My Dog Has It Right

My eldest dog, Affie, is a Coton de Tulear. Cotons are similar to Bichon Frises except their fur feels more like cotton (hence the name!). Cotons and Bichons are small dogs with large personalities. Affie is considered quite small for her breed but, regardless, she seems to have an endless supply of energy.

My dog is always on the go

She is a pacer. She just wanders around the entire house, all the time. Sometimes she jumps up on the sofa, rolls around, throws some pillows, jumps off, and continues checking the house.

She even moves in her sleep and kicks me like a kangaroo! As I write this, for example, she just re-entered my room after a 20-minute lap around the basement. The basement isn’t large but she just putters around, leisurely...moving.

That’s just regular Affie. On “high” she gets the massive zoomies AFTER her walk and makes me run laps with her.

There is no pause button on this dog.

I forgot to mention one important thing. Affie is 15 years old and has severe heart disease. She is doing something right because nobody actually believes she is that old.

My dog and I share similar characteristics

We call her our Energizer Bunny because she is in perpetual motion. Interestingly enough, people also call me the Energizer Bunny, too (I got the nickname long before her, though!). I talk a mile a minute, I am a very fidgety person, and even at 30 years old, I still have a superhuman metabolism.

Affie is the doggie version of me. I don’t know if it’s nurture or nature but, if you met my dog, you would agree. Not only do we look similar, but also our personalities are 100 percent spot on.

As always, rheumatoid arthritis changes everything. My battery went from always full to blinking red.

Lessons on chronic disease management

I look at Affie and wonder how a geriatric dog with bad arthritis and a delicate heart manages to stay so fit. What is she doing that makes her work?

Take it slow

First, she takes it slow. She’s never been a particularly hyper dog and takes her sweet time to do anything. It gets frustrating sometimes because she takes five minutes to complete any command, but maybe she has a point.

Maybe, I need to be more patient. I know I wouldn’t strain my joints as much and if I move with purpose I am less likely to drain my energy levels as quickly.

Eat a well-balanced diet

Second, she eats well. Okay, so that one is on me since I prepare her food! Our dogs eat a balanced, home-cooked diet of veggies and lean protein. Her body is full of good vitamins and minerals so it runs at optimal health.

While I don’t believe that a good diet alone will solve all my RA woes, I know that it is important in disease management. If I fill myself with too many carbs or sugar, for example, and not enough of the good things, I will be sluggish and mess up my system in the long term.

My body needs those vitamins and minerals to help with inflammation and boost my immune system naturally. My RA is a global condition and every part of my body needs loving TLC to keep the RA at bay.

Reduce stress

Last, Affie is completely zen. Like I said before, nothing phases this dog. For example, Saachi, our previous dog (a Mastiff and 10 times bigger than Affie), would occasionally push Affie down the stairs or just carry her around by the scruff of the neck. That would probably bother most animals but Affie, not really. Affie would just get up, shake it off, and continue on her way.

Stress is a way of life for me. Unfortunately, it is like throwing gasoline on the fire called RA. Stress stokes my symptoms and flares them up. Inflammation and swelling lead to long-term damage. I don’t want that! I want to stay intact. I better take a page out of Affie’s book and learn to let things roll right off my raincoat.

Putting these lessons into practice

I’ve tried to make like a dog and enjoy life. Who knows, maybe I will feel better, have more energy and see less symptoms! Always worth a try, right?

Do you have a pet? What have you learned from them? Let me know in the comments!