Muffin

So sorry for the absence, but we've been dealing with a very scary Senior Dog problem.  Last Friday I woke up to find my Bestest Buddy, Muffin, unable to stand steady and staggering while she walked.  I didn't know if she was having a seizure or a stroke.  It was 5:30 a.m.  At 7:30, I called the vet and was told to bring her in immediately.

As soon as our veterinarian walked into the room, he said it was neither and he was unusually calm.  Immediately he diagnosed her with  "Old Dog Vestibular Disease."  It's kind of an equilibrium/inner ear problem.  Nothing but time and 3-5 days of quiet confinement would begin to help her.  Symptoms are:

- A head tilt
- They are unsteady on their feet and may fall over (especially on slick floors and/or when shaking their heads)
- They circle in one direction or even roll across the floor
- Their eyes flick back and forth, up and down, or rotate in a circle
- An unwillingness to eat due to nausea
- Vomiting

Muffin is very slow in recovering and Dr. Dickinson believes she may always have her head tilt.  My mission right now is to get some sustenance into her as she has had absolutely no appetite.  She is getting stronger and has started to eat a bit (baby food and rice!).

So for those of you with senior fur-babies, should something like this happen to you, have heart.  This is a fairly common health problem with seniors and it is not life-threatening, just scary for Mom and Dad.

I have a stack of recipes I'm looking forward to getting back to, so thank you for your patience and please check back in a day or two.  In the meantime, my priority is my buddy and her sisters.  This is, afterall, all about The Fulton Girls.