A Quiet Reminder

“The best thing to hold onto in life is each other.” — Audrey Hepburn

Every so often, something happens that makes you stop — really stop — and realise how much we take for granted.

We move through life thinking there will always be more time: another walk, another cuddle, another day. But every now and then, life finds a way to remind us that time is precious — and that we must make the most of it while we can.

That moment came a couple of months ago, when I noticed George had lost quite a bit of weight. Back in December, he’d had an odd few days of excessive drinking and very large pees. It passed quickly, and I didn’t think much more of it. But by June, it returned. The weather had been hot, so I assumed it was just the heat. He was eating with his usual enthusiasm — perhaps even more so — and full of energy, if a little highly strung (which, for George, isn’t exactly new).

But something in me knew it wasn’t quite right. During a routine deworming visit in Croatia on our travels, I mentioned it to the vet, and we decided to run a blood test. The results showed hyperthyroidism — something almost unheard of in dogs. His kidney and pancreas readings were also borderline. I didn’t realy know what that meant and googled it – the reports was more than worrying.

Back in the UK, I took him straight to our local vet, who also thought it must be an error — until the new test came back, again, “off the charts.” The vet admitted he’d never seen a case in a dog before. Hyperthyroidism is common in cats, but rare in dogs, and the possible causes ranged from a brain malfunction to a tumour or dietary imbalance.

The new blood test ruled out the first, and a CT scan showed no tumour — a wave of relief I can still feel. In the meantime, we switched him to commercial-grade kibble and started medication to slow his thyroid for two weeks. Gradually, George began to calm — no longer restless or drinking endlessly. Three weeks later, his levels were back to normal. The vet also mentioned that food is usually not the cause of hyperthyroidism.

As it turned out, the likely culprit was something I’d innocently added to his meals: kale, broccoli and cavolo nero — greens I’d been giving generously, thinking I was doing something good. But they’re full of iodine, and that excess likely caused his thyroid to go into overdrive. Another blood test confirmed it — everything had stabilised. This is not for certain, but in the process of elimination, we all seem to think that could have been the cause.

But we had another blood test and worryingly, his blood test showed that his hyperthyroidism is still there, albeit at a lower rate. So we are back on meds, and we will continue to monitor.

One thought lingered through it all: George is over twelve years old. And when I first read that dogs with hyperthyroidism often live only one to three years, my heart sank. That fear — that sudden awareness of his fragility — made everything look different.

Perhaps it’s the turning of the season, when the light softens and the evenings draw close, or maybe it’s just that life has a way of whispering “now” when we least expect it. Whatever the reason, I’ve found myself choosing presence over pace — walks without purpose, calls that last longer than planned, evenings curled up with them just because.

So here’s to slowing down, lighting the fire, putting the phone away, and making space for making memories and quiet company. Ultimately, it’s not the things we own or the places we go that shape our days — the moments we share and the love that lingers long after.