Canine Cognitive Dysfunction

Regular visitors to my allotment blog will be familiar with the description of my dog in the heading:

A Moog is a type of dog. Blessed with very little brainpower, he cannot think.

I am saddened to report that our very kind (albeit wealthy) vet has now confirmed what we had begun to suspect. What started as a good-natured joke with a companion who, let’s face it, actually couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag, has become his diagnosis:

Moog can’t think.

Poor old Moog, or Max to use his real name for once, is slipping away from us. ‘Canine Cognitive Dysfunction,’ Senior Dementia, Doggy Alzheimer’s; - call it what you like, but the end result is the same. He’s here in body, but not in mind, and it’s not going to get better. Now I realise the symptoms can be grouped under one heading, there’s no mistaking the disease. Gradually, but with increasing frequency in recent months, Max has displayed all of these patterns:

• Gets lost in familiar places
• Trouble negotiating doors and furniture
• Does not respond to familiar commands or signals
• Does not recognise or is startled by familiar people or objects
• Paces or wanders aimlessly through the house
• Soils indoors, regardless of access to outdoors
• Stares at walls or into space
• Seeks less attention, praise and play
• Spends much time asleep during the day and paces at night
• General confusion between day and night, or indoors and outdoors
• Develops separation anxiety
• Frequently trembles or shakes
• Forget they ate/drank and want to eat/drink again and again
• Altered relationships with humans/other pets

So it is with heavy hearts that we will soon be taking the vet’s advice and helping him on his way to some much needed sleep before things get any worse. The day isn’t here yet, but when it is, it will be our last act of kindness for the poor frightened thing we rescued from the kennels 10 years ago.

The Thoughts of Moog will continue. Let’s face it, they were never really his to begin with. But for now, let’s celebrate his life with all the nicknames he has accumulated over the years.

Doglet (like piglet, but a dog); Maxin Andrelaxin; Maximillion; Moog (who could not think). Moogfish (who could swim and swim and swim); Max Factor International Stunt Dog (See him leap through closed windows in a single bound). T.H.E. Moog; Old Moog; Moogos Moogos Gali (former Secretary General to the United Dog Nations, often shortened just to Moogos); Moof; Moogfishdotcom (n.b. to be sung to the tune of ‘moonpig.com’ advert), and Plumbo Columbo (no I don’t know why either). There are probably many more that I have forgotten.

If you’re missing him feel free to sing ‘You were always in the way’ to the tune of ‘You were always on my mind’ by Elvis Presley. 

Maincrop harvest

Finally harvested the 'Cara' maincrop potatoes last week, quite a big haul - two big shopping bags as heavy as I could lift into the car. A few have been spoiled by slugs and little worms (not sure if they are wireworm or eelworm, and can't be bothered to look it up right now). Those will be used first, and hopefully we'll have enough to last until Christmas.