Celebrating Shadow's special day, but not how I planned it.
My dog, Shadow, would only celebrate his 14th birthday once, and I wanted it to be extra special! Things didn't go as planned do to an unexpected challenge, but Shadow still had a great day.
Birthday Planning
My dog, Shadow, turned 14 years old yesterday! In case you're wondering how I'm sure about my rescue dog's birthdate, I'm just going off Shadow's adoption paperwork that states 28 December 2006 as his birthdate. Every year we've celebrated his birthday on December 28th.
In my mind, 14 years old is a special age, especially for a large breed dog. I wanted this day to be the best day of 2020 for my best friend. Sunday, I custom made an "It's My Birthday!" bandana using Cricut infusible ink pens. I only had a blank cotton bandana instead of the polyester material Cricut recommends. However, the image transferred well enough onto the cotton bandana and ironing board sleeve.
I wanted to get several different things, but thought it'd be best to do what I could with Shadow. He loves car rides and visiting dog-friendly stores like our local Half Price Books. It made sense to wait until his birthday to get the things I wanted for him.
These were the things I planned to get and do on Shadow's birthday:
Get a vanilla cake
Get birthday accessories (i.e., candle, hat, balloons)
Order meal and side of steak from Chipotle
Picnic and hang out at the park
Go shopping for birthday gift(s)
Wash the car at a car wash
View the Christmas lights at a local park
Watch a movie with animals
A Late Start
Around 3 A.M. on his birthday, Shadow began dry heaving. It's not uncommon for him to do this since he started taking Galiprant about a year ago, but it doesn't happen often. This, along with his asthma, kept him up for some time before it finally ended. I offered him water, but he heaved and gagged for a few minutes and breathed heavily for some time afterwards.
We woke later in the morning than I would've expected. Fortunately, Shadow was his usual self when we were ready to get the day started. Since I hoped for a full day out and about, I packed the following for both my dogs:
Bottles of fresh water
Dog food
Treats
Shadow's medicine
Poo bags
Wipes
I also packed hand sanitizer and Nintendo Switch for myself to use while at the park. After Shadow got into the car using a ramp, I placed the ramp in the trunk so he could easily get in and out as we went about our day.
An Unexpected Challenge
Lots of white smoke billowed from the back of my car. My Dad, who was planning on joining the day's activities, spent time trying to figure out what was going on.
Dad couldn't figure out what caused the smoke, but we decided to go about our day as planned and worry about the car tomorrow.
A part of me wondered if it happened because I don't drive my car often since I've been unemployed for a couple years and haven't gone anywhere other than the bank and grocery shopping during this pandemic. I then remembered a recall on my car from last spring and wondered if it happened because I stupidly ignored and forgot about it.
I told myself that at lunchtime I'd call to schedule a diagnosis scan to see what's caused the issue I experienced. Dad and I suspected engine problems.
We went to the local cake shop where Dad bought a vanilla bundt cake for Shadow. Shadow's had pieces of their cake before, so we knew it wouldn't negatively impact his digestion or trigger any allergic reactions.
As I pulled out of the parking lot onto a major road towards our next destination, an abundance of smoke billowed from behind and the engine started to die. I pulled back into the parking lot. A couple police officers came to make sure the car wasn't on fire. It wouldn't have surprised me if it were because of 2020.
After a while in the parking lot, I drove the car home slowly. Fortunately, the car didn't stall even though it felt like it wanted to a few times.
How We Actually Celebrated
Just because Shadow's birthday didn't go the way I initially hoped, his birthday still went well! The first thing I did was turn on all Christmas lights in the house. He loves looking at the lights and I hoped this would make up for not going to the local park to see more lights.
Dad fried ham steak to include with Shadow's late lunch. Of course, Rascal got some of the ham with his lunch. Both dogs savored the meaty addition and ate their lunch slowly to my surprise.
We played with his toys for a while before Shadow took a long nap. As a senior, he sleeps if he did in his puppy days.
I woke him at 4 P.M. for his medicine and surprised him with a picnic in the backyard. It's not the first time we had a picnic in the backyard, but usually we'd go to a park for an outdoor picnic. Shadow enjoyed the fresh air until right before dusk. He let me know he was ready to go indoors by doing number two on the blanket.
I scraped off as much of the icing from the vanilla cake as possible before giving it to Shadow. I cut a small piece for Rascal, Dad, and myself. I wasn't originally going to give the remainder of the cake to Shadow, but my Dad suggested letting Shadow eat it all since it's not something I do every day.
Fortunately, Shadow stopped eating the cake when he had enough. He let me know he was done by standing up and pushing the bowl away from him. He's a good boy.
After dinner time, I played pet videos on TV. Shadow mostly watched calmly on the couch but would get playful when there was action on TV.
Later in the evening, I gave Shadow a leg massage and head scratch. He slept well that night. I assumed that meant he had a good day after all.
In case you're wondering, Shadow never had an upset stomach, wasn't gassy, and didn't have irregular bowel. It seems like he knew his food and sweet limits. Then again, he's not a food motivated dog and is happiest when he receives loving attention.
What's Next?
The earliest I was able to schedule a service appointment was for Wednesday morning. I hope this is the last bad thing to take place in 2020. Only a few more days until the new year!
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Thanks, and have a great day!
Simply Jelly Jam
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