Tuesday night he made his way outside into his pen area but he must have had another stroke and his wobbly legs wouldn't hold him up any longer so he laid down or fell to the ground. That's where Cecil found him Wednesday morning when he went to check on him. Wolfie laying on the cold snowy ground waiting for us. We couldn't get him back in the barn at the time so we covered him with his favorite blanket and brought out his water, which he drank some of right away .... you see Wolfie is still alive.
Later that morning I put 2 old blankets in the dryer to warm them then took them out to Wolfie and covered him ... He seemed grateful and gave me a great sigh with a shiver. I cried ... again.
When Cecil came home we got right to work in the barn to make. It needed some cleaning from where Wolfie was comfy before because He doesn't have much control of his bodily functions and He wasn't holding down his food either. So we threw everything out, swept high and low, shoveled up the whole mess to be pitched or burned then I went back into the house for more bedding for our Wolfie. I came out with a king size comforter and 2 smaller blankets for cushioning under the comforter and made him a bed.
Now Wolfie waited for us outside on the ground patiently, not a whimper, not a whine. He knew we were working for his comfort. I talked to him and let him know what we were doing and told him to hold on we were almost finished. Every time I said his name I cried ... alittle more. Cecil talked to Wolfie also.
I was worried about moving Wolfie because he has arthritis and I didn't want to be the cause of more hurt to him and I didn't want him to bite me because I was hurting him ... oh I was worried. Big dog ... big teeth.
His room was ready, his bed was made with clean blankets. Moving Wolfie was going to take both of us, Cecil took the front and I was to pick up the back end.
When I saw Cecil standing over Wolfie picking up the front of him and walking I looked at the back legs drawn close to Wolfie's body but dragging ... I couldn't understand what I was seeing, it wasn't registering but when Cecil kept walking and still Wolfie's back legs ... I just reached for him. I wrapped my arms around Wolfie's hips and cupped my hands together under him and picked up. His arthritis wasn't bothering him anymore.
The doorway into his room from the outside is large doggy door. Ok it's a little bigger than a doggy door - not by much. We get Wolfie to that point but we can not just walk Him in so Cecil lays him over the cement hump, climbs over Wolfie and in through the 2 foot high door then picks Wolfie's front up again and moves him in more. I'm thinking, I have to do the same thing. Oh my ... I'm not that flexible how am I going to do what he just did. When it was time for Wolfie's back end to go through that little door Cecil said He could get him from here. Wolfie tried to help but all I heard was his paw nails scraping across the cement floor of his room.
I hurried around into the front side of the barn and went through the regular size door to help get Wolfie settled in. We covered him with his favorite blue blanket (not clean but it's his favorite) gave him fresh water and some food, He hasn't eaten in 2 days but he is drinking water.
At least now he isn't laying outside on the ground anymore. The stroke didn't kill him but not eating will, I hope he eats soon.
It's Thursday morning March 27th, 2014 and I decided to blog about our experience with Wolfie's stroke from when he managed to get out of the barn to us getting him back into the barn.
Cecil just checked on Wolfie and now I must tell you ... all things pertaining to Wolfie must be changed to past tense. Wolfie was warm and loved. He spent his last night NOT on the cold snowy ground covered with his favorite blanket but his last night was in a dry room with a cement floor, on a large pile of clean dry blankets, water and food was available and within reach for him. He was covered with His favorite blue blanket.
Wolfie was my false sense of security in a bad world. He was wonderful. I stayed up all night with him when he hurt himself right after we got him from the animal shelter. He checked on us HOURLY when he stayed in the house at night when it was to cold outside for an old dog (even though he would be in the barn). Wolfie was such a great guard dog, no man or woman dared approach our house on his watch. You would have thought He was going to lunge over the fence and get you. He didn't jump ... he lunged! A child could visit anytime. Walking right past the "BEWARE OF DOG" sign.
Whomever gave up "Frankie" (my Wolfie) to Paws of Urbana, Ohio around 2004, thank you. I found him and finding him was better than getting a new purse to me. A big dog! I love a big dog and HE was going to be a big dog.
Wolfie!! when we first got him
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| He was so skinny when he was young |
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| Wolfie is making himself at home |
We got Wolfie a friend to play with ... Joey is the little white dog
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| this was just a month ago ... DO YOU SEE HIS FAVORITE BLUE BLANKET? |
Thank you letting me share
Oh how do I replace my Wolfie - I need a false sense of security between me the world. I know the real security comes from our Creator but in this time of hate and lawlessness I need a guard to walk the fence to give me that temporary and false sense of security until the ever lasting security IS a reality.
- Marcene ♥
