For Superbowl 2000, we had a few friends over, and watched the game.  Blizzard enjoyed being with her old friends and the family, and had a very good day.  The next morning, she began having seizures, couldn't stand or walk, wouldn't eat or drink, and seemed, when she was conscious, to be very troubled and fearful.  That afternoon, after taking Blizzard to the vet, who told us that she would not recover from this, we had her put to sleep.  Pat and I were with her at the end, and she died very peacefully.  I still miss her, now 1 1/2 years later, but we still have Cannie, who is a wonderful dog.  During the summer of 2000, my son Jeremiah and his wife Kassandra brought us a new dog, named Bella, from Seattle, who now keeps us on our toes.

Here are the photos of Blizzard, Cannie, and Pat and Me from the St. Paul Pioneer Press story that ran Sunday, April 18th, 1999, on the front page of the Express Section.  Text of the story is below the pictures.


Here's Blizzard giving me a kiss, with Cannie jealously looking on - in our living room.  The original picture took up about half the page!


Here we all are, walking on Lindig St. - the original of this one was a good deal smaller.

The text of the story was wrapped around the pictures, with a sidebar about how to tell if your dog is going senile:
 

A new leash on life

 

                   Pets are increasingly considered part of the American

                    family. As animals age, owners are willing to shell out

                    lots of money to keep them healthy.


                    MOLLY GUTHREY STAFF WRITER

                    Pat Price and Ken Salzberg have four grown children, but a few
                    months ago, they started feeling as if they had a newborn. That's when
                    their dog, Blizzard, began to wake them every two hours. The
                    16-year-old Samoyed seemed to think it was morning, and she cried to
                    be fed and walked.

                    Finally, the exhausted Falcon Heights couple got a diagnosis for their
                    dog: cognitive dysfunction syndrome. The newly recognized disease is
                    akin to Alzheimer's in humans. Their vet recommended that Blizzard
                    take a drug called Anipryl to ease her symptoms. Within weeks, Price
                    and Salzberg were sleeping soundly again.

                    The drug is an example of the growing field of geriatric care for pets.
                    Many pet owners are more than willing to shell out the $1.50 to $2.50
                    a day that Anipryl costs, despite the fact that it's not always effective.
                    That's because pets are increasingly considered important members of
                    American families.

                    Consider the statistics:

                     Eighty-three percent of those questioned in a recent poll said they are
                    somewhat to very likely to risk their lives for their pets, according to the
                    American Animal Hospital Association's 1998 Pet Owner Survey.
                    Nearly one-third spend more time with their pets than with family or
                    friends.

                     Three out of four of 885 dog owners polled in 1998 by Pfizer Animal
                    Health and the Gallup Organization said their dogs are considered
                    members of the family. Three out of five consider their dogs to be one
                    of the most important things in their lives. Three out of five owners of
                    senior dogs wish their veterinarians could do more to help their older
                    dogs feel young again.

                     And in an independent survey (for PETsMART) of nearly 1,000 pet
                    owners during the 1998 holidays, 83 percent of pet lovers said they
                    give their pets special holiday presents, spending an average of $54 on
                    their animals.

                    Americans also appear to be willing to spend more and more money on
                    veterinary bills and medicine for their pets.

                    Dr. R.K. Anderson, a professor and director emeritus of the animal
                    behavior clinic at the University of Minnesota, understands this trend.

                    ``People now understand more about the human-animal bond and
                    recognize that pets are beneficial for human health,'' Anderson says.
                    ``The importance of the field of geriatrics is increasing as people
                    recognize that dogs and cats need a high level of care, and that keeping
                    them with us is a wonderful thing.''

                    Linda Anderson of St. Louis Park knows about that bond between
                    humans and animals. Anderson and her husband, Allen, run an
                    organization called Angel Animals. They publish a newsletter in which
                    people describe how animals have taught them about gratitude, survival,
                    courage, forgiveness and love. Subscriptions come from all over the
                    world. The couple's book, ``Angel Animals, Exploring Our Spiritual
                    Connection With Animals,'' will be published by Dutton-Plume this fall.

                    ``We're finding in the stories we collect that more and more people are
                    doing everything they can to return the love and care animals have given
                    to them,'' Linda Anderson says. ``So many of them view animals as
                    precious gifts. They feel spiritually connected to animals because of the
                    unconditional love and compassion that they give.''

                    Drug treatment

                    That some dogs have trouble aging is not a new discovery. But the label
                    of canine cognitive dysfunction is relatively new. Defined, it is an
                    age-related medical condition that cannot be wholly attributed to other
                    unrelated health problems, such as tumor, organ failure or hearing or
                    vision loss. The syndrome is believed to be a combination of several
                    age-related changes caused by chemical deficiencies in a dog's central
                    nervous system.

                    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Anipryl's use for
                    this syndrome late last year. In Canada, veterinarians have been using
                    the drug for two years. Dr. Gary Landsberg of the Toronto area has
                    prescribed the drug for about 40 dogs and reports he has seen
                    dramatic improvement about 70 percent of the time.

                    For many dogs, Anipryl means the difference between getting a second
                    chance and euthanasia.

                    Anipryl isn't the only new canine drug on the market. There's also
                    Clomicalm for dogs who suffer separation anxiety -- when their owners
                    leave, they may chew or urinate in the house. Such bad behavior isI a
                    common reason for owners to have dogs euthanized.

                    Longer life

                    In Price and Salzberg's living room on a recent spring morning Blizzard
                    and Cannie, the couple's Westie, lie by their owners' feet. The dogs
                    shed on the furniture and carpet, but the two teachers don't complain.
                    After all, the dogs are family.

                    At walk time, Blizzard barks as she's led outside and trots easily down
                    the street.

                    Anipryl might be helping her, but Price thinks she knows the real reason
                    Blizzard has lived longer than most Samoyeds (considered quite elderly
                    at age 12).

                    ``She's well-loved,'' she said.

                    And that, says the couple, is the best medicine of all.

The SideBar:

Old dog checklist


                    Could your elderly dog have cognitive dysfunction syndrome? Here's a
                    checklist to fill out for your veterinarian:
 

                    Disorientation

                    Activity and sleep

                    Housetraining

                    Interaction with family members