Kalbi Update & Boarding Troubles
Kalbi is a disabled old man now. He sleeps like 18 hours a day, stares into space for around 2, and gets excited about his walks and treats the other 4. He’s not hard to manage at all, really, but his days have changed over the last year or two in a few ways.
He takes two pills per day that he eats right out of my hand excitedly. He seems to think it’s a treat, which is lovely.
He’s lost significant vision, so he often walks around unfamiliar spaces like a Roomba. Bumping into walls, backing up and trying another direction. He hasn’t hurt himself yet, but I got him a Muffin’s Halo that he can wear if he’s in a new space and wants to explore it unsupervised.
He can still handle stairs, but he needs to go slow. At home we just use the elevator for him now. When we have a fire drill I just carry him downstairs.
I can still leave him at home for hours without puppy-proofing at all. He just chills on his bed or couch and plays with his toys. He’s great.
(all these photos are from the last six months or so)
He’s near his end of life, and I recognize that the possibility of him passing away or getting hurt on one’s watch while I’m away is daunting. I’d worry for that myself watching a friend’s elderly or disabled dog.
But he’s still Kalbi. He still loves people and other dogs. He still wants to cuddle and lick your hand for twenty minutes straight. I want his every minute on earth to be happy and fulfilling. I want him to be surrounded by those he knows and loves, not in some vet facility or places that feel similarly.
Just an update and photo dump for anyone who may want to watch him for me sometime. 😊
I’m sharing this for a few reasons.
I have travel plans coming up in early September and had arranged for a friend to watch him while I was away like we usually do, but was informed a few days ago that she recommends that he stays in a more calm place. Her home has lots of rambunctious younger dogs that may confuse him or make him anxious, so she didn’t feel comfortable boarding him anymore. I’m figuring out a new way to have him cared for in an affordable way that makes him comfortable and wanted to share how he is these days with all the friends who’ve watched him over the years and might consider doing so again.
The other reason is my ongoing musing about aging and death. I’ve been reading Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (I recommend it) and thinking about the things that truly matter to us when we’re near the end. Much of what I’m reading here was for my own benefit, but I find it validating for how I’ve been handling Kalbi’s care in his late years. I don’t want him to be hospitalized, poked and prodded with constant tests, or put under the knife to extend his life. I want him to be among loved ones doing things he loves doing.
I’m not traveling as much lately, so it’s less an issue these days, but I prefer him stay with people he knows over booking him in a professional boarding spot that feels more institutional than like home. Those places were fine, even great, for him when he was an energetic extroverted young’un but times have changed.
So if you ever want to dogsit or housesit for us when I travel, please do! He’s a wonderful little guy. 💖