Marni - the veterinary opthamologists are amazing. My dog had corneal ulcers in both eyes, it took a bit, but they are all healed. Best of luck to you and Rowena.Quote:
Originally Posted by marni
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Marni - the veterinary opthamologists are amazing. My dog had corneal ulcers in both eyes, it took a bit, but they are all healed. Best of luck to you and Rowena.Quote:
Originally Posted by marni
Dear dog,
I wonder why your soul is so restless... I can still hear you walking down the hall at 4:30am as I silently eat breakfast, can still hear you moan as you stretch and plop down on your favorite rug in the dining room right behind me, feet from where your urn silently sits. I swear I catch a glimpse of your dark form as my head turns and for a moment my heart lifts...
Nothing.
Is it my wish to see you again? My inability to let you go, let your memory cross the rainbow bridge? Are you really a restless apparition; that formless something that haunts the corner of my eye and echos down the hall? Something creaks the floor, something shifts in the periphery of my vision; something is making me stop my morning cold for a moment. Is it you, or is it me?
Are you still trying to quietly catch my attention as you did for many years in the wee hours? Shhhhhhh.... Kelev, it's too early for breakfast. Dave will feed you when he gets up. Don't give me those big eyes, you are not starving. I'll give you a hug and a big scratch but I really have to get going...
Bye Kel. I still love you but it's really time to go.
Maybe Kel is your guardian angel?
Dear Fosco,
I know that you were really excited when SB showed up last night. She's cute and fluffy and playful. But did you really need to keep us and SB's fur parents up all night with the whining and scratching because you wanted to play? You were afforded at least 1 hour of playtime before bed and were to be allowed to play to your heart's content in the morning. Why did you find it necessary to keep us up most of the night?
I love you. I love that you adore all other dogs and want to play with them, every last one. It really is a refreshing change from having to manage dogs with dog to dog agression issues. But 2 to 6 AM is really not the time for play.
Sincerely,
Your sleep deprived fur mom.
Ooh Wahine, Chloe will do the same thing, only she wants to sleep with the houseguests. Crys and stomps all. night. long.
Have you found a solution Snap? We have guest over a lot and I really don't need a repeat of last night.
If it's my brother, she sleeps with him. Non family = sleepless night.
Any word, Marni?Quote:
Originally Posted by marni
My old guy got cataracts in his left eye. His way of handling things changed, but he still goes and goes. Hopefully your young-one will be well.
Cataracts? When my then 11 year old Kelev got cataracts, and was overweight, I got an idea. He wants a snack around 11am? Ok. Carrots. He hated them. So I steamed baby carrots, then ground them up in my Magic Bullet. Enough for a few snacks, they stored well in the fridge. I then added like 1/4 teaspoon of canned dog food to 4 tablespoons of crushed carrots and mixed thoroughly so he could not pick out the dog food. Wasn't thinking it would affect the cataracts, how cloudy his eyes were getting and how it affected his ability to be confident going down the stairs, I was thinking a snack that was healthy and not going to add pounds. Within 6 months, I noticed his eyes were clearing and he did loose a little weight. Up until the last 4 months of his life (he lived to be 14) he bounded down the stairs with confidence and could see birds and lizards down the street. Yea he hated the carrots, but his eyes were clear when he crossed the rainbow bridge.
Rowena had a visit with a veterinary opthamologist last week. The cataract is fading slowy but the lens in being reabsorbed. It makes no difference as it turn out since she apparently has been blind and is permanently blind in that eye . Vet said it was probably some sort of traumatic injury that possibly detached the retina when she was younger, before we got her. It goes a long way to explaining why she is so nervous and hypervigilant.Quote:
Originally Posted by TsPoet
The good news is that she is incredibly well adapted since we never noticed anything wrong with her movement ever, even with the cataract. She doesn't need surgery sice it can't be repaired. Right now she is on steroind drops to hlep cut the infection and irritation apparently from the cataract. I will be weaning her off of them over the next two weeks. Other than that we just have to watch for changes in the eye that might indicat further infection or glaucoma, get her eye pressures check every six months and watch that she doens't start showing any symptoms of anything in the other eye.
I have dealt with blindness in a dog before, but it was due to old age and general eye deterioration. It's just odd to see it in one so young but it does't affect her quality of life, she still scampers, jumps and scrambles around, loves her pets, being brushed,and going walkies and gets along fine with cats and the other dog who is just old and crotchety.
Dear Fosco,
You've been quite the handful the last couple of days. Don't get me wrong, I still feel like we won the rescue dog lottery. But did you have to roll in that dead what ever, just before our obedience class such that I didn't have time to wash you before we went? Did you have to mess up on your big recall moment tonight, right after I'd been bragging about how we'd been practicing and how well you were doing? And the whining in the car tonight, oy!
When it came time you did co-operate well with the bathing, even though you didn't much like it and now you're all cute and snuggly on the couch, totally passed out. I guess that makes up for it. :)
Stink = Greatness in the dog world
I remember during "finals" in obedience school with my first corgi, Rikki. She was in a down/stay, looks at me, then rolled over on her back and started "talking". :rolleyes:
I tried explaining this to my BF who has never had a dog before. He didn't seem to agree. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by snapdragen
Dear Stella,
While your were nose to the ground, tracking where the rabbit had been, I was looking at where the rabbit currently was. Sometimes that nose blinds you to the rest of the world...
Dear Stella,
Happy anniversary! It was one year ago this weekend that you picked me out when I was visiting the shelter. Wonder if you knew you'd be coming to a home with cats who would insist you mind your manners....
Anyway, there's a porkchop bone with your name on it in the fridge, as a cake didn't seem like a good idea!
I used to have a flat coat. That dog was way too smart and curious. Eventually, we just started leaving doors open because she would open them all if they weren't locked.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dogmama
Dear dog,
Yes it is hilarious when you steal my socks, but do you have to slobber on them?
Dear Holly the snow bear,
Yes you are a Great Pyrenees only 13 weeks old and almost as big as our full grown golden boy, Flynn.
But just because you a still a baby doesn't mean you can do what ever you want.
Don't:
1. chase the cats. You're supposed to protect them. They are not your chew toys.
2. chase the layer chickens. You're also supposed to protect them against racoons and such. They are not your chew toys.
3. counter surf. There are no food within your reach on the counter anyway.
4. grab your mom's shoes and chew them. They are not your chew toys. We put them away where you are not supposed to be able to reach.
and please don't rough house with the golden boy inside the house. Flynn is just over a year old golden with lots of energy and so do you. But 120 pounds of dogs running around the house is just too much and even for the cats and our elderly pyrenees-golden mix Cody.
Lastly, I need to be able to sleep without you practicing howling at night.
Dear Dog, please stop bringing me presents.
Attachment 16694
Dear Wilow,
You are a Welsh Terrier bred to rid the world of vermin (badgers, rats, etc) NOT bugs!! You must have had great fun running around the yard with a big Cicada buzzing in your mouth while we chased you. I offered up that piece of chicken so you would drop the bug not swallow it whole!!! I must admit you are a great bug catcher--just wish you would stop eating them :)
Dear Tiger,
You are a Shih Tzu not a bird dog. We had a Lab/bird dog. Please stop eating feathers off the ground. I hope the Momma Robin forgives us ...for when we walked by and the baby bird was on the ground, you scooped it up like a prize. Raven the Lab would have been very proud but, I think I was traumatized trying to get it out of your mouth.
The sad thing is it's not our bird dog that does it. It's this oneQuote:
Originally Posted by Muirenn
Attachment 16697
This is the same dog that brought us live baby possums.
13 weeks is a good time for a puppy class. Lots of exercise and mental stimulation - "a tired puppy is a good puppy."Quote:
Originally Posted by smilingcat
Pretty much, the standard poodle only hunts food off the counter. The Boston (who is the only boy) is a complete princess. Then there's the 5lb Maltese terrorist named Gemma. She has also brought me cockroaches, cicadas, June bugs, rocks and sticks. She also chews anything within reach. I've lost two phone chargers in the last weekQuote:
Originally Posted by Muirenn
Oh dear g_d....Quote:
Originally Posted by thekarens
Dear dog,
Are you psychic? How do you know to bark at cyclists only when they're riding on the sidewalk or on the wrong side of the street, and not when they're riding in the street, with traffic?
I swear I didn't train her to do this!
its called sharing.
Dear Willow,
You amaze me. I have never owned a dog that actually like to watch TV. I have never seen one watch an entire show before.
I love how you rest your front legs over the arm rest and just sit there for "TV time". LOL Poor thing...you even get scared when we rent and watch horror movies. There really is no need to bark at-- and protect us from the zombies, monsters and killers etc on the TV screen but Thank You.
Your post made me smile, big time. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by Trek-chick
Dear sister's dog:
Please, have your seizure be a one-off thing. Don't worry your Dearest Human that way.
Also, there is no need to bark every time someone locks a car door.
Dear Stella,
You did a public service by finding that stolen and ransacked purse on our walk. But was it necessary to growl at the police officer when he finally showed up? You made him nervous!
Dear Holly Spirit Bear,
Thank you for dragging me to your puppy intermediate class tonight. I needed the break from the same old same old. And you did pretty well. Being the kind of breed you are (great pyrenees), instructor and I know that you are not the most sociable dog. You breed tend to be very aloof and solitary, so it was pretty amazing that you only snarled at one dog, an Akita. Well he snarled at you too. not sure who started it (simultaneous). I know you get overwhelmed with 9 other puppies and you do just fine when its one on one. So neither the instructor nor I are too concerned with your bad behavior. You are quite okay with all the people. You just don't like that Akita. Yes that Akita is bit smaller than you. We just need to work on it.
Overall, you did great with leave it, doggie push-up something you hate. Sit-lay down-stand, sit-lay down-stand... Your big long leg makes this a real work out. but you did great with three repetition. And for a Pyrenees you did pretty well with Come... And you did really well with ignoring distractions.
Will keep practicing this week till the next class. And the practice will keep me out of trouble too.
love mom,
Puppy class is the BEST!!! Get them out EARLY and expose them to new things. I'm a HUGE advocate (can you tell?)Quote:
Originally Posted by smilingcat
Snarley dogs - here's my experience and thoughts. Dogs can sense other dogs' emotional states in a way that humans can't. Akitas are typically not sociable dogs and if your dog sensed some anxiety, he (she?) might have simply been reacting. Remember too that your puppy doesn't have a lot of experience with other dogs yet so reactions can be all over the map. Two main things to remember:
1. Don't over react to anything your puppy does. If your puppy snarls at another dog and you react with alarm, your dog might think, "Hey - I snarled at that dog and my human got excited too. There IS something wrong with that dog! Next time I'm really going to snarl at him - maybe even snap too!" You should calmly redirect your puppy's attention without rewarding the behavior.
2. Do NOT punish your puppy for any unsociable behavior. Dogs are not innately aggressive but they can be fearful. That fear is shown as aggression. You cannot fight fear with punishment. I do counter-conditioning and desensitization - or as I call it, "I see a dog I get a cookie." The book Control Unleashed outlines this beautifully.
I always tell clients to get their puppies in all kinds of safe environments (I do not consider dog parks to be safe, BTW.) More dogs are euthanized because of bad behavior than communicable diseases. Early socialization is key.
Dear Holly,
Please do not eat things which are not food. You were very lucky that your other mom saw you downing two tulip bulbs. We are not happy about losing more tulip bulbs.
But more importantly, tulip bulbs are poisonous to you. So we and you were very lucky. We gave you the peroxide to get you to throw it up. Not to make you feel awful. You would have been in lot worse shape if we didn't. It wasn't very pleasant for me to go through your regurgitated stuff and made sure we had all the pieces of the bulbs.
Please don't do this again. And yes when your tummy settled back down, we gave you treats to make you feel better. And we've put barriers up so you can't dig anymore bulbs. "childproofing" the yard.
Dear Cody (Pyrenees, golden or lab mix),
The first time I met you, your mom had just picked you up from a rescue place 3 hours away. Your fur was scruffy, awful and you absolutely looked pitiful. Your stole your mom's heart that day when you tried and succeeded by jumping up and down, bobbing your head out of the crowd of Pyrenees. boing boing boing you jumped, each time, your head popped out of sea of Pyrenees head. And so you came into our lives, always happy, always cheerful.
Cheerfulness was your defining character and we loved you very much. So much so that even the cats loved sleeping with you and to be groomed by you. You even let the kittens climb on you, kneaded your fur and you were happy.
But today, we all had to say good bye to you and let you cross the rainbow bridge. You managed to live to be a very old grampy dog and over the years you've helped us foster many many orphaned kittens. We are sad to see you go, but we are also grateful that you are no longer in pain from very old age, arthritis and other ailments. The least we could do was to let you go in peace in your home and on your favorite rug. And you were happy as you went to sleep.
We'll see you and visit you in our dream.
lots of love
I'm so sorry smilingcat.
Dear filthy mouthed dogs yes YOU Austin, Holly and even Flynnie-winnie,
Kitty roca is not food. Kitty roca is not food for people, its not food for the kitties and it sure isn't for the dogs. STOP trying to get "morsels" of kitty roca. NOT FOOD. NOT TREAT. And never will be. And yes it does resemble almond roca but its not the same!!
And you Austin, somehow you figured out where kitty roca comes from. DO NOT STICK YOUR NOSE INTO THE BACK END OF THE CATS!! THEY DON'T LIKE IT!!
gahhh!!
love this. haha
Worth watching if you are planning of getting a dog or cat for that matter.
Video is called GIFT and it made me think and look at myself deeply. Some days, my partner's dog makes me really angry, but after watching the video, I now step back and think about it from the dog's point of view.
Having a furry children is a big commitment. Watch the video and think about it. One of the best video's I've ever watched.
Well, I figured what was coming and still managed to break down in tears. My avatar kitty died in March and one of my two new adoptees climbed onto my lap and rubbed my teary face just as the video was winding down. I've heard that dogs (maybe other animals, too?) often search out water right before they die. Thanks for sharing.
I've seen this before.
I have 3 dogs and 3 cats. And since 5 are "old" I sort of manage a geriatric house here. hihi
I can tell you that some days...I'm ready to quit on them (but never would - til death do us part!). It is not always easy. Especially with one of the dogs who's on Reconcile (prozac) because of behavioral issues. We tried taking her off it twice already and she has to be put back on it. She's totally nuts and we can't give her an inch. But when she is good (and she's more good than "bad"), she is such a sweetheart. Just need to totally control her environment...which means, sometimes - ok...often, we don't have a life. haha So I can relate to that video in some parts of it.
At least I am lucky enough to have a background in dog training (took 3 years many years ago) so I know how to handle her...but it does not make any thing easier.
But when it is not a cat vomiting hairballs (even when being brushed), it is my prozac pup doing something she should not be doing. Never a dull moment at my house.
And as much as I love them all, I won't have that many pets in my future once they are dead. I think I don't have as much patience as I used to in my "younger" days.
I agree, this was one of the most poignant short videos I've seen in a long time. I saw this a few weeks ago and just cried and cried and cried. Like Helene - I feel like a geriatric pet ward. A 19 year old cat, an 18 year old cat, and a who-knows-how-old Jack Russel (who is blind, and going deaf). I'm tired of all of the changes (after 15 years the cats have decided they don't like to be fed in the spare room and are missing the litter box and the Jack Russel doesn't like to go outside anymore) but these are life-long commitments and I can't imagine doing it any differently.Quote:
Originally Posted by smilingcat
When I first saw the video, I had the thought that it should be mandatory viewing at all pet adoption places - but unfortunately I wonder if it will get to the people that need it (rather than just breaking the hearts of the people who don't need to see it).