Thats Fabulous news..................... xxxx
Oh that's good to hear :)
Thank goodness, hope she is feeling better after her ordeal and a good sleep.
Luckily her 'perimeter' corresponds pretty much to my garden & the first couple of rows of vines - I combed the lot and went up to 1+ km around the house, along the lanes etc... I have NO idea where she got to.
I believe very firmly that it is cruel to keep an animal lingering on (and I think it is equally cruel to keep people in the same state - as it is her incontinence is very well-treated ie not a problem, but believe me if Nanna were actually suffering we'd be on our one-way trip to the vet's PDQ)
What a relief. I think you're right about her getting disorientated. Poor old her.
All set to spend the afternoon searching and.... there she was in her kennel by the front door when I got home from school at 3ish. Very thin (thinner than you'd expect after 2 days, odd) muddy and very very doddery but mainly EXHAUSTED. And most importantly, uninjured.
I live on the commune of Monbazillac but away from the village, surrounded by vineyards and big stretches of dense, thickety woodland, on top of a steep hill, the garden is flat but the rest of it is not particularly easy terrain for an old girl. A canine friend of hers dropped in yesterday evening and I hoped she might be with him, but no.
My theory now (pooh-poohed by rest of household, but I'm sure I'm right!) is that as she is pretty gaga it would be easy for her to get lost like a wandering old person & that she got disorientated, couldn't find her way home & kept on going on at random. She must have slept in a pile of leaves or the like (she likes that in early autumn for her afternoon siesta). Still no idea where she was, nobody saw her, but PHEW!!! Trip to vet scheduled for when she's slept it off a bit.
Thank you all so much for your kind and comforting messages of encouragement!
Just found this as I am about to go out, otherwise would come over to join the search. I have had a lot of dogs and never once had one wander off to die. A couple have been dotty and got lost. One even 'nested' in the holly bush between our neighbour and us because she was obviously tired. Funnily enough it was a cat who found her. The 'stranger' somehow probably stepped on her, got a growl followed by a yap and told us where to look. That was three or four metres from our door. However, that was a couple of hours which was hardly noticeable. Dogs last for days off alone and without feeding though, so let's hope. Just ask if you need a pair of eyes and feet for the search.
Hello Veronique
My friend has an elderly Dalmatian which displayed odd symptoms related to going in/out; nesting in the garden; wanting to go out at odd times and generally behaving a bit strangely. She researched canine dementia and I believe felt this was probably the cause. You may want to google it and have a read up in case it fits.
Most importantly though, I do hope you find her as like you I think 24 hours is a long time for an old lady, especially one who might be a bit confused. I don't know if dogs (like cats) do actually go off to die. It's possibly more likely they become disorientated and wander off accidentally and get lost. Does she have any canine friends you could take walking with you who might find her?
Good luck
Anne
Hi Véronique,
Poor you!
Here is an advice doc which might help you. I really hope you find her.
http://www.phoenixasso.org/lost_dog_guide.pdf
Jane. x
Very sorry indeed to hear this. Presume that, as already suggested, you have posted flyers around near where you live? Good luck.
Dogs can get exactly the same problems as people, ie she may be senile (had a spaniel once that actually went senile). Imagine how this might affect her? This causes fear in humans, and how does an animal react when it is afraid? Either with aggression or flight. So the scraping could have been indicators of some serious issue.
Or maybe she wandered too far from home and then simply couldn't find her way back. But, old dogs with health issues can want to go away, if they feel bad about their place in the group - remember if she was well adjusted, her place was as the lowest member of your group; her incontinent issues may have been harder on her than they appeared to be. She knew that she did wrong, and an well behaved dog will not like that. In nature a sick animal will be left behind or killed, or possibly eaten, and no matter how domesticated she is still a dog with a dog's mentality and instincts.
My Spaniel pied on the floor twice and then she tried to get out of the garden, away from the house; she was also 14.
Dogs and cats don't hang on to life as people do, they go away and lie down somewhere if they are "tired". So, I guess you may be right if there's a forest near your home she knows ... Have you search the area? Can you not organize a search with some friends or neighbors? (Garden: you live in surbubia or a village I assume)
NB I am not a vet, my dad is:) heard the explanation a million times, also about how people keep their pets alive for way to long because we love them so much and thus ignore the warning signals ...
Good point Carolyn. Veronique if you have any photos and info about which area etc we'll start publicising.
So sorry to hear about your old girl Veronique. We once"lost" our mutt for 1/2 day & were distraught. I hope you get a resolution one way or another. The not knowing must be hell!
Hi Veronique
Sorry to here your sad news, do hope she is found very soon, have you put it onto Facebook, I will post it onto mine if you want?? I live in the Tarn dept 81 but all could help, please let me know
Carolyn
Veronique, I am so sorry to read that your dog is missing. I have read that, when dogs and cats become senile, they often become disoriented and lost, even when close to home. Perhaps, if you extended the range of your search, you might get lucky and find her? I so hope that you will and that all will be well.
All the best, M
I think it is a distancing from the pack instinct, so the old/sick don't slow the pack down. That's brutal but natural in the wild. She hasn't figured on leaving her pack leader completely heart sick so the very, very best of luck in your search tomorrow and don't forget the posters if you can manage to print some out. Even if she is getting close to the end, I'm certain she'd be comforted if you're with her and you certainly would at least have a little peace of mind. Horrible situation and I'm sending you a huge virtual hug. X
Thank you all - you are absolutely right Valerie, it is the not knowing that is so grim, imagining she may have got disorientated and lost and /or had an accident of some sort and be waiting like the good patient dog she is, for a rescue party ... AAARGH! I spent most of the morning and all afternoon searching, calling her name, on foot and in the car. Nothing. (we had a strike today so I wasn't at work). David I have had cats who have done this but somehow I hadn't thought a dog would. Although I can imagine an atavistic distance-yourself-from-the-pack instinct possibly kicking in...
Apparently it does happen Veronique (just did a search on it!). I'd always thought it was only (some) cats. Not much help I know. Really hope you have news of her very soon.
Sorry to hear this Veronique, I hope you find her soon.