Shiloh

Shiloh's just five years old, but I think she may not be long for this world.  Over the past 18 months, she has been territorial and cranky.  I have long suspected that she acts this way because she's in physical pain.  She started with such a sweet demeanor that the shift did not make sense otherwise.  She has not been happy about the addition of Jules, but that should not have been enough to change her so much.  Shiloh often walks with a stiff gait.  Last night, she hid in a corner.  When she finally came out, she was limping badly.  Zach went out to get her some Glucosamine which is supposed to help with bone and joint issues.  She seems better today but spent most of the morning in her crate and clearly did not wish to be bothered.  

As for us, when these two dogs go, we plan to take a long break from dogs.  As much as we love them, these two have been difficult.  Shiloh is cranky often enough that we crate her when we have company,  and Jules has to be treated like a baby.  We literally set a timer to let her out every two hours to avoid accidents in the house.  We crate her overnight, and she often throws a hissy at 4:00a.m. until someone lets her out.  That someone is me 95% of the time, and I can rarely sleep again after taking care of this. Never mind, the expense of dogs.  I hope this medicine works for Shiloh because it is not too pricey.  If surgery becomes a part of the treatment plan, we will not be able to do that.  I hate the thought of putting a five-year-old dog down, but quality of life is all a dog gets, and even with surgery, I am not sure how much Shiloh's quality of life would improve.