Mambo has spent his entire 9 ½ years with just one goal in mind; that is, to be next to us at all times. Thing is, we were always able to leave him to guard the estate; he was secure in the knowledge that we'd be back. Even an occasional kennel sleepover was not looked upon too kindly, but he thrived, nonetheless. Till…
He reached his current senior year. He has always vacationed with us, so that's not an issue. And, he owns the back seat of the Cherokee for most trips anywhere and everywhere. But we've recently had to kennel him for daycare while we addressed necessities in the Big Apple. (Many thanks to our friend, Kip, for stretching his hours to allow for said daycare.) When he developed elimination issues during these short stays, our pals at Rock Ridge diagnosed his condition as stress. Turns out Robin et al were right… Big Dog has a sixth sense for knowing when something is up.
This past week, we needed the help of Dr. Joe, as Mambo's issues became challenging to his health and our sleep patterns. Turns out, he has colitis. Yep. A good ole people ailment. "Why?" you ask. It's caused by stress, as it often is in humans. What to do?
Keep appointments next to grassy knolls and baby our buddy. For all the joy he's given us, he is deserving.
Photo credit to Joe.
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