We have so much ice-covered snow on the ground! As you can see in the video below, it hasn't stopped Gracie from wanting to play outside.
When I took this video clip, both of us slipped and skidded on the ice numerous times. Even though dogs are close to the ground, they can stumble and fall too. At one point Gracie scraped and cut her leg (a tiny cut) on the sharp ice, but she didn't want to stop playing. I had to promise her a treat to get her to come inside.
This week I received a letter from Gracie's veterinary office. Apparently the staff reviewed patient records and noticed Gracie's age (12 this year), and the fact that she hasn't been in since early last year. The letter stated how important proper and regular veterinary care is for elderly dogs, as they can develop the same types of problems as elderly humans.
When I watch my lively, rambunctious, almost-12-year-old dog playing hard in cold, snowy weather the term "elderly dog" doesn't seem to fit. I know Gracie is "old" in years. I respect that fact by monitoring her hard play carefully and keeping a close eye on her health and well-being. Yet I'm so thankful that she still seems to be young at heart, and young in body. I'm sure Gracie's homemade dog food is helping her live so well, for so long.
It takes some extra time and effort to be a Doggie Chef but the results are definitely worth it!
Hi Garden Girl! Yes, Gracie's leg is fine. Thanks for asking. It was just a small scrape/cut. I dabbed it with some hydrogen peroxide and will have her skip an outside play day or two, to give it a chance to heal. The snow is so frozen and icy, she's not really able to make good trails with her ball. After I took this video she finally punctured her basketball (with her teeth). Now it's totally deflated, so she'll be getting a new one soon.
ReplyDeleteIm glad that Gracie is OK. Now you can get her a Valentines present of a new basketball!
ReplyDeleteWhenever I am feeling down, I just watch this video and it puts a smile on my face!
ReplyDeleteHi Garden Girl! What a coincidence: I received your kind message today and JUST TODAY I worked out some kinks I was stumbling over with Windows Movie Maker. I made a MUCH BETTER version of this video, with music! It should put an even bigger smile on your face. I plan to post it soon. I'm hoping to post more (and even better) videos of Gracie now. Your blog makes me smile too. It's really great and I always look forward to your new posts!
ReplyDeletePS --- I DID get Gracie a new basketball for Valentine's Day.