It's been an interesting summer. As I mentioned in the last blog, Jake was a pretty sick little pup. Then Jeff went to Hong Kong for a week and Abigail had surgery on both of her feet. I'm tired and I haven't really done anything all summer. But enought about me, here's the latest on Jake.....
After the first round of antibiotics, steroids, and "geritol", Jake improved. I took him back for another round of blood work last week and Jake was his old perky self while waiting in the waiting room. Instead of hiding behind my legs, he was trying to make friends with every other person and dog that walked in. Jake is just a friendly kind of guy. I like to think he takes after me because when I sit in a place with other people around, I'm usually going to find someone to talk to. I like to talk. A lot. So I started chatting with the lady sitting across from me. She was a petite lady with blond hair and was holding the cutest little white dog. The lady was dressed nicely and her dog had a little bow in her hair. This is the type of lady that doesn't just cross her legs or slumps. She sits up straight and only crosses her legs at the ankles. Picture perfect. Another lady came in and sat down next to her. Lady #2 was very talkative and made a running commentary on everyone and everything. I like those kind of people. (since this blog is about Jake, I won't write about the time I spent 4 hours sitting on a bench at the Kemah Boardwalk talking to possibly one of the funniest ladies I have ever met. While we were both waiting on our kids, she made comments about everyone at the Boardwalk that day. No one was spared....and it was hysterical) Anyway, lady #2 had brown hair and a cute brown and white pekingese who seemed to be making his own commentary about the other dogs. He let out little yelps and yaps whenever he thought it was appropriate. Next was a man bringing (actually, he was dragging) a cute little shih tzu. When it was obvious the dog wasn't going to come in on her own, the man picked her up and put her over his shoulder like a baby. So cute. He sat next to me, patting the dog on the back like he was burping her. Jake pretty much ignored her, he was still trying to get to the talkative pekingese. The man was interesting because he was wearing black shorts and a black and white t-shirt and his dog was black and white. He had black hair and a beard and his dog was in dire need of a haircut herself. When he was holding her, she almost just blended in.
Then it hit me. Wait a minute, that dog looks just like her owner! Then I looked at the petite, well groomed, blond lady and her petite, well groomed blond dog. Then I looked at lady #2 with her brown hair and running commentary and her brown little pekingese with his running commentary. Unbelievable! Dogs really do look like their owners! I've written about people at the dog park and how some dogs and owners seem to share certain personality traits, but this was different. These dogs really did LOOK like their owners! While I was pondering this, a man that looked like and was built like the famous fighter Oscar De La Hoya came in carrying a laundry basket. A laundry basket can only mean one thing...puppies! The puppies got everyones attention and we all had to get a look. Pekingese lady (of course) asked what kind of puppies they were. No kidding....they were boxers! Ok, at this point I was starting to giggle a little. Then, in walked a thin, frail, timid looking little lady. She had a puff of bleached blond hair on the top of her head. She pulled in a thin, frail, timid looking poodle....with a puff of white hair on the top of his head. She signed in and sat down. Her poodle was a "standard", easily the biggest dog in the room at this point. But honestly, it looked like the pekingese could have snapped him like a twig if he wanted to. While poodle lady was filling out paper work, Jake thought he would go over and welcome them. Poodle did not like it one bit and let out a hefty growl, then hid behind his owner's legs. Pekingnese lady kept saying, "Oh, you're not a friendly dog at all are you? Not a friendly dog. You don't want to be friends, do you?" and other things. The poodle owner was totally ignoring her dog's growling and Pekingese lady's comments. Actually, I think if she could have growled at Pekingese lady, she would have.
After all these case studies, I had to seriously look at Jake. Just how much did I favor him? Or maybe he doesn't look like me. Maybe he looks more like Abigail or Jeff. He's their dog, too. When I look at him, I think he has a cute, happy, slightly stupid look about him. Then I started to really worry. Do I look slightly stupid? One thing I did notice: because of his schnauzer/beagle coloring, he has dark roots. Ok, we do share that feature. But then it was time to go back and visit with Wonderful Vet.
WV took more blood from Jake and we got the results the next day. His blood levels had improved all across the board. Still not where they should be, but they are improving. WV is now pretty sure he ate something he shouldn't have. The plan for now is keeping him on antibiotics for another 2 weeks and continue with the geritol. We go back in a few weeks for another check up.
Before I left, I thought about asking WV and his staff if they have ever noticed the whole "dogs look like their owners" myth. But then in my mind I pictured them looking at me, looking at Jake, looking back at me and decided I better not ask.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sick Little Guy.....
Sometimes things happen so slowly, you don't even realize it's happening. For a couple of weeks, Jake had been getting slower and slower. We blamed the heat. I mean, it's been in the upper 90's with a few 100's thrown in there. It's hot! We all slow down when it gets that hot. But, even when it's hot, Jake will still perk up when he's in the nice air conditioning. And that's when we started to notice that things weren't quite right with Jake.
Every evening, rain or shine, Jake will sit and stare until one of us gives in to the gaze and takes him for a walk. And if we aren't quick enough, he'll start whining. I can handle lots of things. I work in a preschool. I'm used to yelling, crying, complaining, etc. But I don't handle whining. And Jake has figured that out. So he gets a walk every evening. Then, he will come home from his walk and get his rope or Blast (a stuffed dog that Abigail named Blast Hardcheese) and start running around the sofa with it just to go ahead and get that extra bit of energy out.
Another thing he always does is meet us at the door when we come home. I don't know how he does it but sometimes when we drive up, we see him looking out the window, like he heard us coming. He's always so happy to see us. Who doesn't love coming home to that?
And then over the course of a week, it just stopped. He quit whining to go for a walk. He quit playing with his toys. He quit meeting us at the door. Finally one day I actually had to go look for him when I got home. He was upstairs, asleep behind the recliner. He just didn't have the energy to go downstairs to greet us. The other thing we noticed was how he would sit and stare at us but close his eyes and start falling asleep. While sitting up! That was it. Time to take him to see his Wonderful Vet.
I drove him to the vet and instead of being happy that he was going for a car ride, he just sat there with his head hanging. The vet checked him out and noticed he was anemic but his lungs and heart sounded clear. I was afraid of heartworms, courtesy of Channel 2 doing a story about dogs getting heartworms even when they're on preventative medicine. Anyway, Wonderful Vet checked everything and poked Jake in places he didn't appreciate and then took some blood and said we would find out the results the next day. After we got in the car to come home, I saw a side of Jake that I rarely see...he was mad! He got up in the passenger seat of the van and sat, facing forward the whole way home. Not looking out the window, not looking at me when I talked to him or patted his head. He just looked straight ahead. When we got home, instead of jumping off the seat and getting out on my side of the van, he just sat there, looking straight ahead. I walked around to his side of the van, opened the door, and again, without looking at me, he jumped down. He came in the house and went straight upstairs for the next 3 hours.
Stress is a funny thing. Sometimes I handle it, sometimes I don't. This time I didn't. When I got home, I prayed, I cried, I asked people on Facebook to pray, I prayed some more, and I hugged Jake until he would have growled and snapped at me if he had the energy.
The next day, with my stomach in a huge knot, I called the office for the results. Basically it could be 1 of 2 things. He either got into something toxic or he has some type of auto immune disorder. Suddenly, I'm really hoping Jake ate something toxic since that would be the easiest to treat. I mean, come on. This is the dog that ate a razor blade one time. I wrote a whole post on this blog just about things that he has eaten. The treatment for either one of these is sort of the same. (there are lots more details that I understood at the time WV was explaining it to me, but now...not so much) So I took him back that morning and he got 3 shots (an antibiotic, a steroid and a B12) and 2 bottles of pills (antibiotic and steroid) and a bottle of liquid stuff that WV called "doggie Geritol". He also gave me 2 cans of prescription dog food made especially for diabetic dogs or dogs having GI trouble and I was to give him a tablespoon of that every hour just to keep something going through his tummy. Again, on the way home, Jake was mad. This time, instead of looking straight out of the window, at one point he actually stood up, turned to the side and faced the side window. He rode home with his back to me the whole time! Anyway, this was on Friday and WV said we should see a slight improvement by Saturday and he wanted me to call and report. Have I mentioned that Wonderful Vet is the best vet around? By Saturday morning, Jake was a little perkier. I was cautiously optimistic. Later in the morning, he did the familiar "sit and stare" until I told him I would take him for a walk. He came home, grabbed his toy and ran around the sofa! I was so excited! I called WV's office and told them what was going on. However, I was also told, this doesn't mean he doesn't have the autoimmune thing. But if he does, at least we know the treatment would work. Again, there are many more details than I'm giving you but my brain is tired.
But then Saturday night, it happened. Abigail and I went somewhere and when we drove up to the house I looked, and there was Jake, standing in the window! Even from the street, I could see him wagging his tail. I almost cried, I was so happy.
So, Jake seems to be on the mend for now. He still doesn't have his energy back all the way but as I write this, Jake is at the front window, watching the neighborhood and wagging his tail. Say a little prayer for him if you don't mind and I'll keep you posted......
Every evening, rain or shine, Jake will sit and stare until one of us gives in to the gaze and takes him for a walk. And if we aren't quick enough, he'll start whining. I can handle lots of things. I work in a preschool. I'm used to yelling, crying, complaining, etc. But I don't handle whining. And Jake has figured that out. So he gets a walk every evening. Then, he will come home from his walk and get his rope or Blast (a stuffed dog that Abigail named Blast Hardcheese) and start running around the sofa with it just to go ahead and get that extra bit of energy out.
Another thing he always does is meet us at the door when we come home. I don't know how he does it but sometimes when we drive up, we see him looking out the window, like he heard us coming. He's always so happy to see us. Who doesn't love coming home to that?
And then over the course of a week, it just stopped. He quit whining to go for a walk. He quit playing with his toys. He quit meeting us at the door. Finally one day I actually had to go look for him when I got home. He was upstairs, asleep behind the recliner. He just didn't have the energy to go downstairs to greet us. The other thing we noticed was how he would sit and stare at us but close his eyes and start falling asleep. While sitting up! That was it. Time to take him to see his Wonderful Vet.
I drove him to the vet and instead of being happy that he was going for a car ride, he just sat there with his head hanging. The vet checked him out and noticed he was anemic but his lungs and heart sounded clear. I was afraid of heartworms, courtesy of Channel 2 doing a story about dogs getting heartworms even when they're on preventative medicine. Anyway, Wonderful Vet checked everything and poked Jake in places he didn't appreciate and then took some blood and said we would find out the results the next day. After we got in the car to come home, I saw a side of Jake that I rarely see...he was mad! He got up in the passenger seat of the van and sat, facing forward the whole way home. Not looking out the window, not looking at me when I talked to him or patted his head. He just looked straight ahead. When we got home, instead of jumping off the seat and getting out on my side of the van, he just sat there, looking straight ahead. I walked around to his side of the van, opened the door, and again, without looking at me, he jumped down. He came in the house and went straight upstairs for the next 3 hours.
Stress is a funny thing. Sometimes I handle it, sometimes I don't. This time I didn't. When I got home, I prayed, I cried, I asked people on Facebook to pray, I prayed some more, and I hugged Jake until he would have growled and snapped at me if he had the energy.
The next day, with my stomach in a huge knot, I called the office for the results. Basically it could be 1 of 2 things. He either got into something toxic or he has some type of auto immune disorder. Suddenly, I'm really hoping Jake ate something toxic since that would be the easiest to treat. I mean, come on. This is the dog that ate a razor blade one time. I wrote a whole post on this blog just about things that he has eaten. The treatment for either one of these is sort of the same. (there are lots more details that I understood at the time WV was explaining it to me, but now...not so much) So I took him back that morning and he got 3 shots (an antibiotic, a steroid and a B12) and 2 bottles of pills (antibiotic and steroid) and a bottle of liquid stuff that WV called "doggie Geritol". He also gave me 2 cans of prescription dog food made especially for diabetic dogs or dogs having GI trouble and I was to give him a tablespoon of that every hour just to keep something going through his tummy. Again, on the way home, Jake was mad. This time, instead of looking straight out of the window, at one point he actually stood up, turned to the side and faced the side window. He rode home with his back to me the whole time! Anyway, this was on Friday and WV said we should see a slight improvement by Saturday and he wanted me to call and report. Have I mentioned that Wonderful Vet is the best vet around? By Saturday morning, Jake was a little perkier. I was cautiously optimistic. Later in the morning, he did the familiar "sit and stare" until I told him I would take him for a walk. He came home, grabbed his toy and ran around the sofa! I was so excited! I called WV's office and told them what was going on. However, I was also told, this doesn't mean he doesn't have the autoimmune thing. But if he does, at least we know the treatment would work. Again, there are many more details than I'm giving you but my brain is tired.
But then Saturday night, it happened. Abigail and I went somewhere and when we drove up to the house I looked, and there was Jake, standing in the window! Even from the street, I could see him wagging his tail. I almost cried, I was so happy.
So, Jake seems to be on the mend for now. He still doesn't have his energy back all the way but as I write this, Jake is at the front window, watching the neighborhood and wagging his tail. Say a little prayer for him if you don't mind and I'll keep you posted......
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Going to the dogs
Wow, it's been awhile since I've written anything about Jake. He's been busy, though. Some of it good, some, well, not so much.
Jake survived the winter. He actually likes the cold weather of winter. He likes to run around outside enjoying the cold. My Dad used to always say our dog Snoopy was "feeling his oats" whenever he was running around outside. I have no idea what it means but I've used that term also. I hope it's not anything bad.
One of Jake's favorite things to do while the weather is nice and cool is to go to the dog park. It's a really great place for a dog and it's not such a bad place for people, either. I've been taking him lately, usually on a Friday or Saturday morning. Friday's are nice because it's not too crowded and I'm still a bit nervous walking into a park with my happy-go-lucky, "I wanna be friends with everyone" kind of dog. We've never had any problems but I'm afraid the day will come when Jake comes across a dog that just doesn't want to be friends with him and doesn't appreciate all the backside sniffing that goes along with new found friendship.
A dog park is also a great place to just sit and watch other "dog people". I've decided that most people really are like their dogs. Or their dogs are like them. Whatever. So, after much observation and entirely too much thinking, I've come up with the basic master/dog combos you, too can witness at your local dog park. You have:
The Overachievers: These are the really energetic people that show up with frisbees and tennis balls and always have Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, or some other hyper type of dog. They go around the park and show off all kinds of skills the rest of us wish we had the energy and time to invest in our dogs. They can put on quite a show but the rest of us just watch and hope our dog doesn't pee on someone's leg.
The Families: These are the owners that make going to the dog park a family outing. They have anything from shelties to bulldogs. The parents are always a little on edge. They have their kids and dogs running around the park. Sometimes they're chasing the kids, sometimes the dog. It's a little like trying to herd chickens. I just have a feeling there is a big sigh of relief when they get the right kids and dog in the car and buckled up.
The exercisers: They have labs or retreivers, carry water bottles, and are always dressed in name brand exercise clothes. No old t-shirt and raggedy shorts for them. They walk laps around the park while their incredibly fit dogs run alongside.
The Cool Dog Owners: These are the people that are obviously important and way too busy to walk the dog but they come occasionally because it's the right thing to do. They always have a phone to the ear (or in their ear) or sometimes they're texting. If they're not texting, they usually have a cup of Starbucks. I've seen people spend the entire time on their phone or texting and never look up. I'm amazed at their coordination. I tried to slip into their group once. I showed up with a cup of coffee and my phone. Ok, well, it was McDonald's coffee so I was already down a few notches. Jake was so excited to be at the park, he pulled away from me when we got out of the car. My hand jerked and coffee went all over the front of my shirt. So, as Jake is running through the parking lot, dragging his leash behind him, I'm running after him (still holding my coffee) and trying to get close enough to step on his leash. I ran a few steps and then jumped to try to get my foot on his leash. I did that all the way through the parking lot.....with coffee all over my shirt. Any hopes of joining the Cool Dog Owners vanished right then. I didn't even bother to pull out my phone and pretend to text anyone after that.
The My-Dog-Is-Nothing-Special-But-I-Love-Him-All-The-Same People: These are the people that just go to the park with their average and untrained but happy dogs and sit on the benches and watch the dogs and other people. That's the category I fall into. I usually walk around the park for awhile because Jake won't stray far from me. If I'm moving , he's moving. When I sit, he usually sits close by. Sounds like a good boy, huh? I don't know why he's this way at the park where he has free reign. If he gets out at home, he runs off and it takes half the neighborhood to finally trap him and bring him home.
I've met some interesting people at the park. We always start by talking about our dogs. Sometimes it ends with that, sometimes it moves on. The other week I talked to a very nice man. I'm guessing he is retired. He said he didn't really want the cute little beagle that was digging in a really big hole while we were talking. He was talked into it by his granddaughter. Now he said, he wouldn't take anything for his little friend. I think that's how most people become dog owners. We started out talking about our dogs and ended up talking about how the area had changed in the last 30 years and then about his really great trip to Branson. He told me about the shows he went to and the nice places to stay. I know this sounds like a boring conversation but I was really enjoying our talk. As usual at the dog park, I got his dog's name, but not his. But I hope to see Sam and his owner at the park again sometime and sit on the bench and chat for awhile.
Jake survived the winter. He actually likes the cold weather of winter. He likes to run around outside enjoying the cold. My Dad used to always say our dog Snoopy was "feeling his oats" whenever he was running around outside. I have no idea what it means but I've used that term also. I hope it's not anything bad.
One of Jake's favorite things to do while the weather is nice and cool is to go to the dog park. It's a really great place for a dog and it's not such a bad place for people, either. I've been taking him lately, usually on a Friday or Saturday morning. Friday's are nice because it's not too crowded and I'm still a bit nervous walking into a park with my happy-go-lucky, "I wanna be friends with everyone" kind of dog. We've never had any problems but I'm afraid the day will come when Jake comes across a dog that just doesn't want to be friends with him and doesn't appreciate all the backside sniffing that goes along with new found friendship.
A dog park is also a great place to just sit and watch other "dog people". I've decided that most people really are like their dogs. Or their dogs are like them. Whatever. So, after much observation and entirely too much thinking, I've come up with the basic master/dog combos you, too can witness at your local dog park. You have:
The Overachievers: These are the really energetic people that show up with frisbees and tennis balls and always have Border Collies, Australian Shepherds, or some other hyper type of dog. They go around the park and show off all kinds of skills the rest of us wish we had the energy and time to invest in our dogs. They can put on quite a show but the rest of us just watch and hope our dog doesn't pee on someone's leg.
The Families: These are the owners that make going to the dog park a family outing. They have anything from shelties to bulldogs. The parents are always a little on edge. They have their kids and dogs running around the park. Sometimes they're chasing the kids, sometimes the dog. It's a little like trying to herd chickens. I just have a feeling there is a big sigh of relief when they get the right kids and dog in the car and buckled up.
The exercisers: They have labs or retreivers, carry water bottles, and are always dressed in name brand exercise clothes. No old t-shirt and raggedy shorts for them. They walk laps around the park while their incredibly fit dogs run alongside.
The Cool Dog Owners: These are the people that are obviously important and way too busy to walk the dog but they come occasionally because it's the right thing to do. They always have a phone to the ear (or in their ear) or sometimes they're texting. If they're not texting, they usually have a cup of Starbucks. I've seen people spend the entire time on their phone or texting and never look up. I'm amazed at their coordination. I tried to slip into their group once. I showed up with a cup of coffee and my phone. Ok, well, it was McDonald's coffee so I was already down a few notches. Jake was so excited to be at the park, he pulled away from me when we got out of the car. My hand jerked and coffee went all over the front of my shirt. So, as Jake is running through the parking lot, dragging his leash behind him, I'm running after him (still holding my coffee) and trying to get close enough to step on his leash. I ran a few steps and then jumped to try to get my foot on his leash. I did that all the way through the parking lot.....with coffee all over my shirt. Any hopes of joining the Cool Dog Owners vanished right then. I didn't even bother to pull out my phone and pretend to text anyone after that.
The My-Dog-Is-Nothing-Special-But-I-Love-Him-All-The-Same People: These are the people that just go to the park with their average and untrained but happy dogs and sit on the benches and watch the dogs and other people. That's the category I fall into. I usually walk around the park for awhile because Jake won't stray far from me. If I'm moving , he's moving. When I sit, he usually sits close by. Sounds like a good boy, huh? I don't know why he's this way at the park where he has free reign. If he gets out at home, he runs off and it takes half the neighborhood to finally trap him and bring him home.
I've met some interesting people at the park. We always start by talking about our dogs. Sometimes it ends with that, sometimes it moves on. The other week I talked to a very nice man. I'm guessing he is retired. He said he didn't really want the cute little beagle that was digging in a really big hole while we were talking. He was talked into it by his granddaughter. Now he said, he wouldn't take anything for his little friend. I think that's how most people become dog owners. We started out talking about our dogs and ended up talking about how the area had changed in the last 30 years and then about his really great trip to Branson. He told me about the shows he went to and the nice places to stay. I know this sounds like a boring conversation but I was really enjoying our talk. As usual at the dog park, I got his dog's name, but not his. But I hope to see Sam and his owner at the park again sometime and sit on the bench and chat for awhile.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Christmas decorations....
Ok, it's been quite awhile since I've posted anything on Jake. It's not because he hasn't done anything post-worthy. There are the 3 ink stains on the living room carpet, for example. No, Jake has been as busy as ever. But when I think about writing about his exploits I start to worry about what people are thinking about me. Like the ink stains. People might wonder how he can get his mouth on 2 pens. Yes, 3 stains but he used 2 pens to do the damage. I'm afraid people will think I leave ink pens just laying around the house. To be honest, I'm not sure how he got the pens. I'm pretty sure one of them was on the coffee table in the living room. A big no-no. Usually, before we leave a room, we do a quick scan and make sure everything is up. And by everything, I mean remote controls, phones, pens, pencils, shoes, small pillows, etc. In fact, we pretty much just have furniture and 17 chew toys in the living room. And the living room and kitchen are the only rooms he has access to. All the other doors in the house are closed. And still, he is able to get pens and leave 3 sizeable blue spots on our beige carpet. And they're not even in a place we can cover with furniture. Right in the entry way. Oh well.
In any case, please don't think my house is in that bad of shape. I don't have a maid so our house looks like a maidless family lives here.
And now it's Christmas. I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the tree, the food....everything. Last year, Jake didn't bother the tree too much. He found it interesting, but he didn't bother it. We put our presents under the tree and he didn't do too much damage with them. This year is a little different for some reason. He's a lot more sneaky. We have the tree up and he left it alone for a whole week. Then one day, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him walk to the tree and then run off. When Jake runs from something, that's the first indication that a crime has been committed. I chased after him and he had a little plastic ornament from one of the bottom branches. Then he left everything alone for another week. I put a few presents under the tree, off to one side, to see how he would do. They are on one side of the tree because he has decided he likes to sleep under the tree. Everytime he goes under there or come out from under, the whole tree shakes and just when I think it's going to topple over, he's out and it stops. Anyway, he left the presents alone for a few days and then decided one of the curly bows looked like fun so he tried ripping it off. I caught him before he could do any real damage. But now, he's back to the ornaments and has tried the "grab and run" with them in the last week. So, the rest of you out there with your beautifully decorated homes, picture my living room this Christmas. As you enter the house, you'll notice the window ledge next to the front door that has half of the ledge chewed off from Jake's puppy days. Walk past our pretty entry way tile to the start of the carpet entering the living room. This is where you'll see the blue ink stains. They are now various shades of blue because of all the different things I've tried on them to get the ink out. Nothing works. I don't care what anyone says or suggests. It won't work. As you look straight ahead to our lovely, slightly lopsided tree, you'll see a few presents under one side with our red hassock in front of that side of the tree. Jake is afraid of the hassock ever since it rolled when he ran into it so he avoids it. The tree skirt on the other side of the tree is most likely messed up because he likes to move it around when he's laying under the tree for his nap. Other than that, I'm sure our house looks just like yours this Christmas.
Here's Jake in his new favorite nap spot.......
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!
In any case, please don't think my house is in that bad of shape. I don't have a maid so our house looks like a maidless family lives here.
And now it's Christmas. I love Christmas. I love the decorations, the tree, the food....everything. Last year, Jake didn't bother the tree too much. He found it interesting, but he didn't bother it. We put our presents under the tree and he didn't do too much damage with them. This year is a little different for some reason. He's a lot more sneaky. We have the tree up and he left it alone for a whole week. Then one day, out of the corner of my eye, I saw him walk to the tree and then run off. When Jake runs from something, that's the first indication that a crime has been committed. I chased after him and he had a little plastic ornament from one of the bottom branches. Then he left everything alone for another week. I put a few presents under the tree, off to one side, to see how he would do. They are on one side of the tree because he has decided he likes to sleep under the tree. Everytime he goes under there or come out from under, the whole tree shakes and just when I think it's going to topple over, he's out and it stops. Anyway, he left the presents alone for a few days and then decided one of the curly bows looked like fun so he tried ripping it off. I caught him before he could do any real damage. But now, he's back to the ornaments and has tried the "grab and run" with them in the last week. So, the rest of you out there with your beautifully decorated homes, picture my living room this Christmas. As you enter the house, you'll notice the window ledge next to the front door that has half of the ledge chewed off from Jake's puppy days. Walk past our pretty entry way tile to the start of the carpet entering the living room. This is where you'll see the blue ink stains. They are now various shades of blue because of all the different things I've tried on them to get the ink out. Nothing works. I don't care what anyone says or suggests. It won't work. As you look straight ahead to our lovely, slightly lopsided tree, you'll see a few presents under one side with our red hassock in front of that side of the tree. Jake is afraid of the hassock ever since it rolled when he ran into it so he avoids it. The tree skirt on the other side of the tree is most likely messed up because he likes to move it around when he's laying under the tree for his nap. Other than that, I'm sure our house looks just like yours this Christmas.
Here's Jake in his new favorite nap spot.......
MERRY CHRISTMAS, EVERYONE!!
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Jake's Diet (Part 2)
A couple of months ago I wrote about Jake being a little "husky" and I resolved to put him on a diet. I started feeding him less of the canned food and more of the dry, hoping that would fill him up with less calories. I still feed him some table scraps, but not as much. Well, I hope it's not as much.
This morning I thought it was time for a grand weigh in. Weighing Jake is no easy task. Holding him and balancing on a scale is tough. Last time I weighed Jake, he weighed 42 pounds. This time he weighed....drum roll, please......42 pounds. What?! All that work and nothing to show for it? Jake wasn't upset by it at all. He was just happy when I got off the scale and put him down.
This morning I got my daily email from a pet website I subscribe to. The topic happened to be about overweight dogs. I opened it right away to see what I'm doing wrong. The first thing it said is that in the world of pet owners, a common name for an overweight dog is "chunky monkey". Even the vet didn't know how the term started but there it is. He also said between 25 and 45% of dogs in the US are overweight. Is that really surprising? Look at the US in general. Why should our pets be any different?
I was sure this article was going to have all the answers and hopefully a diet plan I could rigidly follow. I do well with plans. I was hoping for a Weight Watchers for dogs. A Jenny Craig, with the prepackaged meals for dogs, would be even better. But first it said that all members of the family must admit that the dog is overweight. Immediately I pictured myself standing in front of a room full of people and shamefully saying, "Hello. My name is Cindy and I have a Chunky Monkey". Ok, we're past step one because my family has been telling me for months that Jake is overweight. They acknowledged it way before I did. After that it said to check the food intake versus the exercise. Jake gets plenty of exercise. He gets at least one good walk everyday, sometimes two. Jeff takes him to the park and walks him at least 1 or 2 miles and then through the neighborhood. Some nights I take him to see his pals down the street and they run in their backyard. Really, isn't that enough for a dog? I've been told that people in my neighborhood have dogs but I couldn't tell you what they look like because those dogs never get out of the house. Are their dogs overweight? If not, then what's their secret?
So, I'm pretty sure exercise isn't the issue. It must be his diet. He's eating the same food as always and like I said, I've cut down on the canned food. I'm trying to think about the table scraps. I can't imagine not giving a dog the occasional bit of people food. Would you want to eat the exact same food everyday? Dogs need variety too. Now that I think about it, the table scraps might be the problem. Yesterday he had part of my pizza (the dog loves pizza!), some King Ranch Chicken casserole, a bite or two of cheese, some crackers. Yeah, that's not sounding too good.
The article went on to name several things that obesity can cause in dogs, like diabetes. Ok, now I'm scared. I think I will make that appointment with our wonderful vet and get Jake checked out. I also think I'm going to have to get tougher on the table scraps. But in the meantime, if you know of any overweight pets support groups that my little Chunky Monkey and I could attend, let me know.
This morning I thought it was time for a grand weigh in. Weighing Jake is no easy task. Holding him and balancing on a scale is tough. Last time I weighed Jake, he weighed 42 pounds. This time he weighed....drum roll, please......42 pounds. What?! All that work and nothing to show for it? Jake wasn't upset by it at all. He was just happy when I got off the scale and put him down.
This morning I got my daily email from a pet website I subscribe to. The topic happened to be about overweight dogs. I opened it right away to see what I'm doing wrong. The first thing it said is that in the world of pet owners, a common name for an overweight dog is "chunky monkey". Even the vet didn't know how the term started but there it is. He also said between 25 and 45% of dogs in the US are overweight. Is that really surprising? Look at the US in general. Why should our pets be any different?
I was sure this article was going to have all the answers and hopefully a diet plan I could rigidly follow. I do well with plans. I was hoping for a Weight Watchers for dogs. A Jenny Craig, with the prepackaged meals for dogs, would be even better. But first it said that all members of the family must admit that the dog is overweight. Immediately I pictured myself standing in front of a room full of people and shamefully saying, "Hello. My name is Cindy and I have a Chunky Monkey". Ok, we're past step one because my family has been telling me for months that Jake is overweight. They acknowledged it way before I did. After that it said to check the food intake versus the exercise. Jake gets plenty of exercise. He gets at least one good walk everyday, sometimes two. Jeff takes him to the park and walks him at least 1 or 2 miles and then through the neighborhood. Some nights I take him to see his pals down the street and they run in their backyard. Really, isn't that enough for a dog? I've been told that people in my neighborhood have dogs but I couldn't tell you what they look like because those dogs never get out of the house. Are their dogs overweight? If not, then what's their secret?
So, I'm pretty sure exercise isn't the issue. It must be his diet. He's eating the same food as always and like I said, I've cut down on the canned food. I'm trying to think about the table scraps. I can't imagine not giving a dog the occasional bit of people food. Would you want to eat the exact same food everyday? Dogs need variety too. Now that I think about it, the table scraps might be the problem. Yesterday he had part of my pizza (the dog loves pizza!), some King Ranch Chicken casserole, a bite or two of cheese, some crackers. Yeah, that's not sounding too good.
The article went on to name several things that obesity can cause in dogs, like diabetes. Ok, now I'm scared. I think I will make that appointment with our wonderful vet and get Jake checked out. I also think I'm going to have to get tougher on the table scraps. But in the meantime, if you know of any overweight pets support groups that my little Chunky Monkey and I could attend, let me know.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Dog Proofing
Dad had some minor surgery last week. Nothing serious, just foot surgery but to those of you that know my dad, anything that would keep him off his feet is not good. My dad likes to move, likes to keep going so keeping him off his feet was not going to be easy. He takes his dogs for walks several times a day, whether they want to go or not. During his surgery, Lela and I thought it would be best if I brought their dogs, Fritz and Freddie, back here for a visit. Jake would be ecstatic. He loves playing with Fritz. And Freddie....well, Freddie would enjoy sitting on the couch with me. We got Dad back home and in bed after the surgery and "the boys" were jumping all over him. That made the decision even easier. I packed the dogs up: crate, bag of food, bag of their favorite toys, some rawhides, dog bed, leashes. Check. Abigail and I grabbed the boys and drove home. Interestingly, the second we turned into our neighborhood, Freddie went nuts. He was barking, growling, and clawing at the window. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad.
Everything went great. They played until they were tired, took a little nap, then played some more. Fritz likes to get in the pool so we got a float and put him in it. He would stand with his front paws on the inflated pillow and honestly, I thought I could hear him say "I'm king of the world!" While Fritz was floating, Jake was running around barking at him and anytime Fritz would get close to the edge of the pool, Jake was there trying to paw him out of the float. In the meantime, Freddie was hiding under one of the patio chairs.
In my house, dog proofing is pretty much the same as preparing for a hurricane. Everything is off the floor at least 5 feet. But I still don't trust Jake or Fritz, mostly Jake, to be out unobserved and not chew up everything in sight. So, anytime we go anywhere, we put them in the bathroom. To make their time in the bathroom more comfortable, we put in 2 dog beds, numerous toys, a few Milkbones, and a bowl of water. I also always lock the closet doors with a childproof latch to keep them out of there and, more importantly, away from all shoes. The first time we left them in the bathroom, this is what we came home to:
Jeff said it looked like a frat party had taken place in here. Neither of the beds were in the same place I originally put them. Not sure how they pulled the rug back. The white paper on the floor is the label that was on the back of the rug. But the doors to the closet. That's what really got me. Here's a close up of the door knobs:
The latch was still attached but it pulled one of the doorknobs off. Don't know how they did it, but they did. Amazingly, they didn't destroy anything in the closet, including my cute little bunny slippers that were on the floor in there. Why is it I can't walk across the room with those slippers on without Jake trying to play tug-o-war with the little bunny ears but they were sitting in plain sight and not one of the dogs bothered them?
Anyway, I got the doorknob on and fastened tightly (it involved using a bobby pin) but that doorknob wasn't going anywhere. So I locked it again, checked it twice and it wasn't budging. When we got home, the closet doors were open. The doorknob was still on. The weird thing is that the latch was gone. Totally gone. I looked all over the bathroom, in the dog beds, everywhere. Nothing. I looked in the closet. Nope. Granted, our closet is a mess. We have 3 clothes baskets in there. Maybe they buried it somewhere in the closet. I even thought maybe they ate it but I'm sure there would have been little plastic crumbs on the floor.
Fortunately, I buy the economy packs of these things since Jake has broken several of them off (but never with the doorknobs attached). So the next time we left, I put 2 latches on the doorknobs and Fritz's kennel in front of the doors, hoping to block the doors completely. When we got home, the doors were still locked. But the kennel was across the floor, the blankets and pillows were out of the beds and the rug was pulled back again. Next time, I think I'll take my chances and just leave them out.
And I'm still looking for the missing latch.
Here's Abigail with Freddie (left) and Fritz.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Jake's Diet
The day we got Jake, the people we bought him from told us they thought Jake would get to be about 25 or 30 pounds. Sounded like a good, manageable size to me. Then Jake started growing. And growing. I thought he was such an odd dog. He has these tiny, petite feet but such a big body. His feet just don't match his body.
Now, I've been enlightened. Well, not so much enlightened as I've had my eyes pried open by concerned family, friends, and neighbors. My dog is fat. It's not that his feet don't match his body....his body is too big for his feet. He probably would be about 25 or 30 pounds if I hadn't been feeding him pizza crust and graham crackers and other assorted goodies. I blame myself. Jake's actions say it all. When we sit down to eat or snack or do anything where food is in front of us, Jake comes to me. He doesn't go to anyone else. When I run out of graham crackers, he doesn't move on to Abigail or Jeff, he just gives up and walks away knowing he won't get anything from them. Yes. It's my fault I have a fat dog. Jeff says he's "chunky". So does one of our neighbors who then laughs as she reminds me how I said he wouldn't get over 25 pounds. I like the phrase "husky" because there's still a doggie connotation there. But then again, when I hear the word "husky" I remember walking through the boys "husky" section of Sears when I was kid. At least they didn't call it the "chunky" section.
So, what to do about it. I looked up a few articles about "overweight dogs". None of the articles say "fat", just "overweight". Let's see. One way to tell if your dog is fat, I mean, overweight, is to see if you are able to feel his ribs. Ok Jake, let's check it out. Well, I can feel his ribs if I push down really, really hard. Yes. I'm sure there are ribs in there....somewhere. Another way to tell is to stand over your dog and look down his spine. He should have a curved indentation right below the ribs. Well, since I can't see or feel his ribs, how would I know where that indentation is supposed to be? He shouldn't be "a straight line or bowed out". Jake falls in the bowed out range which I always thought was cute when you walk behind him. He kind of waddles. Really...it's cute. But back to the test. Not doing so well so far. Ok, next is to check the area above the base of the tail. Overweight pets have extra padding or folds in this area. I always thought the little padding was a congenital anomaly. But I have to face the facts....Jake is fat.
So Jake is on a diet. I weighed him today and he's 42 pounds. Considerably higher than the 25-30 pounds the breeder said he would be. I reviewed what he eats in a typical day. He eats a bowl of dry food with 1/3 of a can of dog food mixed in with it twice a day. When Jake was a puppy, his vet said he could have table scraps. In fact, according to the vet, table scraps are good for dogs because it helps with their immune system. But I'm not sure I was supposed to give him as many table scraps as he gets. It's just so convenient sometimes. I like pizza but not the crust, so we share it. I like grilled cheese sandwiches but not the crust, so we share it. You get the idea.
The vet said both brands of dog food I use are fine but he did mention mixing in some bran flakes so he would feel fuller and not eat so much. So far, I haven't tried it since I keep forgetting to buy bran flakes and I'm not sure Chocolate Life cereal would be a good substitute. This morning I made some oatmeal for breakfast and thought I would mix some in with his dog food and hopefully that would fill up him. I know he likes oatmeal because he had to eat it for 3 days after he ate a razor blade last year. So, I gave him a smaller portion of his food and mixed some oatmeal in it. He loved it. Totally licked the bowl clean. Ok, that should keep him satisfied until dinner time. After about 15 minutes he was whining. Surely he wasn't hungry already. I checked him out. "Jake, are you ok, boy?" Then he threw up at my feet. Jake felt pretty spry after his purge and I was on my hands and knees cleaning oatmeal and dog food out of the carpet. Day one of the diet wasn't off to a great start.
By lunchtime he was pretty hungry. Remember how I said I share things with Jake? Today for lunch I had a chicken pot pie. I love chicken pot pie but I don't like the chicken, I just want the crust and veggies. Jake loves the chicken so I had to share it with him. It's chicken. That can't be bad for him, right? Yeah, I realize I may have kind of blown the calorie count on lunch since I added a little bit of crust in with the chicken. Now that I think about it, I gave him a little ham mixed in with his dog food at dinner time. Hmmm, not so sure that was good for him either. The good thing is that the responsible dog owner in this family (Jeff) makes sure he gets enough exercise everyday. He took him for a nice 1 mile walk around the park this evening. I think I need to start over and come up with a better eating plan for him.
I wonder if Animal Planet has a "Biggest Loser" for dogs. I may have to sign Jake up.
Now, I've been enlightened. Well, not so much enlightened as I've had my eyes pried open by concerned family, friends, and neighbors. My dog is fat. It's not that his feet don't match his body....his body is too big for his feet. He probably would be about 25 or 30 pounds if I hadn't been feeding him pizza crust and graham crackers and other assorted goodies. I blame myself. Jake's actions say it all. When we sit down to eat or snack or do anything where food is in front of us, Jake comes to me. He doesn't go to anyone else. When I run out of graham crackers, he doesn't move on to Abigail or Jeff, he just gives up and walks away knowing he won't get anything from them. Yes. It's my fault I have a fat dog. Jeff says he's "chunky". So does one of our neighbors who then laughs as she reminds me how I said he wouldn't get over 25 pounds. I like the phrase "husky" because there's still a doggie connotation there. But then again, when I hear the word "husky" I remember walking through the boys "husky" section of Sears when I was kid. At least they didn't call it the "chunky" section.
So, what to do about it. I looked up a few articles about "overweight dogs". None of the articles say "fat", just "overweight". Let's see. One way to tell if your dog is fat, I mean, overweight, is to see if you are able to feel his ribs. Ok Jake, let's check it out. Well, I can feel his ribs if I push down really, really hard. Yes. I'm sure there are ribs in there....somewhere. Another way to tell is to stand over your dog and look down his spine. He should have a curved indentation right below the ribs. Well, since I can't see or feel his ribs, how would I know where that indentation is supposed to be? He shouldn't be "a straight line or bowed out". Jake falls in the bowed out range which I always thought was cute when you walk behind him. He kind of waddles. Really...it's cute. But back to the test. Not doing so well so far. Ok, next is to check the area above the base of the tail. Overweight pets have extra padding or folds in this area. I always thought the little padding was a congenital anomaly. But I have to face the facts....Jake is fat.
So Jake is on a diet. I weighed him today and he's 42 pounds. Considerably higher than the 25-30 pounds the breeder said he would be. I reviewed what he eats in a typical day. He eats a bowl of dry food with 1/3 of a can of dog food mixed in with it twice a day. When Jake was a puppy, his vet said he could have table scraps. In fact, according to the vet, table scraps are good for dogs because it helps with their immune system. But I'm not sure I was supposed to give him as many table scraps as he gets. It's just so convenient sometimes. I like pizza but not the crust, so we share it. I like grilled cheese sandwiches but not the crust, so we share it. You get the idea.
The vet said both brands of dog food I use are fine but he did mention mixing in some bran flakes so he would feel fuller and not eat so much. So far, I haven't tried it since I keep forgetting to buy bran flakes and I'm not sure Chocolate Life cereal would be a good substitute. This morning I made some oatmeal for breakfast and thought I would mix some in with his dog food and hopefully that would fill up him. I know he likes oatmeal because he had to eat it for 3 days after he ate a razor blade last year. So, I gave him a smaller portion of his food and mixed some oatmeal in it. He loved it. Totally licked the bowl clean. Ok, that should keep him satisfied until dinner time. After about 15 minutes he was whining. Surely he wasn't hungry already. I checked him out. "Jake, are you ok, boy?" Then he threw up at my feet. Jake felt pretty spry after his purge and I was on my hands and knees cleaning oatmeal and dog food out of the carpet. Day one of the diet wasn't off to a great start.
By lunchtime he was pretty hungry. Remember how I said I share things with Jake? Today for lunch I had a chicken pot pie. I love chicken pot pie but I don't like the chicken, I just want the crust and veggies. Jake loves the chicken so I had to share it with him. It's chicken. That can't be bad for him, right? Yeah, I realize I may have kind of blown the calorie count on lunch since I added a little bit of crust in with the chicken. Now that I think about it, I gave him a little ham mixed in with his dog food at dinner time. Hmmm, not so sure that was good for him either. The good thing is that the responsible dog owner in this family (Jeff) makes sure he gets enough exercise everyday. He took him for a nice 1 mile walk around the park this evening. I think I need to start over and come up with a better eating plan for him.
I wonder if Animal Planet has a "Biggest Loser" for dogs. I may have to sign Jake up.
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