Escapades in Adulting - when your fur baby isn't feeling well

When you take on the responsibility of a dog, you have to take the bad with the good.  And, in the long run, the good far outweighs the bad.  At least that is the case with our Squirt.  He came into our lives the day after a vacation some 10 years ago.  He was found by our next door neighbor literally stuck in the fence in the backyard.  David and Vicky could not keep him at the time because they had 2 dogs already, so we took him in while we looked for his owner.  Long story short, Squirt became ours and I am so grateful for it.

Today, Squirt is not feeling well.  He is having a hard time going to the bathroom and he is so uncomfortable.  I don't know exactly why he is having such a hard time with it.  He did have an accident in the den earlier, so I know he's capable.  But he keeps wanting to go outside to poop but once he gets outside, nothing much happens.  It's cold and he doesn't want to be there.  But I can tell he has to go because of the way he's keeping his tail down over his bum.  And he's walking like someone who is trying to find a bathroom quickly.  I know that I have walked that walked before and yes, it is totally uncomfortable.

I feel badly because I cannot help him with this.  He can't tell me what's wrong or how to help him.  Now, I understand that we can totally communicate with animals, but here I am talking about words.  I just want him to tell me what I can do to help.  Alas, he cannot and so I just have to let him be.  As a parent of a fur baby, that is hard to do.  I want to make him feel better but there's only so much I can do until whatever passes...literally.  

The sun is out and so he's been sitting at the front door, enjoying the sunshine.  I put one of his beds there so he can at least be comfortable while soaking up the sun.  It's hard not being able to help.  It has created a lot of anxiety in me this morning but I know it will all pass.  I'm worried about him because he's not feeling well but am hopeful that his rest in the sun will do him some good.  It does me some good just to see him resting there.  And I do stop and stare just to make sure that he's breathing.  I always tend to expect the worse in situations like this.  One of my faults.

I can only imagine what it's like for parents of children to have to watch them when they're sick.  It has to be heart breaking.  Especially when you can only do so much to help them and have to sit back and let nature take its course.  Mom was a great nurse to us when we were sick and if she was ever worried, she never let it show.  I wish I had that gene when it comes to Squirt.

It will all be fine, I know.  I just worry in the meantime.  That is all.