A Tale Of Three Dogs

Cookie, Gigi and Homer (from left to right)

When you have three dogs, there's never a dull moment. Cookie, Gigi and Homer have all had interesting situations lately.

Cookie

Some of you may remember a few months ago when Cookie hurt her leg, and the vet's prognosis was that she needed surgery. Yet, a short time later, Cookie was able to walk better. The initial thought was, her CCL was completely torn and that she would need surgery to repair the tear.

It turned out that the x-ray wasn't read as easily as it should have been. Cookie's bone structure can make it difficult to get an accurate reading on an x-ray machine.

Future Steps

While it's most likely that Cookie won't have surgery, I hope to be able to take her to get another x-ray. If it turns out to be a partial tear, then I will do conservative management to get her back to her normal self.

It helps that her activity has been limited and that she doesn't use the stairs much. It has been said that animals adapt to their environment and in Cookie's case, this is correct. I am hoping to get her an x-ray that is more accurate to see the injury more clearly. In the meantime, I'm grateful that her condition has stabilized.

Gigi

A few weeks ago, Gigi had a huge bulge in her neck. I took her to the doctor that same week and after removing some blood from the affected area, it was apparent she had an infection. The area was drained and there was a sample sent to the lab for testing.

Ten days later, I received a call from the veterinarian stating that there was lab error. Shock that the cost for these tests cost me over 40 per cent of my veterinary bill, I went to the clinic to see if I could get a refund or at least a portion of the money I paid back since both tests were inconclusive.

Two days later, I get a call from the vet tech telling me that the infection "cleared itself up on the way to the lab" and that's why the tests didn't work out. Translation: You're not getting you're money back. Part of me was angry that this happened and felt this reason was fabricated and the other part felt like it was par for the course when it came to the vet.

The Lesson I Learned

In the future, I will be more scrutinizing about lab tests. It's my belief that many doctors take advantage of pet owners' desire to give their pets the best possible care and will suggest extra tests they don't need.

When Gigi had her infection, she was tested for both aerobic and anaerobic infections. If I had only done one test, it would be an accurate enough indicator of what she did or didn't have. The extra test was unnecessary, but I didn't receive the cost breakdown till after I paid.

While this vet has always been caring towards my animals, I will be trying a new vet in the future. I was recommended a vet through a family member and think that at least, this new vet will be more upfront.

Homer

Homer is a fearless dog. He will chase any rabbit and chew up almost anything. He loves to patrol the backyard and barks with pride to protect his territory. However, the 4th of July changed all that.

Homer became a different dog. The bold dog who loved to prowl the neighborhood, couldn't wait to get home and wouldn't budge until I headed in that direction. I thought that once the holiday was over, he would be fine. However, the next few times I tried to take him out, he would act the same.

It seemed unreal. Even after the holiday was over, he would still hear noises on his walk that resembled firework sounds.

Steps To Getting Past The Fear

After talking to one of my friends on Twitter(@fearfuldogs), she informed me that you have to be proactive with sound phobias since they only get worse.

While I can't control how Homer feels about darkness, I can control how he goes outside. Last night, I took him for a car ride before sunset. He loved being in the car and being at the park put him in a neutral environment. Other options are taking him to the off-leash dog park, the dog beach and the local pet store. While I can't do that all the time, it's good to know that's an option I can use.

I think it will take time, but with persistence, I hope to get his phobia more manageable.

Let's Discuss!

Have any of you experienced problems that were similar to the ones written in this post? If so, how did you handle it?

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One Little Firecracker

Some dogs will hear the sound of fireworks and not even flinch. Other dogs will hear one pop and they will hide in terror. Last night, I had that experience with Homer, my beagle.

I recently learned that he didn't like the sound of fireworks. It just takes the slightest sound when we were out for a walk. I tried to take him fuarther and he refused to budge. I turned around to go home after just reaching the corner and Homer couldn't get home fast enough. The same thing happened today and it wasn't even sunset yet.

Luckily, once Homer is back at home, after his initial scare, he calms down and will not go outside until the noise stops. One good thing about the 4th of July is the fact that after one big night, things go back to normal. But, if your dog gets anxiety easily, it can be unbearable for that dog as well as the owner. They will pant, shiver and drool until the noise is gone.

How To Manage Anxiety

Up to 20% of dogs suffer from noise anxiety. However, in time, it can be desensitized. Here are some tips:

• Don't coddle your dog! While we think our words and praise will be comforting, it's just reinforcing that it's okay for the dog to act that way. It's best to ignore the sounds, because if you don't make it a big deal, then your dog is more inclined to follow your lead.
• Let them hide. We may worry about our dog being isolated, but ideally, dogs will want to be in a safe place when they are fearful. You can even arrange a bed or a pile of blankets as a haven for your dog.
• Close the windows and draw the drapes. Insulate and drown out the sounds. Dogs won't see the flashes of bright light as much, and the sounds will be more muffled. Also, sounds from the tv, radio or even living in a noisy area will distract your dog too.
• Take 'em out early and frequently. The extra walks will get rid of their excess energy will tire them out and may even help them to sleep through it.
• Use an anxiety aid. Some shirts like the Thundershirt or Anxiety Wrap are great for alleviating anxiety

Let's Discuss!

Those are my thoughts for dogs with fireworks anxiety what are yours?

Holiday Wishes

Wishing you all a very happy and safe Independence day.

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When Your Dog is Fearful

The one thing all three of these dogs have in common is the fact they were very fearful when they came to their new home. Fancy, the mastiff is extremely fearful of strangers. Some of you may remember the post I wrote called Understanding Fancy. Fancy for some reason with me always felt threatened. I could be 10 feet away from her and she would still feel the need to bark at me. Being good with dogs normally, I did some research so I would know what to do in the future.

One of the best ways to overcome a fearful dog that likes to bark at you is to ignore them. If you pretend they are not in the room, they will not feel as threatened. (Come to think of it, when I was working in the kitchen, minding my own business, that's when Fancy was really quiet.)

Another thing is don't make any attempt to pet the dog. It's well intentioned sure but the dog thinks your wanting to reach out an hurt him or her. With the right amount of patience, the dog will come around on its own. Some will be more fearful than others. It could be that they came from an abused or neglectful household, or in Fancy's case, it's an inherent trait of the breed. Mastiffs in general, tend to be wary of strangers.

Finally, if you're an owner, it helps to train your dog to give them a job. The two dogs you see in the other picture, were taught how to play the game fetch by his owner. Before they had learned the frisbee game, they were so terrified, they couldn't get out of their crate. Now, that they have their job,--playing frisbee--, they get so excited when they see one of those flying discs. They know they have a job to do, and are ready to do it. All dogs can learn how to play fetch, but some you will have to work on it more than others.

When I play with Cookie, I can throw the toy down the hall and she'll be right after it. With Gigi, she likes to be teased a little and after that, I'll throw the toy. Gigi will wait a moment, and then go chasing after it.

If your dog is into fetch no matter what you do, then there are other tasks that can be taught. For example, if you have a big dog and you're taking it on a walk or taking it hiking, you can put a doggie backpack on the dog. Put some water bottles or suntan lotion and your dog's demeanor will change. If you have a dog like an Alaskan Malamute, you can get it in the habit of pulling a sled in the winter or a wagon in the summer.

I will be curious to see what will happen the next time I'm around Fancy. If any of you have any tips that helped you, please share by leaving a comment. Hope you all are enjoying the weekend! Thanks for stopping in.

4th of July Tips

Well, it's that time of year where fireworks are going to be a huge part of the American Independence day celebration. Many dogs will not feel like celebrating though. With their acute sense of hearing and the noise of fireworks can be very disconcerting to them.

If you are planning on bringing the dogs with you to the celebration, the best thing for dogs is not to. If they are not on a leash, many will bolt at the first sign of noise. The combination of the smell of the gunpowder and the loud noises of the fireworks will make them nervous. My old Rhodesian Ridgeback, Elvis would pant and shake when the fireworks would happen. All this would happen when he was inside. All we knew how to do was comfort him and wait out the show.

I did read a couple of steps you can take to help your scared dogs adjust better.

1. Put the air conditioner on. The sound will help muffle the noise.
2. Have some relaxing music on.
3. Give your dogs one of those dog toys that you can stuff something in the center. An example of this would be a Kong toy with peanut butter put in the middle.

Thanks for stopping by, feel free to share your July 4th memories. Also don't forget about our 3 month anniversary contest. Well, I hope all my American friends have a great holiday. For all of you guys who live in other countries, have a fabulous weekend!