Well, we found a lump under the dog's front right leg and the vet says it's a severe allergic reaction. We assume he's allergic to wheat and chicken as we've pulled those two ingredients out of his diet before and any reactions have disappeared. We've caught the FIL, who has vascular dementia, feeding the dog, even though he had been told not to. And we suspect the dog has been going downstairs and eating anything he finds on the FIL's floor, like biscuits and cookies.
So, the solution is the restrict access to the basement by getting a pet gate to put across the stairs to the basement so the dog doesn't go downstairs. Plus, we have to find one that can be opened easily so the FIL isn't banished to the basement and can leave freely. The gate has been ordered and should be here in a couple of days.
We can't blame the dog. He's just taking advantage of free food and doesn't know any better. Plus any conversation with the FIL is met with confusion, because of his dementia, as he doesn't remember feeding anything to the dog. The adventures continue.
Sorry about venting, but I just needed to express myself. In other news, there's some pumpkin roasting in the oven to be pureéd later for recipes and I've made a nice batch of blueberry oatmeal muffins for a church meeting later this week.
Don't be sorry for venting. That's why we're here. It's a sad situation all around. Dementia is such a sad, sad disease. I obviously see so many patients with it, sometimes daily and my grandmother had it, so I know first hand how bad it can be and when it affects you first hand, you know, but it's even worse when both your FIL and the dog are both involved and being affected. My thoughts go out to you. Hopefully the gate can be your resolve.
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