The Nauseated Dog Steeplechase
Racing to get a dog who is about to barf to the door should be an Olympic sport. Seriously. It takes speed, agility, obstacle avoidance, and more than a few miraculous leaps and bounds.
Take Monday, for example. …
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Our Mixed Breed Friends
After I posted a comment over at Dolittler about Ginko and mentioned he’s a lab-greyhound mix, a college-age gal named Angela
emailed me directly. It turns out we have more in common than this particular mixed breed of dog since Angela is studying journalism and wants to write/edit in her career. So, we had much to bond
about, especially our handsome, handsome canine boys. … -
M is for Motivation
A poem about how I feel after taking 2 weeks off from dog training
and behavior modification work with Lilly so that she could recover from her rattlesnake
bite.
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Veterinary Expectations
Monday, Dr. Patty Khuly at Dolittler posted a piece called “Top 10 Reasons to Break Up With Your Vet”. Here’s one I’ve been pondering lately based not
only on Lilly’s recent experiences but on those of a friend: How much follow-up and genuine concern (outside the 15-minutes in the exam room) do you expect
from your veterinarian and the staff at the hospital you use? … -
Lilly, The Larva Rancher
Fair warning … if you are at all squeamish, stop reading now. But, if a little gross humor sounds like fun, pull up a bale of hay and listen to a story about Lilly, The Larva Rancher. …
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I Spy
While freshening up before going to book club on Sunday, I noticed that Lilly sat mesmerized by something outside the master bedroom window. It’s usually a bunny or something, but yesterday … she sat perfectly still for the longest time. I’ve always loved the concentration on her face. It’s a quiet intensity, with just a hint of excitement rumbling under her skin. …
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Weekly Training Update (Sept 5)
This week was all about Lilly getting her strength back, following the rattlesnake
bite Saturday. I asked nothing of her. The good news is that she doesn’t seem to have carried any hospitalization anxiety home. She has not seemed fearful or upset all week. Granted, she
clearly doesn’t feel well, but she doesn’t seem freaked out or anything. Then, again, I did not challenge her with any noises or actions a la our behavior modification plan. I do wonder, however,
if me breaking some of the rules might mess things up. … -
Lilly on the Mend (barely)
If I had to guess, I’d say Lilly hovers around 20% of normal after Saturday night’s rattlesnake bite and ensuing medical intervention. It’s hard to say how much of her lagging energy comes from the injury itself and how much comes from all the medicines she’s taking. She’s allowed very limited freedom outside a few minutes at a time, and even that tires her out. So, I know she does not feel well at all. …
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Lilly vs. Rattlesnake (part 3)
The hospital released Lilly last night around 6 pm. She came home and promptly sacked out. We can tell that she still does not feel great, but she looks much better —- just a bit of swelling in her lip, along with her puffy, sagging neck. They sent her home with Rimadyl (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory), Tramadol (pain control), and Cephalexin (antibiotic). So, along with her anxiety meds, she’s taking 5 different medicines twice a day. Poor sweetie.
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Lilly vs. Rattlesnake (part 2)
Lilly may not be feeling a whole lot better after the rattlesnake bite, but she looked much better when we visited her this morning. Here’s the latest: …