Hope Continues To Live Up To Her Name

Posted on June 16, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope enjoys playing with Jake's fish. Jake has managed to keep it in one piece.

Hope didn’t get her chemotherapy yesterday; her white count was too low.

Hope is feeling fine, but the risk for infection is great. She is taking Cipro and Amoxicillin. Thank goodness for peanut butter. We crush the pills, put them in peanut butter and then smear it on the roof of her mouth. She is more willing to let my husband do this.

The next chemo is set for Monday, unless we fear she may need it before then. The veterinary oncologists and staff are good about fitting patients in if necessary.

As for Jake and Windy, they are continuing to give her support with the usual snuggling and licking.

Hope and Windy take a break from squirrel watching.

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Cancer Is Sneaky

Posted on June 14, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope settles in for the night.

Last week we learned Hope’s lymphoma was not in remission, but we are hopeful we may be entering another one.

Hope began to snore loudly last week. We had gone to a chemotherapy schedule of every other week, but she needed to see the oncology veterinarian as soon as possible because of this new development.

The vet said Hope’s throat felt thicker, but inside her mouth her remaining tonsil was fine, and she couldn’t feel the node in Hope’s back leg. She had good airflow through both nostrils.

A discussion with the doctor after the exam led us to get a blood test to see if we could do chemo that day. Hope’s white count was fine, and we changed her chemo drugs to one that had worked well previously, hoping the cancer wasn’t wise to the medication already.

After a few days, Hope’s snoring eased. Now Windy, who had been de-barked by a previous owner, snores louder. Last night, Hope didn’t snore at all.

We have an exam and chemo tomorrow, with possibly a CAT scan to see what is going on inside Hope.

With cooler weather, Hope has been enjoying longer walks and looking out the window and barking at children, squirrels, rabbits and birds. With a good appetite and all the treats she wants, her weight is good. She has had hair loss, but we tell her she is enjoying her summer haircut.

Please keep the prayers coming. Thank you.

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Take Your Dog Shopping

Posted on June 9, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Jake decides the fish is better than the blue dog.

If you have a pet store that welcomes you shopping with your dog, you should take your furkid for a trip.

We live in a large city and have several stores where we can take the dogs.

Getting your furkid out of his usual environment is good for him. He can experience new smells, people and dogs. This can be enriching and alleviate boredom.

This week I took Jake shopping.

We needed dog food, which I cannot buy in a grocery store. Jake has been an almost perfect little traveler and houseguest, so he deserved a treat.

The automatic door did not alarm Jake. He enjoyed sniffing down the aisle, but he was not two minutes in the store before he produced an impressive bowel movement next to the Purina display. After a cleanup in aisle one, we continued our shopping.

We got our food and selected some treats. Then we went to the toy aisle.

As I said, Jake had been a good boy, so I broke my rule about not spending more than $1 for a dog toy. I let him sniff and look at the large toys in the bottom row of the stuffed animals. He kept sniffing at two of them. I put them on the floor, and he selected a large fish that honks. The fish is nearly as big as he is. At $9, it is an investment.

After charming five people in the checkout line, Jake watched me carry the bag with his fish in it. Once in the car, he had to get into the bag.

Amazingly, the fish is still intact more than 24 hours after I bought it. Maybe I should stop looking for $1 toys and invest in ones as large as he is? We will see. I have started the countdown clock on the fish’s destruction.

Jake is ready to go shopping.

 

 

Jake can't wait until he gets home to play with his fish.

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Traveling With Furkids, Part Two

Posted on June 6, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Jake prefers Arby's or McDonald's while on the road.

 

If you are on the road, fixing a meal for your dog may be difficult.

Unless your furkid likes dry food alone, you may have a problem.

If your dog has a sensitive stomach, you may need to pack some boiled hamburger or chicken in a cooler. Jars of baby food chicken, turkey, lamb or beef might work for you. Do not buy the baby food with meat and vegetables. You will waste your money.

Some dogs are sensitive to water changes, so you may have to fill some containers with your tap water.

Recently it was dinnertime, and Jake and I needed to eat after being several hours on the road. I have learned Jake will eat chicken nuggets or roast beef while traveling. (I hope my vet is not reading this.)

I pulled into an Arby’s.

“I’ll have one plain roast beef …”

“Would you like a combo with that?”

“No. My dog doesn’t like combos.”

LONG PAUSE.

“Would your dog like extra meat on that?”

“No he wouldn’t, but I’ll have the deli turkey sandwich.”

Jake and I had dinner in the parking lot. I didn’t get a combo either.

 

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Dachshunds, Schnauzers And Summer

Posted on June 2, 2011 by daysofourdogs

From left: Windy, Jake and Hope enjoy a sunny day.

 

One disadvantage of having a wiener dog is he is low to the ground. In summertime, this can be a problem.

Heat from concrete, blacktop, etc. will affect your dachshund faster than a taller dog. If you walk your wiener, please go early in the morning or after sunset, and try to keep her on the grass.

My dachshunds are hearty souls, but they don’t know their limits. Don’t let them push themselves, and some will do so just to please you.

As for schnauzers, if they have the traditional cut, they can get hot and need to cool. Some folks dispense with the traditional cut in summer and have them clipped close all over. I make sure a schnauzer doesn’t get overheated.

Hope had another round of chemotherapy this week and is doing well. This time she was curious about her surroundings, the oncology vet said, and she did some exploring—as opposed to wanting to hid under a table.

Hope now can go to one treatment every two weeks. Her hair loss has eased. She has not vomited or had diarrhea. The oncology vet said dogs tend to tolerate chemo better than humans.

Thanks again for all the prayers. Please keep them coming.

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Dachshund Gets Revenge, Part Two

Posted on May 31, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Her Divaness, Windy, has a temper.

 

Windy is too smart for her own good. A few days ago she upped the ante of her anger.

Windy wanted to leave with me as I was headed out the door to run errands.

She left a deposit for me, like the last time. (See May 23,  Dachshund Gets Revenge) However, this time she rolled up the rug next to the front door. Her evidence was exactly where I would step on the rug if it were there.

It is easier to clean poo off a hardwood floor than to wipe then launder a rug.

Am I supposed to be grateful for easier cleanup and her consideration of water conservation?

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Traveling With Furkids

Posted on May 27, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Jake wants to get started on his road trip.

When you hit the road with your dog, you have to do some planning.

Some folks insist on having a new dog tag engraved with the address of where you will be staying, just in case your dog gets lost. Jake has a microchip with our address and phone numbers, and my cell phone is on his tag.

In addition, take a photo of your furkid, in case he does get lost. I have plenty of pictures of him in my cell phone.

Jake does not get traveler’s tummy, but I take Pepcid just in case.

Jake loves to stop and walk in a strange place, so getting your furkid out to walk will increase your travel time. As for me, I don’t leave him alone in the car any longer that it takes me to get out and use the bathroom – and I rush while I do that. Cars can heat up fast, and evil people like to steal dogs. I park as close as I can to a main entrance and check if anything looks suspicious. I don’t travel alone often with furkid. If you have a human traveling companion, the trip is much easier.

Taking your furkids on the road means hauling almost as much stuff as you would if you had human children in your car.

Jake and I are visiting relatives. Here is his packing list:

  • Leash
  • Food
  • Treats
  • Toys
  • Bed
  • Fish oil tablets
  • Pepcid (in case he has a bad tummy)
  • Poop bags
  • Water
  • Dishes
  • Blankie
  • And a tote bag to put it all in

But I am thankful my packing list does not include a stroller, car seat, diaper bag …

Posted in Dachshunds, Dog Accessories | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Dachshund Gets Revenge

Posted on May 23, 2011 by daysofourdogs

After enjoying a treat, Windy is ready for a nap.

Windy never ceases to amaze me.

We have had her since September, but it feels like we have had her for years. She learns the house rules quickly. And just as quickly, figures out how to sneak around them.

The other day I knew Windy, and Hope and Jake, wanted a walk, but I had to leave to run some errands. Windy followed me to the front door. I told her “No!” She knew she wasn’t supposed to leave.

After unlocking the front door on my return, I stepped on the small rug, and beyond the rug on the hardwood floor was an impressive poo. It was Windy’s poo – right where I would step if I weren’t looking down.

When you live with multiple dogs, after a while you do know whose poo is whose.

If you do find a mysterious poo, notice who watches you while you clean it. Usually the guilty party will observe you.

Windy stood about 6 feet away watching while I cleaned up her revenge.

With errors in house-training, the correction must be done immediately after, or perhaps during, the act. If you wait too long, dogs will not get the connection. Never rub your dog’s nose in her waste, and never hit your dog. A firm “No!” and getting the dog outside usually does the trick. Then heavily praise your furkid when he does what he is supposed to in the yard.

Windy, however, may be plotting household domination through use of her cuteness. But it won’t work; she just hasn’t learned that yet.

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Cancer Battle Continues

Posted on May 19, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Cancer is as common in dogs as it is in people.

One statistic many veterinarians toss around is 50 percent of all dogs past 10 years old will die of cancer. I have had my share of dogs with cancer. However, with Hope this is the first time we are being aggressive about treating it.

Hope has B-Cell Lymphoma. We are treating it with the CHOP method of chemotherapy. If you are interested in learning more about this, feel free to leave a comment and your email and I will get back to you or direct message me on Twitter @daysofourdogs.

Hope is tolerating the chemo well, so we are not torturing her. She is losing her fur.

In a nutshell, we have a good chance to keep Hope in remission, but a much smaller chance for a cure. I have been asked why are we taking the time and expense to have chemo. My answer is fairly complex.

Hope spent five years getting pregnant as often as possible in an Amish puppy mill in Ohio. When she was “used up,” she was to be shot and thrown in a ditch. A courageous woman saved her and took her to Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati. After about 9 months in a wonderful foster home, we brought her to our home in September 2009.

Out of the puppy mill for more than two years and about 1 and ½ years with us is not long enough for her to enjoy life as a normal dog. She now can feel the earth beneath her feet and the sun and wind on her face. She is clean and groomed regularly.

Hope knows happiness when she gets to take walks. She is excited to bark at squirrels and rabbits. She enjoys the attention she gets from Jake and Windy. Tasty bites of beef and chicken seem to make her day. She is fed quality food, has access to toys, and, most of all, freedom and love.

As long as there is a chance, and Hope is not suffering, we will see to it she can enjoy as many normal days as she can – free from a wire cage as a breeding machine.

Hope doesn't seem to mind losing some fur to chemotherapy.

Posted in Dog Behavior, Dog Health, Puppy Mills, Schnauzers | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Puppy Mill Girl Reaches Milestone

Posted on May 16, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope gave me a kiss!

When she knows she will get a walk, Hope gets happy and excited. The video is from March 2011 before she was diagnosed with lymphoma.

The other day Jake, Windy and Hope knew they were going to get a walk. I was sitting on the couch putting on my shoes. All the furkids were at my feet nagging me to hurry.

Hope placed her paws up on the arm of the couch. I leaned in. She didn’t move. I leaned a little farther and touched my nose to hers. She didn’t jerk away. I backed away and started to tie my shoes. She put all her paws on the floor.

She put her paws on the couch again. I leaned in and touched my nose to hers. She gave me a good slurp. I was shocked with joy. I couldn’t wait to finish the walk to call people and tell them what she did.

I have not been able to get her to lick me again. I pet her while she is on her ottoman or bed. I touch my nose to hers. Nothing. I think she forgets her trust issues when she is happy to go walk. I know she never got a walk in the Amish puppy mill.

We had a successful round of chemotherapy today. Hope is still in remission. Next week will be her off week. I know she will be happy not to go to the vet, and I want the weather to cooperate so she can get daily walks.

Posted in Dog Behavior, Puppy Mills, Schnauzers | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments