Puppy Mill Girl To Have Surgery

Posted on March 17, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope will not be eating ice cream after her tonsils are removed.

A visit to the specialty veterinarian today did not provide definite answers for Hope’s problem.

We are working with a surgical oncologist, who took his time and explained everything well.

X-rays of her lungs were good. An ultrasound of her abdomen found an enlarged lymph node outside her colon. A needle aspiration, which this vet urged to be done quickly because I was so distressed, did not give us a concrete answer about cancer.

Hope is still snoring like a chainsaw and in some discomfort; we will have her tonsils removed tomorrow morning, March 18. The tissue will get a biopsy. In addition, we will have a CT scan of her head and her nasal passages scoped. Given all that, we should know something definite.

Hope will spend the night in the hospital, which has round-the-clock care. We hope to bring her home Saturday.

 

 

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Puppy Mill Girl Health Scare

Posted on March 16, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope snuggles on Windy during a lazy winter afternoon.

Hope is still snoring like a chainsaw, and we need to learn why and how to stop it.

On March 11 Hope was under anesthesia and checked with a needle aspiration and a biopsy of her tonsils. The results were inconclusive.

My veterinarian said the pathologist doesn’t think it’s lymphoma but cannot fully rule it out.

I can tell Hope is a bit uncomfortable with her snoring.

We have some options:  Have surgery to remove the tonsils and test that tissue. If it is lymphoma chemotherapy can buy her some time. Also while she is under we can have an ultra sound to check her organs to see if they are affected. My vet said she did not see any tumors or feel any enlarged nodes.

So, tomorrow morning we have an appointment with a specialty vet for a consultation about surgery and a consultation with an oncologist.

I have prayed Hope doesn’t have cancer. She suffered for five years in an Amish puppy mill, and I think she has suffered enough. At least Windy is back to normal.

 

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Lining Them Up For Sick Call

Posted on March 10, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Two sick little girls, Windy and Hope, look after each other.

Windy and Hope are still sick.

Windy’s trip to the veterinarian revealed a temperature of 104 degrees. Normal for a dog is 101, but 102 can be OK if the dog has been outside in the heat playing then coming indoors, my vet said. Windy has not been playing.

Windy’s exam was nearly normal except for a questionable tooth, which will be removed when she is better. Windy did have a dental cleaning last August. Yesterday she received some subcutaneous fluids with an antibiotic and an antibiotic to take twice a day at home.

This morning Windy seems a bit better. She wanted a tummy rub when she woke but didn’t wag her tail. I’ll take that progress.

Hope is still snoring like a chainsaw and waking herself up. She is going to get x-rayed tomorrow. Still on her antibiotic for her infection, she is much more active. During the more than two years she has been free of the Amish puppy mill, I would bet she has received 10 times more health care than she did while she was abused.

As I play nurse to my furkids, I have the consolation that my vet’s kids will have a nice college fund.

 

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Behavior Changes Mean See Your Vet

Posted on March 9, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Windy enjoys an afternoon snooze on fleece blankets.

The creeping dog crud has infected the house.

Windy is not feeling well and will be going to the veterinarian today. Yesterday she started feeling listless and tired. She woke up whimpering—not rolling over onto her back, thumping her tail and wanting a belly rub. She did the same thing this morning.

Last night when I came home she did not come to greet me. She did not want a walk with Jake and Hope yesterday afternoon.

When your dog has a distinct behavior change that lasts 24 hours, it is time to think about going to the vet.

Windy has been eating. I haven’t seen any vomit or weird poop. She is urinating normally.

At night, Windy and Hope are practically glued together. Could Hope have passed some germs to Windy? Jake is acting normally.

At least my vet is making out like a bandit from all the visits within the last eight days.

 

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Doggie Tonsillitis, Strep Throat, Or What?

Posted on March 8, 2011 by daysofourdogs

 

Hope could take first place in the Olympic snoring competition.

Talking dogs would make life easier when illness strikes.

Last week Hope started snoring like a chainsaw. I’ve had dogs snore before, so I wasn’t concerned.

A few days after the snoring began she was making sounds from her throat—the kind of sounds you make when you have a sore throat. I called the veterinarian.

Hope’s tonsils were inflamed, and she had had a fever of 103. A normal temperature for a dog is 101.

“I’ve never see tonsils so red and large,” my vet said. At least Hope’s lungs were clear.

Hope received injections of an antibiotic and an anti-inflammatory drug. I also took home an antibiotic pill. A huge pill.

It has been a few days and she is perkier but still snoring like a chainsaw. The real challenge has been the pill.

She found it in lunchmeat, she found it in cheese, she found it in those little “pill pockets” you can buy at a pet store, and she didn’t like it crushed in baby food.

Peanut butter saved us. We chop the pill in little pieces then stick it in the middle of a gob of peanut butter. We do this several times at morning and night. It is a slow process, but she eats it all.

With the continued snoring a concern, we went back to the vet yesterday. Her tonsils were no longer red, but Hope got a shot of depo-medrol to help with her enlarged tonsils.

Today Windy started feeling lethargic. I have a sneaky suspicion we have something communicable here and may be back to the vet tomorrow. I am watching Windy closely.

 

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How To Relax After Surgery

Posted on March 3, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Home after getting his teeth cleaned, Jake needs a quiet place to relax.

Jake had a good report from the veterinarian yesterday. No teeth were pulled. All is well.

When I picked Jake up he was still a little drunk from the anesthesia. On the tree next to the vet’s office his aim was not so good. At home I wanted to let him sniff around in the front yard. He didn’t want to and staggered up the steps to the front door.

He didn’t want Hope or Windy to bother him, even though they seemed glad, and curious, to see him. I put a fleece blanket and toy on the couch. He thought the toy made a better pillow than a play thing.

Jake got two jars of baby food for dinner and stayed on the couch until bedtime. He slept soundly through the night. This morning he ate his usual breakfast but is a bit lethargic.

When a person goes under anesthesia side effects will linger after you wake up. This is the same for dogs. You must remember when your furkid has any procedure he will not feel like playing and may have no appetite when he gets home. Give him a quiet place to rest—just like you would want after you have been under anesthesia.

 

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One Pantry Staple Furkids Love

Posted on March 2, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Jake has better things to do than worry about his dental health.

Jake is at the vet today to get his teeth cleaned.

Good dental hygiene is important for your furkid. I know a couple women who brush their dogs’ teeth, but I confess I do not. I do give treats that cut down on tarter and stimulate gums. I do get each furkid a cleaning once a year.

Last year Jake had one tooth pulled. He came home fine, but I pampered him with a little baby food.

Baby food is kept in our pantry. Gerber makes turkey and turkey gravy, and that has been helpful in our house when a dog is recovering from vomiting. I cook a little white rice and mix it with the baby food or give the baby food plain.

If I have a furkid who needs medication and taking a pill is too much of a chore, the medicine can be crushed or mixed then put in baby food. I never have known a dog to reject turkey, chicken or beef baby food. My vet knows I do this and doesn’t mind. Don’t buy the ham flavor; pork can be a problem for dogs. Another choice for eating after a bad tummy episode is boiled then defatted hamburger.

Yes, preventative health care can be expensive, but forgoing it is not an option. I want my furkids healthy so they will be around for a long time. Jake will come home a bit woozy from anesthesia, and I will be ready to pamper him.

 

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Barking Through The Night

Posted on February 28, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Windy makes herself comfortable for an afternoon nap.

Severe thunder and lightening last night kept us awake – with Windy’s barking.

We welcomed Windy into our home last August, and not until now did we have such a storm at night.

As lightening lit up the bedroom, Windy barked. As thunder rumbled, Windy barked. As horizontal rain beat against the windows, Windy barked.

Giving her a sharp “NO!” helped. The problem is we don’t want to frighten Hope. Hope, who has trust issues because of her time in the Amish puppy mill, is sensitive when she hears corrections. I admit Hope has not done anything bad, so she doesn’t hear the word “no” often. Jake is practically the perfect dog, so when he hears “no” he obeys. Windy, however, is hardheaded.

Windy, a miniature dachshund, reminds me of a terrier. She can be determined and pushes limits. We wonder if she secretly plans world domination.

Today calls for more storms, so while I am home I will be working on “No bark” with my little diva.

 

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Puppies, House-Training And Weather

Posted on February 25, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Windy doesn't like her bathroom to have ice and snow.

A friend brought home a puppy yesterday, and I don’t envy her.

With the usual Ohio mix today of sleet, ice, snow and rain, waste management will not be easy. When you can control your conditions, housetraining does not have to be difficult, but toss in the variable of Mother Nature and it gets dicey.

I can’t blame a furkid for not wanting to go out in freezing, snowy weather; however, you must stick to a schedule. If you choose to paper-train for a while that can work.

Our first puppy was paper-trained. He loved his papers so much it took us weeks of taking newspapers outside for him to pee on. It got us some strange looks. His house-training though was excellent.

By the way, don’t believe anyone who says, “My dog never does anything in the house.” Dogs will get sick. You may get delayed at work. Accidents will happen. This is why I buy sturdy paper towels and cut up old T-shirts for rags.

And if you are new to house-training: Never rub your furkid’s nose in his waste. He has no idea what that means. Praise him lavishly when he goes on the papers or outside. Every time he walks by the door, put him out.

As for my furkids, they are about 95 percent accurate when they need the piddle pads, and with today’s ice and snow, they will use them in spite of my efforts to herd them outside. (When I leave the great room, one of them will sneak onto the pad.) Hope’s problem is she sometimes gets only her front paws on the pad then cuts loose; however, I am grateful my puppy mill girl has learned to get on the pad most of the time.

 

Posted in Dachshunds, Dog Behavior, Puppy Mills, Schnauzers, Waste Management | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Is My Dog Thinking?

Posted on February 23, 2011 by daysofourdogs

One of Jake's favorite things to do is to lick Hope.

Daily we wonder what goes on in our furkids’ heads.

I’ve read several books on dog behavior, but What Is My Dog Thinking? by Gwen Bailey, a British animal behavior counselor, has been the best so far.

The 96-page book, which I found last weekend at Barnes & Noble for $8.95, has color examples of many breeds displaying behaviors either alone, with people or with other dogs. A paragraph accompanies a photo.

Bailey writes in plain language, no jargon and doesn’t talk down to the reader. It is informative and entertaining. Some sections include Social Animals, Life in a Hierarchy, Staying Safe and Dogs and People.

Jake, Hope and Windy have seen me reading this book. Glad they can’t read. But I still don’t know why Jake, the alpha, loves to lick Hope up and down her back. Maybe he enjoys the texture of schnauzer fur.

 

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