The Other End of the Leash

He walks slowly now, his hind legs kind of skipping and dragging a little. His senses have dulled - deafness and slowly failing eyesight have seen to that. He still expertly sniffs out various grasses and plants. Nothing wrong with his appetite or his digestive system. Or his growl and bark when he wants our attention.

That's the general report on A.J., our 15-year-old Maltese/Shih-Tzu who we adopted when he was 7. It's a little difficult to witness the decline of that peppy little 13-pounder who would jump at the chance to play with chew toys or bravely give a long, low growl cresting to a bark at any other canine -- regardless of size -- when he spotted them across the street while on a walk.

For a few years now -- when we first discovered that he had arthritis -- it was easy to talk about his "new normal." Now, we comfort him and talk about "giving him the best possible life." It's a daily mantra but we know the endgame.

This is not a new story for any pet owner, of course. There is a beginning, a middle and end to every story. No different for humans, so we accept. The primary difference is communication. We can only guess what he is thinking when he stares at a wall and growls or if he is embarrassed or mad when he slips while walking. Does he want us to understand something we can't?

As I write this, he is standing in a hallway outside my office - wagging his tail and barking. I try to interpret his need, but all I can do is offer a little more in the food bowl he emptied less than an hour ago or freshen his water. Works sometimes, but often does not. I take him upstairs along with my laptop and he hopefully settle on an ottoman.

He will go to the vet this week so they can clean up some of the crust around his eyes. He doesn't let us do that, even as we try to put a soft muzzle on him. How did he get such a strong neck and jaw?

Even with all that, A.J. shows flashes of appreciation and love. Hard to think we eventually will need to make a tough decision - someday. We hope that someday is not too soon.