My Vet’s In A Sling!

If you’re a long time reader of this blog you may remember that last year poor Sampson had an allergic reaction to something in our yard.  If you didn’t know about it, but want to check it out you can read about it here.

This past weekend I noticed Sampson had a couple of scabs on his head.

Seeing as I haven’t gotten my vet’s cell phone number yet….I text my friend Jen (My Brown Newfies) first thing Sunday morning and asked her the proper dose of Benadryl for a dog Sampson’s size.   She may yet regret giving me that number…:-)

I started Sampson on the Benadryl immediately and called the vet first thing yesterday morning.  Unfortunately they were all booked up and couldn’t fit me in until NEXT Tuesday!

I took the appointment and asked to leave a message for my vet.

A few minutes later the office called back saying they had a cancellation and could I come in for an 11:00 am appointment. It was 10:30 am.  There was no way I could make it home to get Sampson and down to their office in that amount of time.

They said they’d keep trying.

I relayed the story to Hubby when he called at lunch time, we decided to keep Sampson on the Benadryl unless the vet told us differently.

Around 3:00 pm the vet’s office called to tell me after speaking with our vet, arrangements had been made to see Sampson this morning at 10:00.

I let Hubby know this when he came home from work, as I said it I looked over at him and said, What are you smirking about?

He said, I like how you had them bend to your will.

I laughed.  It might seem that way, but that’s not what happened.

This morning I left poor broken-hearted Delilah with Grandma, while Sampson and I took a trip to the vet.

Someone is going to come in and pet me, right Mom?

I was taking Sampson’s picture when our vet came in.  Her vet tech said,  oh I forgot to tell you about Dr. Soutter’s condition.

I whipped my head around.

My vet’s in a sling!

Dr. Soutter is suffering from a shoulder injury, which is how it happened we got an appointment today.  She was scheduled to be in surgery today.

After examining my sweet boy Dr. Soutter determined he is having another allergic reaction.  Luckily for us we caught it before it became infected.  Thankfully they didn’t have to shave his head this year.

Tonight he started a short-term dose of steroids and Dr. Soutter wants him to remain on the Benadryl for a bit.

When I went back looking for last year’s blog post I noticed I had mentioned I needed to find a hat for him to wear in the spring/summer so as not to expose his head to whatever it is that he is allergic too.

I still haven’t done that.

I also noticed how horrible my writing was at that point!

My goal for writing a daily blog was to improve my writing skills.

Based upon what I looked at today, I think I’ve succeeded.

Have you ever gone back and looked at earlier posts to critique yourself?

Test The Waters

When our daughter got married in 2005 she was living in Florida.  To make it easier on us, we rented a house on a canal for two weeks.  The house was lovely with a master suite and bath and it also had an in ground pool.  I made sure dogs were allowed in the pool before I rented it.

The drive down took less time than we expected so we arrived mid-afternoon on Saturday.  The first thing I did after dropping my luggage in the bedroom was to open the slider and jump in the pool.

Sampson was about 15 months old at the time and had never been in a pool.  He had only been exposed to ponds and streams.

Poor baby, he stepped into the pool expecting that there would be earth underneath him and there wasn’t.   He was panicked but luckily we were both there and helped him to the stairs.

It took more than a few days to coax him back in, which my brother-in-law eventually did.  At first he only wanted to be in the pool when one of us was with him.

You won’t let anything bad happen to me, right Dad?

But by the end of the two weeks, he would go in the pool by himself, swim around and climb back out.

The only pool Delilah has been exposed to is my sister’s above ground pool.  It is accessed by a deck attached to the back of their house.  We were there for the 4th of July a few years back and the dogs had a fine time swimming for toys.

Our walking buddy has an in ground pool that the dogs can swim in.  She recently had a major landscaping overhaul done to her back yard and invited us up to see it during one of our walks.

Sampson jumped right in the pool and swam around.

I love a refreshing dip after a nice walk.

I was quite surprised that Delilah refused to go in.  She stood on the edge of the pool but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Come on in Delilah, the water’s great!

I tried to show her where the steps were but I was in full hiking gear and couldn’t get in the pool.  She ran around and around the edge of the pool but couldn’t bring herself to jump in.

Have you seen the video of the dog pawing the water for the toy, because it wants the toy but is afraid to jump in?

She was doing the same thing.

It made me feel sad, because Delilah is the bravest dog I know and I’ve never seen fear hold her back.

I want to, I’m just afraid.

But at the same time, I think a little fear can be a good thing.  It might stop you from jumping in feet first and finding out there is no earth under your feet.

Don’t let your fear hold you back, stick your toe in and test the waters, BEFORE you jump in.

Just Be The Dog.

What’s Right For Your Dog?

Today’s post was inspired by my friend Donna over at Donna and the Dogs.

I opened my google reader this morning and was greeted by this, When Did We All Become BAD Dog Owners?

It seems Donna’s been noticing a trend of people (including yours truly) who feel guilty about the amount of exercise their dogs have been (or not been) getting.

I feel like it’s important to know your dog and know what your dog requires for exercise AND to try different things to find the perfect fit.  Not every dog needs the same kind or amount of exercise.

When we got Sampson at eight weeks old, he didn’t get  a lot of exercise.  I started taking him for walks after work but as he got bigger he became more and more of a punk, so I stopped walking him.

We tried to play fetch with him, but it wasn’t his thing.  He would chase the ball once or twice and then lay on it as if to say, I’m done.

He did like puppy play group which took place one day per week, and of course we did the standard obedience training.  That was it.   We had a really laid back, low-key lifestyle and Sampson adjusted to it.

When he was a bit older we started hiking on the weekends and quickly realized this was something he loved.  The hiking stopped for a while when Delilah joined our pack but I’ve recently taken it up again.

What I’ve discovered from Delilah’s addition to our pack is that in terms of quality and quantity of exercise, I have two vastly different dogs.

Sampson really, really loves his walk.  If he never got another lick of exercise in his life as long as he had an off-leash walk he’s quite content.

Delilah LOVES to play fetch in the water and can do it for hours, Sampson hates it.

Delilah is also very happy to take a walk, but she has a different level of energy and she also needs some mental stimulation, which is why I started taking her to agility class.

Sampson HATES agility.

Delilah, I’m not so sure, but I’m working on finding different things to try with her.

I’m always amazed at the dogs participating in our Thursday night agility class.  Last week we had an Alaskan Malamute, an Akita, two Labs, an Australian Shepard, a Pittie mix and two other breeds I’m unsure of.

Two weeks ago, I watched the Pittie’s mom struggle through the course using bits of food for motivation,  it seems Brisco only wanted to play with the squeaky ball.  Sara suggested instead of treats that the mom use the ball as a reward.  Brisco had a much better run.

This past week I happened to be next to her in class and I observed the two of them together, she was still struggling.  This guy has a LOT of energy, he’s actually quite a hoot to watch.   I wondered as I stood there, if maybe agility just wasn’t his thing.

But how do you say that to someone?

When we had each completed our runs I asked her if she had considered fly ball for Brisco or Treibball.  She had never heard of either so I quickly pulled up a Treibball video on youtube and let her check it out and explained as best I could what flyball was.

I don’t ever want to discourage anyone from interacting with their dogs, but I also believe that not all dogs are cut out for all things.  If you find something that your dog loves to do, then you should do it.

It shouldn’t matter if your neighbor next door takes their dog running every morning, it might not be YOUR dog’s thing.

Find something you and your dog both like and do it, don’t worry what anyone else is doing, the important thing is that you are BOTH enjoying it.

Just Be The Dog.

Persistence Pays Off – Just Be The Dog

Last week I wrote a post about Sampson and his efforts to get to the field on one of our walks so he could greet some fellow hikers.  Sampson not being a projective thinker had no idea once he reached the field the hikers would have moved on.

I let him lead us to the field, but he was disappointed that they were no longer there.

What I didn’t write about was how at the end our walk, the hikers Sampson was so eager to greet were just exiting the field as we approached.

His persistence paid off.

My topic now turns to poop.  Listen, if you are in my inner circle you talk poop.  It’s that simple.  Poop happens so you might as well talk about it, chuckle about it whatever.  It’s a fact of life.

When I’m walking the dogs I keep a good eye on them while they poop.  Since they are on the raw diet their poops can be really hard.   Sometimes I swear it looks like Sampson is pooping sand, it’s that dry.

One of my friends who feeds raw told me her dog’s poop was so hard, it hurt Lily when she pooped.  Ever since then, I’ve kept a good eye on them to make sure they aren’t uncomfortable.

Last night during our walk Delilah was trying to drop a deuce.  She has a tendency to squat, drop, walk etc.

Delilah assumed the position and I saw a little gopher pop its head out, but then it went back in.  She took a couple of steps and tried again but still nothing happened.   She looked at her backside (I’m not sure if she was trying to scare it out or what) and tried once again.

I pulled out my cell phone and called the vet.

Luckily I got right through and the gal on the end of the line was able to send a vet tech back to speak directly with the Dr.

While I was waiting for a response, Delilah kept trying.

It took her a couple of minutes but she eventually showed that turd who was the boss.  But she only passed the one.

Meanwhile the vet tech came back on the line with this juicy tidbit, Dr. Soutter said to try to run Delilah a little (it was hot as blue blazes out) and if I felt comfortable I could reach down there and pull it out.

(No thanks, I’d rather pay you $50 to do that.)

I mean if it was a matter of life and death, of course I would have done it, but she was persistent and kept at it and it paid off.

I did take her down to the field and ran for about a minute, (siriusly it was hot out) and of course I kept an eye on her to make sure she pooped. (She did this morning.)

Persistence pays off, Just Be The Dog.

Obstacles – Be The Dog

Before I start this post I want to say a BIG THANK YOU to Chuck and Collies of the Meadow, last week they bestowed their Collies Choice award on this blog.  If you have a minute pop over and say hello to Chuck.  His collie Trevor is failing and I’m sure a kind word would make him feel better.

Sampson is a people dog.  Don’t let his enthusiastic run up to your dog fool you, once the greeting is over he will be leaning on your leg encouraging you to pet him.

When we pulled up to the park yesterday morning Bob and Marge (a couple we’ve met on the trail) were just walking in.  Sampson was super excited.  By the time I opened the door to let the dogs out Bob and Marge had made their way into the field.

Sampson jumped out of the car and started to run up the path.  He’s usually very good about not getting too far ahead of me and apparently he had reached his comfort zone and turned around and came back to me.

Being a projective thinker I figured by the time we got to the field they would be long gone.

I was wrong.

They were stretching.  Still I felt like we shouldn’t bother them, so despite the eager look in Sampson’s eyes, I told him, no let’s go this way.

We headed up the hill.

I enjoy the hikes as much as the dogs but I usually let them choose the walk, and yesterday Sampson chose to head back to the field.  Not being a projective thinker, he assumed Bob and Marge would be where he left them.

Sampson was wrong, but that doesn’t matter.  What matters is being the dog, he found a way around his obstacle (which was me not allowing him into the field.)

Sampson came at his obstacle from a different direction.

You can over-come your obstacles. Be The Dog.

 

What kind of obstacles are preventing you from achieving your goals? What can you do to over-come them?

Don’t let obstacles get in your way.

Be The Dog.

Don’t Project – Be The Dog

I probably shouldn’t admit this, but there are some blogs that I just can’t wait to read.  When I sign into my google reader I go straight for those blogs.  Of course I won’t tell you which ones I read first, because that would be like telling one of your kids that you liked them better than the other.

I’m going to go on record right now saying, I want to be your favorite blog in your google reader, and I plan on working hard to make it so.

I’m loving the “Be The Dog” slogan, that’s all I’ve thought about since yesterday.  There are so many lessons we can learn from our dogs, not least of which is not to project what is going to happen, but to live in the now.

We all know dogs are not linear thinkers, they do not have the capabilities of projecting (or anticipating if you will) what will happen next.

There have been a couple of times while out walking where I’ve lost Sampson.   Usually it is because he has seen or smelled something and run off to investigate.  In the meantime I have continued walking but Sampson doesn’t understand the concept that I was here and now I’m there.  He cannot project where I will be upon his return.  He only knows where I was when he left me.  Sampson lives in the now.

As you know Delilah has run off on me a number of times, the worst (for me) being the day she got stuck under someone’s air conditioner. Delilah does not project the outcome when she runs off.  All she knows is there is something far more exciting than whatever it is that I have in my treat bag.  She does not project that if she runs off, on our next walk she will be on leash and not allowed those freedoms.  Delilah lives in the now.

We need to learn to live in the now.  To not project what will happen if we write that slightly controversial blog post, or submit a query letter to an agent.  You will never know unless you try.

When you are older, sitting on the porch in your rocking chair telling stories to your great-grand children let them be stories about things you’ve accomplished, don’t let them be regrets for not having tried.

If it is something you want to do, just DO IT.  Don’t be afraid about what might happen. Don’t put that kind of restriction on yourself, live in the now.

Don’t Project – Be The Dog.

Follow-Up Friday

For those new to the blog, my follow-up Friday provides me with an opportunity to update or revise a post from the previous week.

You know sometimes you post about something and you need an update but it doesn’t warrant a whole blog.  Or sometimes someone made a comment that really resonated with you.  Yup, Follow-Up Friday baby!

Hot Car = Dead Dog – Author’s Note

Your comments gave me so very many ideas, I just don’t know where to begin.

Julie over at The Daily Dog Blog made an excellent poster, “When is it too hot for your dog.”  This poster has lots of great information on it and Julie has made it easy to print off.  I made about 10 copies that I intend to put in my car, just in case.  I also will be stopping at the Dollar Store in the next few days to pick up some thermometers like Jodi Chick suggested to have on hand should I come across a dog in a car.

I did have a thought about making a video but I’m going to need a bit of help on it.  Can any of you who do video-editing suggest an inexpensive program I could use to edit video?

And rest assured it does not require me locking a dog in a car!

WTF Wednesday – Author’s Note

To answer a couple of questions left in the comments.

1) I am 99% sure Hubby does NOT read this blog.  (There is of course always the tiniest chance he will, but I won’t hold my breath.)

2) Delilah does NOT sleep with an eye mask.  Sampson however will.  Once I put one on him and left the room and a short time later he came out without it.  When he was done sleeping he just took it off.  LOL I love that dog.

The Pupperatzi just won’t leave me alone!

It Won’t Kill Them To Miss A Day – Author’s Note

Some of you agreed with Mr. Reluctant in the comments, don’t worry I don’t hold it against you.

I will say that knowing my dogs, I know how much their daily walk means to them.  The other night when we walked around the block Mr. Reluctant looked at Sampson and said, “Look how happy he is to be out walking.”

With that being said, there are certain times such as weather or time constraints when a walk just isn’t possible.  In that instance, it is my job as the caregiver to provide them with something stimulating which will help them release their pent-up energy.

This is especially true with Delilah, I’ve found the better exercised she is, the better behaved she is as well.

Despite the heat, we will manage to exercise the dogs, whether it be in physically or mentally.

That’s it for us, so how was your week?

Good Dog Gone Mad

Since the beginning of March every weekend Hubby and I have been working at our old house getting it ready for new tenants.  Fingers crossed they move in next month.

I try to keep my time over there to one day per weekend, usually Saturday.  Most Saturdays once I am up and have had a cup of coffee, I’m heading over to the other house.  Every three or four Saturdays I have to pick up dog food which makes for a crazy day.

Since my Saturdays are so jam-packed, that means all the household chores I typically spread out over two days, get done (or not) on Sundays.

To say this schedule is wearing on our household is an understatement.

And Sampson let me know exactly how mad he was yesterday, and in no uncertain terms.

Sampson is good dog. Besides his long walks in the woods, he likes nothing better than hanging out with his peeps.  In fact, if Hubby is outside in the front yard working on his jeep or working in the garage, Sampson can be found hanging out in the driveway.

I must watch for people. I love people.

He’s also very smart.  Last week he was hanging outside at dinner time.  I stepped out the door and he looked at me.  I said, “It’s time for dinner.”  He followed me into the house.

Yesterday he was a good dog gone mad.

It was my day to run for dog food.  I was on the road by 8:30.  I drove 35 minutes to get dog food, then headed home stopping at Trader Joe’s on my way back to pick up groceries for the next three weeks.  I got back to our place about 10:20, unloaded the dog and people food and turned around to head out to the other house.

As is my habit, I give the dogs their garlic tablets as I walk out. I pretend they are treats and the dogs humor me.

I tossed Jaw’s Delilah’s at her and handed Sampson his.  He turned his head.

I moved the garlic tablet under his nose and he turned his head again.

I pushed the tablet into his mouth and he spit it out at me.  Three times.

I gave Delilah her second one and offered the other tablet to Sampson again.  Again he turned his head.

I threw the tablets in the trash and left.

I plan on wrapping it up at the other house next Saturday morning.

AFTER I walk the dogs.

Another Year Gone By – Part 2

What I should have tried to incorporate in the original post was how I went into my vet’s office.

I’m a worry wart, I worry about everything.  If I hear/see/read about it, I’m worried about it.  I went in armed with a list of questions for my vet.

You know all of the scary things I’ve heard about on other blogs, the news or from different people.

Vaccine Induced Meningoencephalomyelitis/meningoencephalitis 

In the State of Connecticut, Rabies is a three-year vaccine.  Once the puppy has completed the initial series, the vaccine is given at three-year intervals.  Both Sampson and Delilah had their rabies booster last year, so neither one is due until 2014.

If you are a dog lover, you probably follow Roxanne Hawn and her dog Lilly over at Champion of my Heart, if you do, you know they have been going through hell in the last six months due to Vaccine Induced Meningoencephalomyelitis/meningoencephalitis.  I cry every time I read this blog and what they are going through.

I had to ask my vet about it. She told me, it’s rare, extremely rare.  Which makes me feel slightly better. But not much.

I said, “I just worry.”

She said, “I know.”

Laryngeal Paralysis in Dogs

My friend Ann lost her lab to this not very long ago.  I had never heard of it.  (Honestly, why didn’t I find all this out BEFORE I got dogs.  Jiminy Cricket, it’s as bad as having kids!)  The first sign of this disease is a change in bark.  Since I once rushed Sampson to the emergency clinic on Sunday for what turned out to be a scab, I’m pretty sure this would be diagnosed fairly quickly.

Siriusly, I will notice a change in bark.

My vet assured me the condition is manageable, it is not necessarily a death sentence for the dog.

I said, “I just worry.”

She said, “I know.”

Bloat

This is a scary disease, in most cases if it is caught early the dog can be saved.   Sadly, a lot of people are not aware there is something wrong until it’s too late.  I know of three people who have lost dogs to bloat.

The only dog I know of that has survived bloat is Thunder from the 2BrownDawgs blog, his owners weren’t entirely sure that Thunder was bloating but they erred on the side of caution, and he got the help he needed.

I am so freaked out about bloat that I printed off the symptoms and keep them in the notebook with Sampson’s medical records.

I asked the vet, does having them on raw food make a difference?  She said, not necessarily.  It can happen with any food and generally happens because the dog has gotten a lot of air in its stomach.

I said, “I just worry.”

She said, “I know.”

Parvo

Certain areas of the country have had bad outbreaks of Parvo.  I asked if she thought the dogs should be boostered for Parvo and she said,  as long as the puppy completes the initial series, and the dog is not being boarded she feels they do not need the additional booster.  The same goes for Distemper.

I said, “I just worry.”

She said, “I know.

Water Gulping

Delilah has a tendency right before and right after she eats dinner, of hogging the water bowl.  I asked my vet about it and she suggested removing the bowl or keeping smaller amounts of water in it.

To my way of thinking if she is gulping water, she is also gulping air.  I have been keeping smaller amounts of water in her bowl and picking it up if she’s a little too interested.

I said, “I just worry.”

She said, “I know.”

I told you I went armed with a list of questions.

Are you a worrier like me?  Do you go to your vet armed with a list of questions? Or do you just roll with the flow?

Post script, we use Interceptor for our heartworm prevention.  Unfortunately Interceptor is on back order indefinitely, so we had to go with the traditional Heart Guard.   If you follow me on facebook, you will know I put a link to a blogpost up there about Proheart 6, which is a new shot that is given instead of the monthly tablet.   Please take 5 minutes to read this post, if you are even considering using this protocol.  It could be the difference between life and death.

Indulge Me

Every night around 9:00 pm, the dogs get their Kongs that have been stuffed with fruit and yogurt and then frozen.

I prefer to keep the dogs separated because one of them can be greedy and usually finishes before the other.  (Two guesses, the first one doesn’t count.)

Delilah gets hers in the living room and Sampson gets his on our bed in the bedroom.  I usually lay a towel down for Sampson since he’s on the bed covers.

Last night Delilah got her treat and as usual ran into the living room, Sampson was already on the couch.  He’s usually on the couch but when I go in with his Kong he will reluctantly rise and follow me into the bedroom.

I brought his Kong out to the living room and asked “Do you want your treat?”

He wagged his tail and gave me his best puppy dog eyes.

I said, “Ok, you wait here and I’ll go get your towel.”

Do you know he did?  It was like he understood exactly what I said!

I came out with his towel and he wagged his tail and smiled at me.

 

Thanks Mom. I was just really tired.

Do you indulge your pets?  If so, how?