It's not always old age...

Regular readers will recall that my boyfriend, Paul, owns a very virtuous golden retriever named Sally. Sally is nine years old. For the past several weeks, Paul's family has been giving Sally an aspirin every day, hoping to relieve her apparent joint pain. They assumed her labored movement was the result of her advancing years and the fact that retrievers are prone to hip problems. Sally has also been eating less, turning her nose up at her dry dog food. However, since she was always willing to wolf down any table scraps offered, no one was concerned about her new finicky eating habits.

Paul and I took Sally on a long walk on Memorial Day. She moved a bit slowly and tired a little more quickly than in the past, but she seemed happy.

I went to visit Paul after work on Monday, just one week after Memorial Day. Sally was laying on the driveway, just outside the garage door. She barely moved. When I approached her, she wagged her tail twice. She did not get up. Her eyes were dull; she almost appeared drugged. Her breathing seemed uneven. There were two hot dogs next to her, untouched.

In response to my, "What's wrong with Sally" inquiry, Paul said he was afraid Sally had cancer. He'd theorized this once before, based on the fact that Sally had developed a number of growths. My dog has developed similar growths over the years. The vet tested one just a week or two ago and determined it was nothing but a fatty tumor. Five or six years ago, one tested positive for a type of skin cancer common to dogs. It was cleared up with a treatment involving steroids and antihistamines. The cancer has never returned. Sally has never been tested.

I should probably point out that Paul and I have different viewpoints on pet ownership. My dog, a very overweight, epileptic beagle, has free reign of the house and has had no training of any sort. Given the opportunity, this undisciplined animal would grab the food right out of your hand. She's a sweet, loving, adorable little porker and she's spoiled rotten. I don't let her sleep on my bed at night, but only because she snores. Instead, she sleeps out on the couch. Occasionally, one of the kids - who are more sound sleepers - allow her to sleep on their beds.

Sally, on the other hand, is an obedient, well-trained dog. She's only allowed in the kitchen, den/breezeway and garage. She's not allowed in the living room, much less up on the couch. She doesn't test her limits. (She is virtuous, after all.)

In an uncharacteristically critical manner, I asked Paul if he would react the same way if I were to become ill. Would he just say, "Oh…she's old and probably has cancer. No point in seeking medical attention. We'll just watch her die." Obviously he was offended. I shouldn't have gone so far, but he did promise to take Sally to the vet the next day.

Tuesday morning, Sally was worse. She wouldn't eat or take water. Paul had to carry her to the car.

Lyme disease, carried by deer ticks, is common in New England. If caught quickly, it's quite treatable. My youngest son has had it twice. Symptoms include a circular rash at the site of the bite (usually, but not always) and severe joint pain. Sally has probably had it for weeks. It was not arthritis. It was not hip dysplasia. It was not cancer. Sally has Lyme disease.

Since she'd stopped eating and drinking, she was extremely dehydrated. The vet kept her 48 hours on IV fluids. He pumped her full of antibiotic to treat the Lyme disease. He feared her kidneys had shut down. She was still refusing to take any food or water by mouth.

Last night, the vet sent her home. He hoped she might eat or drink on her own if she was in more comfortable surroundings. Paul said she was able to walk and looked better than she did when he took her to the vet, but she was still incredibly weak. She did lap water from her bowl, but still refused food. They tried hand-feeding her table scraps without success. The vet wanted her back there at 10:00 this morning. While she's showing some minimal improvement, it doesn't look particularly positive. The vet is listing her chances at less than 50/50. He's sending her home again for the weekend, with instructions that she return again on Monday morning.

I don't honestly know how widespread the problem of Lyme disease is in the US. It may be localized to the northeast. But please…don't assume your older dog is slowing down or moving with pain simply due to her advancing years. It might be something else. And if you wait to long to find out for sure, it could be too late.