Wow! One week ago today Dakota passed away. What a shock it was to us. He was 12 1/2 years old and we “thought” fairly healthy, but he wasn’t. He had diabetes and thyroid issues that we weren’t aware of at the time. We just thought he was slowing down because he was getting old, and it had been extremely hot.
With what I know now and didn’t then, I can’t express enough the importance of getting blood work done on your furry kid on a regular basis. Especially when they are getting up there in age. We did get blood work done on him occasionally, but it probably been 1 1/2 -2 years. Sadly, we simply didn’t know he had diabetes or thyroid problems. The usual symptoms of diabetes in dogs are loss of weight and frequently drinking water. That’s obviously followed by a lot of urination. He didn’t have any of these symptoms. Another big symptom is also loss of eye sight. He didn’t have that problem either. So, get your dog’s blood work done yearly, ok?
This is one of our favorite pictures of Dakota. He was such a beautiful boy that was always happy and so loving. We miss him so much and will always cherish the beautiful life lessons he taught us. RIP Buddy, Monkey, Bucky, Monkey-Butt, Boi, Dakota. We now carry you in our heart.