When you are young and something goes wrong with your health, the doctors or vets are very sympathetic. They talk to you about how they are going to \u2018fix\u2019 you and make you better. I\u2019ve noticed that as you get older their manner changes. They start to smile a gentle reassuring smile and talk about how they will help you manage the symptoms. You ask, \u201cWhat about curing me?\u201d and they nod in an empathetic way, while their words gentle explain that \u2018getting better\u2019 is no longer on the cards and you have to accept this as part of growing older.<\/p>\n
You look in the mirror and instead of the handsome young thing you imagine, an animal who is greying around the muzzle, with a doleful expression in his eyes looks back at you. Then when you\u2019re given the choice between chasing a ball pointlessly around the garden or lying on the couch, you wonder that they could think there is a decision to make as you haul yourself up onto the cushions.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s not just us dogs either. My Mistress has started to find the print on packaging is getting smaller and she has to hold it further away in order to read it. She has to ask the children to turn the lights off when they go to bed as she\u2019ll be asleep long before them. The worst of it is the food. Oh it\u2019s still the same food, but the packet says you are supposed to be eating slightly less at your age. Now, I know that may have a lot to do with preferring the couch to playing ball, but it is not a good moment when you look in your bowl and your serving of food no longer covers the bottom. I think, psychologically it might help to have a smaller bowl, but who am I kidding? I\u2019m even looking forward to a few quiet days without Ari jumping all over me, although I would prefer if my Mistress weren\u2019t going away too. I will be pleased to see them when they return though and after a few days\u2019 rest, maybe that ball chasing with Ari won\u2019t seem quite so pointless.<\/p>\n
Alfie Dog with a little help from Rosemary J Kind alfie@alfiedog.me.uk<\/a><\/p>\n Alfie\u2019s Diary \u2013 the Book is available at Amazon UK –https:\/\/www.amazon.co.uk\/dp\/B00583ZGSA<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"