Dear Sadie: I am what you might call an older Basset hound, going on eleven years old. Now that I am a senior citizen, what are some things I need to be concerned about or watch for to help make my last few years golden? Signed, JuJuBee in Jamestown
Dear JuJu: Jamestown? I heard they have a great chicken salad up there. But then again, what chicken salad isn’t great? Isn’t that up there by the Virginia Diner? Boy, they have the best fried chicken. They sure know how to put a scald on it. And oh my those gourmet Virginia peanuts they have! Umm. They always come out looking just like they went in. Mercy! I’ve now got slobber all over the couch from thinking about all those delectables up in your neck of the woods. What was your question again? Oh, yes, getting old. Well I say as long as chicken still excites me I am not old. But if one is just counting years, then there are a few things we and our people need to be mindful of. Here are my personal opinions about aging gracefully.
They say we need to remain active. “Active” is a relative state of being. “Active” means getting up to see what’s cooking in the kitchen several times a day besides just breakfast and dinner. If you run out to the kitchen, that counts for two times.
They say we need to be groomed frequently. This includes tooth brushing. I am fine with this as long as the toothpaste is the chicken-flavored kind. They say pay attention to the breath since if it is bad this might be indicative of illness. Heavens, old Chase here has bad breath all the time from eating poop – what’s that indicative of, bad taste?
They say we should not be left outside by ourselves, have a soft bed, and be fed well (high fiber/low fat and frequent feedings). This means that I need to be in on the couch in the air conditioning or the heat depending on the weather, watching my soap operas snacking on carrots, peaches, and of course my favorite, chicken. This does not sound very different from the rest of my life. Check!
They say we need to go to the vet regularly. I may have worn out my welcome because whenever I go I pee all over the place. I just can’t help it, I get so worked up about going in there with all those poor unfortunate sick little creatures and then I think well what in the Sam Hell am I here for then? Then I just pee. One of these days I am going to show my vet a proposition I have to help her boost her business. I think that she should open up a small refreshment stand right next to the clinic, selling such things as chicken, pig and fish. Just think how much her business would increase, and how much less pee she would have on her shoes. I believe that if I knew I was getting chicken with my shots I would be much happier and find a way to control my bladder.