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stoutfellowIn the midst of Ben's troubles, I haven't written much about Murphy lately. Truth to tell, I haven't been paying as much attention to him as maybe I should have.
He's just wearing down.
Murphy has always liked being near me; when I go from one room to another, he's always followed, soon or late, slow or fast, to lie down in the new place until I move again. Lately, with his increasing frailty, I've felt a little guilty about that - he struggles so to get up and hobble after me. It's especially sad when I just have to make a quick trip, to the bathroom, to the kitchen for a glass of milk, or whatever, because he'll try to follow, and then have to retrace his steps almost immediately.
The last couple of weeks.... He spends most of his time just lying on his side. When he notices that I've left the room, instead of following, he'll usually just raise his head and start woofing until I come back to console him. Usually, then, I'll help him to his feet so that he can come after me, or at least partway. He pretty much stays at the west end of the house, where my bedroom and the computer room are; I've been bringing his food to him there, and I've moved the water dish permanently to a place near the main bathroom.
He's still eating reasonably well, but his hipbones are plainly visible, and his ribs have just enough meat on them to conceal the bones. When he walks, he moves one unsteady foot at a time, and sometimes he'll get a foot caught on a doorjamb or a bookcase and I have to free him. He growls at me a little when I do that; he doesn't like being handled.
In some ways it's a harder case than Ben's. I'm pretty sure I know how things will happen with Ben, and what warning I'll have that it's time. Murphy's just... slowly slipping away.
He's just wearing down.
Murphy has always liked being near me; when I go from one room to another, he's always followed, soon or late, slow or fast, to lie down in the new place until I move again. Lately, with his increasing frailty, I've felt a little guilty about that - he struggles so to get up and hobble after me. It's especially sad when I just have to make a quick trip, to the bathroom, to the kitchen for a glass of milk, or whatever, because he'll try to follow, and then have to retrace his steps almost immediately.
The last couple of weeks.... He spends most of his time just lying on his side. When he notices that I've left the room, instead of following, he'll usually just raise his head and start woofing until I come back to console him. Usually, then, I'll help him to his feet so that he can come after me, or at least partway. He pretty much stays at the west end of the house, where my bedroom and the computer room are; I've been bringing his food to him there, and I've moved the water dish permanently to a place near the main bathroom.
He's still eating reasonably well, but his hipbones are plainly visible, and his ribs have just enough meat on them to conceal the bones. When he walks, he moves one unsteady foot at a time, and sometimes he'll get a foot caught on a doorjamb or a bookcase and I have to free him. He growls at me a little when I do that; he doesn't like being handled.
In some ways it's a harder case than Ben's. I'm pretty sure I know how things will happen with Ben, and what warning I'll have that it's time. Murphy's just... slowly slipping away.
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Date: 2008-06-01 06:42 pm (UTC)