It has been a month since I was diagnosed with kidney disease, so I thought I’d give you an update. As with any major diagnosis, I wanted to get a second opinion. Now don’t misunderstand me, I completely trust my veterinarian, Dr. Heidi. But when it comes to making a radical change to my diet, I want to have all the answers first! Therefore I went to visit my old friend Dr. Doug. Many of you may recall, he was my veterinarian since I was a puppy. About a year ago he moved to a different practice so that he could be closer to his new home, but thankfully he left a forwarding address and I was able to track him down for a visit. After all, Dr. Doug knows me well.
Long story short, his test results matched the original. My kidneys are not functioning as they once did. He reassured Mom and Dad though, that by changing to a prescription diet with lower protein, plenty of fresh water, and frequent trips outside to relieve myself, I still have many adventures ahead of me! As a 12 year old dog, this is just a normal part of aging.
Therefore, I started the prescription diet that both veterinarians recommended for me. The good news is, I love it! They were worried I may not like the taste. Have they not met me? I LOVE all food! The bad news is, it didn’t agree with my tummy at first. Let’s just say I needed a lot of hind end baths lately. But things are finally settling down, and I’m back on track!
Now for the embarrassing part. Asa was so exited to see my tummy had settled that he decided to write a new parody, that he insists on singing every time I do my business. I’ll spare you the full song, but here is the chorus of Asa’s parody of Ashford and Simpson’s 1984 hit “Solid.”
And now it’s solid
Solid as a rock
That poop is perfect
It’s no longer soft, soft, soft, soft, soft
Awful, right?! Thankfully, Asa is not the only one who can write a song around here. I wrote my own parody of the 1978 song “Reunited” by Peaches and Herb. It felt so good to see Dr. Doug again that I may have lost my mind a little when he walked into the exam room.
Reunited, and it feels so good
Reunited ’cause he understood
There’s one perfect dog
With a sugar face, and I’m it
We both are so excited ’cause we’re reunited, hey, hey
