dr. Rich was very encouraging, and also very understanding that 15 years is a lot of time for a dog's life to carry.

The bad news: Dang, he's furry! Our good friend Caroline O., from church, who works at the Vet's office, got the lovely task of shaving away some of the more egregious fur from various mostly-untouched places on McAllister ("behind the ears" was one of the more mentionable ones). It truly was like sheep-shearing, and I'm sure the fleece would have fetched a handsome price!

When we got him home, it was time for a bath. No photos of the washing, but here's a slide show of the drying:



We hope that this regimen will help; Dr. Rich said we'll know in about a week if the medication is doing him any good. But in the meantime, he's as smart and attentive as he has ever been, and we're glad for his company.