Heart Like a Dog

The Good, the Bad, and the Oh My God of living with dogs!

Follow-Up Friday – April 11, 2014

By

Welcome to this week’s edition of Follow-up Friday, where I highlight reader’s comments, answer questions and generally just wrap up my week.

You Make Me Smile – April 6, 2014

They're here for me, right?

They’re here for me, right?

Sampson’s Seroma went down quickly.  Initially the surgeon told me it will get worse before it gets better, but I don’t really think it did.  I think the worst of it was Thursday or Friday.  I did as he said and warm/hot compressed it between 4 to 6 times per day and by the time he had his staples removed, it was looking REALLY good.

Roxy the Traveling Dog asked, “I hope he’s feeling better. Poor guy. And how are you holding up?”

I am hanging in there.  Much better since he’s off the cone, but he’s not using his leg properly and I’m so worried that I’m doing things wrong and hurting him.  Like Wednesday when I put him in the car I’m pretty sure I did it wrong and I’m afraid I hurt him.

Jenna, Mark “HuskyCrazed” Drady said, “Its funny because when I walk down the street, so many people always want to pet my huskies, so when a person walks by and pays no attention to them, they just sort of state at the person like “um what are you waiting for?”

Sampson is exactly the same way!  He thinks every person he sees is there only for him.

Dodge Dog

SlimDoggy said, “It’s so hard to manage different activity levels…I know exactly how you feel when I have to leave one of them behind.”

It sucks.  Each one of them barks when the other one leaves the yard, but it’s unfair to take them both with me because they currently walk at different paces.

Genevieve said, “Playing dodge dog with off-leash dogs scares me. I have done it, but I don’t like it.”

It stinks and then there are the moments when you think you’ve succeeded and BAM you walk right into an off-leash pup.

A Mama’s Heartache

They can fix it? Really? I can't wait to feel better.

They can fix it? Really? I can’t wait to feel better.

First of all, I’m so, so sorry for giving so many of you a start.  I really, really suck at blog post titles!!  Originally it was going to be called, “You can’t prepare yourself” but at last minute I change my mind and went with A Mama’s Heartache.  Poor choice on my part.

Emma said, “Usually we keep our collar and Mom takes the leash. Even at day care where there are over fifty dogs coming and going all day, they keep even Bailie’s leash.”

Exactly, if a daycare can keep track of all those leashes, I don’t see how a vet’s office can’t manage it.

Jackie Bouchard shared a memory of her pup Abby’s amputation and then said, “Sorry for the novella. Not great memories. Prefer to remember her post-recovery, when she was awesome and amazing and an inspiration.”

Don’t ever apologize for sharing on this blog, I’m here to listen and support, just like you all do for me.  I’m so glad that Abby became your inspiration.

Beth said, “I was worried I would forget to bring the collar and leash with me when I came to pick her up.”

And Jan K said, “I might drop the dog off and have my hubby pick them up on his way home from work (he goes right by there).”

Exactly!!  I actually left the collar and leash in the car, but that would be my worry too.  I’d drive all the way out to get him and realize, shit I forgot his collar and leash!

Saved by Dogs said, “Devil’s advocate – there are rare dogs who can hurt themselves when left in a kennel with a collar.”

You are absolutely right.  I certainly don’t want him wearing the collar in a kennel, but feel like they could put the leash on a hook behind the kennel of find another way to manage it.

Blueberry’s Human said, “It’s sad enough walking back to the car and driving home without your fuzzy buddy than to have them hand you the leash and collar like that!”

Thank you.  That is exactly my point.  It felt very final.

Loud and Clear

Really, the staples are coming out? And I can stop wearing the cone? Can Delilah eat it?

Really, the staples are coming out? And I can stop wearing the cone? Can Delilah eat it?

2 Brown Dawgs said, “I wonder if Delilah is nervous because she can’t see exactly what you are doing when you clip her back nails.”

I suppose it’s possible, I’ll have to see about positioning myself better the next time I clip them.

Two French Bulldogs said, “Mom is laughing cause we are going to be the death of her.”

Yeah, I think we have to laugh.

Saved by Dogs said, “Sure people can get things backwards but to not want a Lab – why their thinking must be pure broken!”

I know, I know.  As much as she vexes me, she also brings a lot of joy and laughter, she’s just frustrating sometimes. 🙂

That’s it for me, I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!

Loud and Clear

By

The staples are out!!

Yesterday was the big day.  The day that Sampson got the staples out of his leg.

Really, the staples are coming out? And I can stop wearing the cone? Can Delilah eat it?

Really, the staples are coming out? And I can stop wearing the cone? Can Delilah eat it?

The surgeon took my leash and I said, “Can’t I go with him?”  I was told that typically owners aren’t allowed with the dogs because sometimes the dogs get protective of their owners when they are removing them.

After the staples were removed we met with the Physical Therapist.  We discussed our strategy for Sampson’s recovery.   When she asked, I told her I want him to be able to run and hike off-leash again.   After watching him walk, she feels like he’s still favoring his leg and not walking properly on it.  (I really wanted to say, well when you lay around for 23 hours and 50 minutes a day, it doesn’t surprise me that he’s not walking properly on it.   But I didn’t.)  She gave him some cold laser treatment and we got him in the water treadmill for a few minutes.

I will be working on stretching his hip muscle out, work towards increasing his walks gradually up to fifteen minutes twice a day and continue working with him on his weight bearing exercises.  In two weeks he will begin a two times a week for four weeks therapy program with her.

He has also been cleared to have a bit more freedom in the house as long as we can monitor him and yesterday for the first time in over a month, he got to walk up the street.

He was a very tired, but very happy dog.

Someone, anyone please tell me why I wanted a Lab?

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again.  My dogs are going to be the death of me.  Whether it’s worrying me to death, doing something outlandish and giving me a heart attack or tripping me, sooner or later it’s bound to happen.

You all know what a clown Delilah is.  The truth of the matter is I really need a video camera to record every crazy thing she does, because most of her crazy antics aren’t captured on camera.  And there’s really no way I can describe some of the things she does.

Take yesterday.  I noticed Delilah’s nails were horribly long, so I grabbed the nail clippers and took her outside. She does great with the front paws, in fact I say “Paw” and she places her paw in my hand and lets me trim her nails  BUT when it comes to the back feet, she about loses her mind and I’m not sure why.  She thrashes about something fierce, not in an “I’m afraid” kind of thrashing but more like, “Holy Woof I’m pretty sure I’ll get a treat after this is done,” kind of way.

Well I managed to get her first back foot trimmed and then it happened.   She jumped up, smashing her head into my face and jamming my glasses into my eye.  It hurt so bad I immediately started crying.  And then I started cussing. And then I asked myself, “Whatever made me think I wanted a Lab?”

I’m pretty sure makeup will cover the bruising.

As if that weren’t enough, the LaCrosse season started and our field has been turned into a practice course.  Yesterday on our walk Delilah decided to let them know in no uncertain terms exactly what she thinks of them using the field.

I think she was pretty clear, no?

I think she was pretty clear, no?

Don’t worry!  I cleaned it up.  But I had to laugh first.  I couldn’t help it.

Has your dog ever left a loud and clear message?  Did you know this is Thursday Barks and Bytes Blog hop hosted by 2 Brown Dawgs and Heart Like a Dog?  Grab the badge and join the fun.

Heart Like a Dog

Dodge Dog

By

One of the things I’ve been struggling with regarding Sampson’s ACL injury is trying to give him the care he needs, while not letting Delilah feel too neglected.  Many is the time I’ve had to push her away to insure she doesn’t step on Sampson’s bad leg.   Or I’ve been busy with him and can’t give her the attention she’s been seeking.  And that makes me feel very badly.

Luckily I think spring has finally made her way to the northeast, and I’ve been trying to take advantage of the nicer weather to get Delilah out for a walk.

Yesterday my mom came and sat with Sampson so Delilah and I could get out and enjoy almost 60 degree weather.   Typically I let Delilah choose our walk.  We start out with her in the lead and whichever way she turns, I follow.  Of course there are times when I encourage her away from a situation I’m uncertain of, which is how we found ourselves playing Dodge Dog yesterday.

As we were making our way into our favorite park, I noticed an animal moving in the distance.   I pulled my camera out just in case it was a deer, but upon closer inspection it looked like a black lab.  I could hear a woman shouting for it, so I directed Delilah onto one of the side trails.

As I huffed and puffed behind her up the hill, my eyes kept straying to the path I’d seen the dog on.  Within a minute the off-leash dog was joined by another off-leash dog and shortly after that a woman followed.  They headed into the soccer field.  I knew I’d have to keep my eyes sharp if I was going to prevent my leashed dog from encountering the off-leash dogs.

The good thing was, Delilah had not seen the dogs so she wasn’t on the lookout for them.  But I was.  And not being able to anticipate which trail (if any) they would choose, I kept my eyes sharp.  Sure enough as we approached the field from the other direction, I noticed the black dog, in the field.   I contemplated a trail that would take us along side the field, but thought that might be pushing my luck.  So we turned around and headed back the way we had come.

As it turned out, our walk was a bit longer than I had planned, but it was a nice day and we managed to avoid an encounter with the off-leash dogs.

What is Dodge Dog? Are you setting me up for something? Is that why you are making me sit, in the dirt no less?

What is Dodge Dog? Are you setting me up for something? Is that why you are making me sit in the dirt?  You have no Dogcorum, dirt is not for sitting, it’s for digging.  Sheesh Mama.

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...