Well, It's Official.

I am starting to get old.

The Woman has noticed subtle changes in my abilities- and some not so subtle. Like, I now have to poo every day, and I need to be let out more often to pee (or else the ottoman has that perfect corner for me to use). My legs shake if I exercise too much, and I seem to tire more easily.

And I am only almost ten years old. That is not old for a Shiba at all!

The Woman, of course, took me to the Vet and had a battery of tests done to make sure I was okay since I was peeing in the house. Outside of a mild creatinine level increase, I am healthy but you can now feel my open ribs and my pelvis even though I am still a healthy 27 pounds. My appetite is good and overall my attitude is positive. Well, its a positive Shiba attitude.

It's just that my pride of being able to hold it for 2 days is no longer something I can brag about. My muscles in my hind legs and back are slowly starting to break down. The muscles that help control my bodily functions are slowly getting weaker. The animal behaviorist who came to our house last night (the Lady who tortures me by making me obey commands and learn new things even though I don't want to!) commented that she can see the change in my appearance. That while I still look like an amazing Shiba, she can feel the differences of my muscles and gave The Woman some examples of massaging exercises to help me feel better as well as talk with The People about how to handle my apparent health changes.

So The People having been working on a schedule of attempting to get me out doors and keeping me away from the Ottoman. The stress is routine- me knowing that I will be let out at these times and walked at these times- and with both of them now fully back into work and life, it's going to take some effort. I feel bad for both of them. That Guy is frustrated because he really doesn't like me peeing on the furniture and The Woman is sad because she doesn't want to accept that I am getting older.

Belle, in the meantime, just bounces around everywhere, having a good time continuing to dominate and police the neighborhood.

But since about Memorial Weekend and now we are heading into Labor Day weekend, everyone is slowly starting to accept that while I am the same Shiba that I have always been, I just now need a little more extra attention than I needed before. It's hard for all of us because while I have my sense of pride and the difficulty of admitting that I have been making mistakes, The People are starting to have to work harder at coordinating their lives which now have to revolve around mine.

Which is how it should have been in the first place, anyway.



I Am Shiba. I Am Still Master Of My Domain!