Vets Should Give Frequent-Flier Miles

Posted on May 11, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope, home from chemotherapy, wants some quiet time.

The sick-call roster is improving.

After an exam by a specialty veterinarian, Jake may not have a torn ACL.

Monday, the day of his appointment, Jake started walking normally. It reminded me of when you take your car to the mechanic, and the car does not have the problem when the mechanic checks it.

The vet and his intern each examined Jakes legs and back. Jake could have a tiny tear, or he could have had a sprain. They did feel a bit of swelling. So, Jake is on restricted activity for two more weeks. Once he is back to normal, we are to look for him favoring the leg.

Some breeds of dogs are prone to kneecap slippage, but the vet did not think Jake had this. At Jake’s age, 12, and never having had a problem with that, it is not a concern.

Hope had chemotherapy on the same day too. She did well and seemed pleased her siblings had accompanied her. She has lost nearly all her beard and mustache. He eyes look so much bigger and shine brightly against her pink skin.

Windy went along for the ride. Ever watchful, she made sure everyone knew she was there. This former showgirl loves an audience.

Jake patiently waits for his exam.

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Wiener Dog Knows How To Manipulate

Posted on May 9, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Jake, on ottoman, knows how to manage his sisters, Hope and Windy.

Jake is one sneaky furkid.

One evening a few days ago, Jake was immediately to the left of my lap enjoying attention. Windy walks up and swats me on the leg. Jake sees her out of the corner of his eye, rolls over and sits. Windy swats me again.

Windy, and Jake, have me well trained. I reach down to pick her up. Jake looks toward the window and growls. Windy whips around and heads to the window. I could see nothing outside. Jake stops growling and looks up to me with wide eyes. The little stinker faked her out. Windy continued to look out the window, oblivious to Jake’s cunning.

Today Jake goes to the specialty vet to see if he has a torn ligament. He is still limping a bit, but sometimes not. Hope, too, has a chemotherapy appointment because her white count was too low last week for her treatment. Their appointments are back-to-back. Windy will go along for the ride, but I am not getting her a cookie in Starbucks.

My favorite socks to wear to the vet.

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Please Vote For Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati

Posted on May 4, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope was saved from an Amish puppy mill in Ohio by Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati.

In Style Dog is sponsoring a contest, and the winning nonprofit will receive $500.

Schnauzer Rescue Cincinnati helps all of Ohio, Kentucky, and parts of Indiana, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Florida. Hope was rescued in December 2009. We love her and are grateful to this wonderful organization.

Please go to http://bit.ly/lXUIhc and vote through May 9.

Thank you.

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If Cancer Were Not Enough…

Posted on May 4, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Jake enjoys an afternoon nap on one of his favorite fuzzy blankets.

Hope is doing well. Jake, on the other hand, has a problem.

Marathon runner that he is, we think Jake has a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Well, the human equivalent anyway.

On a dog, the ACL is called a Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CrCL). Jake cannot put any weight on his left rear leg, which makes him annoyed when he wants to lift the right leg to pee on something.

Jake is on an anti-inflammatory and a joint supplement, but we are getting an appointment with a specialty veterinarian for a consultation. Thankfully, that vet will be at the same medical complex as Hope’s oncology vet, so we won’t have to navigate another medical center.

Hope is scheduled for another round of chemotherapy tomorrow, provided her white count is acceptable. She is doing fine, except for her thinning beard and mustache. Her thinning facial hair gives her a sad look.

As for Jake, he is carried up and down the few steps to go outside to potty and is not allowed to train for next year’s Boston Marathon.

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Puppy Mill Girl’s Cancer Battle Positive

Posted on April 29, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Hope, who thinks she has better things to do, waits for her chemotherapy.

Hope did not want to go for chemotherapy yesterday. It always is a chore to get her in the car. She hates being picked up, and I can understand why. When she was in the Amish puppy mill being picked up meant something bad was going to happen.

But something good happened. We are in remission!

We will finish the course of the chemo, so it will be back next week for another dose and more in the immediate future. Her platelet count is a little high, so we will have to watch that. If it goes higher that will mean an additional medicine to prevent clotting.

For the next couple days she has medication to prevent vomiting, which she never has done. The only side effect now is hair loss. Hope is losing her beard.

The oncology vet said that is common. She is treating a bald poodle, who must wear a T-shirt to protect her from getting sunburned. So, if we have to buy our sweet schnauzer girl a wardrobe—so be it.

Thanks for all the prayers. Please keep them coming.

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Walking, Worms And Windy

Posted on April 28, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Windy has been having questionable cravings.

Windy has developed a fascination with all things wiggly.

The sporadic rain means plenty of visible worms. When we take all the furkids on walks, Windy has started pay more attention to the ground. If we are not watching her, she will pounce on a worm and start to eat it. One of the joys of pet ownership: pulling a squishy worm out of your dog’s mouth.

Yesterday we came upon a baby garden snake. Washed down the curb from the recent rain, the skinny, six-inch critter excited Windy like a Kroger rotisserie chicken on the kitchen counter. My husband snatched the reptile and tossed it into a vacant lot. My solution was to scoop up Windy and run. Jake and Hope, who is to get chemotherapy today and is doing well, probably thought we were overreacting.

Dead worms, too, have an attraction. Windy tries to roll on them. “Eau de worm” must smell like Chanel No. 5 to dogs.

Jake, Hope and Windy enjoy a walk between the rains.

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Easter Weekend And We Stayed Out Of The Vet’s Office

Posted on April 24, 2011 by daysofourdogs

No furkid emergencies or problems demanded our attention this weekend. We like boring, and we got it. Church and an Easter lunch was as exciting as it got.

Hope had chemotherapy number four and is doing well. She has lost a bit of fur, but it’s nothing she should be embarrassed about. The oncology vet said that is typical and does not give her any discomfort. Thursday will be the next chemo.

The video is from Easter 2009. Jake destroyed a sunshine and a round bunny.

Hope, and her siblings, enjoyed a walk on Easter.

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Dachshund Knows What He Wants

Posted on April 21, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Right now, Jake wants a tummy rub.

My friends have called Jake the perfect dog.

Loving, well behaved and 99 percent house-trained, Jake knows how to live life. At 12 or 13, he is going strong. He has to be in charge of Hope and Windy, stand watch, and love his mom and dad. Retirement is not in his future.

Jake is our first dachshund. A few years ago we had Angel Dog Alex, who was a dachshund-terrier mix. We learned from him that dachshunds seemed to be the ultimate cuddlers.

However, Jake also is assertive. He know when he wants dinner, or to go to bed, or to take a walk. But he is most assertive when he wants a treat. I admit — this is when I fail to be the pack leader. Yes, the perfect dog is a perfect nag.

Angel Dog Alex, a dachshund-terrier mix, had the best, and worst, traits of terriers and dachshunds.

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Don’t Let Fleas Get The Upper Paw

Posted on April 18, 2011 by daysofourdogs

Jake, on ottoman, Windy and Hope watch their dinner being made.

Spring means warmer temperatures, flowers peaking up from the earth and bugs planning their assaults.

If you have not been on year-round flea treatment, get back on your flea-fighting regime. I use K9 Advanrtix, a monthly topical. Advantix fights ticks, mosquitoes and biting flies. With winters being quite cold in Ohio, I do stop treating in December, January, February and sometimes March depending on how cold it is.

Some may fault me for not treating for fleas year-round, but fleas can get immune to certain medications. It has happened to my furkids, so I have had to switch brands. My veterinarian is OK with this.

I don’t like topicals, but it has been my experience that these work the best. I hate to say it, but any organic trick I have tried has not worked. And flea collars do next to nothing. Flea powder is ridiculous. Don’t buy your flea treatments at a big-box discount store. You won’t be saving money in the long run. You don’t want the discomfort, time and expense of fighting a flea infestation, which we had to do once.

After we moved in our first house, the previous owners’ cat left us many presents. Of course we didn’t notice this on our final walk-through before closing on the house. We noticed the fleas after we had been there a few days, and our dog was scratching. Duffy had been on the flea pills, which had been working well. Cleaning, vacuuming and changing the bags, and flea bombing the house became an ongoing nightmare, but we finally got rid of the fleas and their eggs. Poor Duffy had to have a change of flea treatment too.

My concern has been with Hope, but the oncology vet said she could have her flea treatment. She is due for some vaccines, but those are not possible while she is on chemotherapy. Hope must stay away from strange dogs, and that has not been a problem.

This past week Hope has nagged us for walks, and she has taken several on our regular route. Her white count was down, but that was to be expected. Last week was a scheduled off week for chemo. She is to have her next appointment Thursday – provided her white cell count is high enough.

Angel dog Duffy, a West Highland White Terrier, loved lying in the bay window of our old house.

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Sweet Schnauzer Girl Gets Her Hair Cut

Posted on April 13, 2011 by daysofourdogs

 

Hope is doing far better than I thought she would with her chemotherapy.

I am afraid to brag about how my sweet schnauzer girl is doing because I don’t want to jinx it, but she has not vomited or had diarrhea and her appetite has been consistent.

This past Saturday she got a much-needed haircut. The weather was fine to do it outside, and an old friend who is a professional groomer came to the house. She has groomed Hope many times. When my friend first worked on her, Hope was afraid of being bathed and of the hair dryer. After more than a year of working with her, my friend has Hope comfortable with all stages of the grooming process.

Right after a dog is rescued the dog gets a “rescue cut,” which typically means the dog is shaved or clipped extremely close because she is so matted that it would stress the dog too much to untangle all the mats. And the dogs are filthy, probably getting the first bath of their lives. My friend and I have speculated about Hope and think all that happened to her. Now Hope’s only problem is each leg has a shaved band around it from IVs and needles from the chemo. We jokingly call her Miss Poodle Legs.

Hope was the perfect lady during her haircut. Afterwards she got to potty in the front yard then into the house for a drink then nap. My friend and I enjoyed tea and talked about dogs. It was a good day for everyone.

All finished with her haircut, Hope is ready for a drink and nap.

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