circle of life

even as my own progeny gestates away, my beloved elderly dog lola isn't doing so great. she has canine geriatric idiopathic vestibular disease, which basically means that old dogs for some unknown reason get an inner ear condition that causes them to be dizzy and act drunk. lola is stumbling around and very googly-eyed (in a different way than michelle bachman), and it's fairly disturbing to see. (of course when it first happened, which it does suddenly and without warning or buildup [acute onset], it freaked me the hell out.)

however, she is still acting like herself, which is remarkable. in other words, she stumbles into the kitchen all perky and beggy when she hears cheese being unwrapped. and generally trots around the yard looking for sticks, but this time it's crooked and wobbly. she falls over. and her eyes, even though they are going back and forth a lot, are bright and attentive.

so, in case you're keeping track, i suppose this could be one (more?) way that dogs are superior to humans. lola isn't upset or feeling sorry for herself or in a different mood or anything, even though she can barely get a grip on the floor, and even though by all accounts this condition causes sea-sickness for her. lord knows i'd be in a bad mood.

everything i read says the condition is usually temporary, like 1-2 weeks. so we've got more rugs spread out around the house and a new feeding and walking protocol, because that's just what you do when someone you love needs you. and so we shall see.