The NEVERENDING Pet Thread

[Mud Princess]

My dog had her nasal passages flushed (again) at the vet's office yesterday, and today she seems to be sleeping off the whole experience. We are trying yet another antibiotic in an effort to combat the staph infection she has had in her sinuses since we adopted her two-and-a-half years ago.

Now the vet thinks there could be a fungal infection, so we were given a prescription for that as well. Both drugs are used in humans, and they are in human-sized forms. The anti-fungal is a huge capsule.

Can anyone offer some ideas for getting the dog to take a capsule? We were using things like peanut butter (enclosing the pill in a piece of bread with a lot of PB), and turkey and cheese, but she is getting wise to these methods. Could I empty the contents of the capsule into something? I thought about mixing it into applesauce because my dog loves apples, but I wonder if the smell or taste of the medicine would turn her off.

To make matters worse, the anti-fungal medication is extremely expensive, so I can't afford to waste any...

Any suggestions? Please???

[PlannerGirl]

I donno how chilled out your dog is but I have to throat fist my beagle to get meds into him. Pretty much pry open his jaws and stuff the pills all the way back in his throat then hold the jaws closed and massage the throat until he swallows.

If it did not go back far enough he will start trying to chew or foam at the mouth.

We have reached a simi acceptable level of compliance with him doing this, as long as I get it over quick he wont buck too much. If I screw up and he has to taste it well it makes for a not fun morning.

good luck

[Journeymouse]

Finn likes pate. Butter has been known to work, although if this is a long-term medication, it could lead to weight problems! Basically, a lump of anything that can be moulded and clings to the tablet goes down well with just about every dog I've had to dose.

Evie will eat anything. Including tablets without any kind of cover up. I only put the medication in stuff so that I don't have to count my fingers afterwards. Not only is she wierd but she has no manners.

[zman]

THIS DOG IS KILLING ME!

More news from Tuesday night.

Apparently after our first neighbor coaxed our dog over the fence, she climbed out again and headed to the park where she proceeded to get into a scuffle (no injuries) with another dog. Yet another neighbor saw this and chased my dog home, where she climbed back in and stayed.

My biggest problem here is it seems a betrayal of trust. Now I know that a dog's reasoning capability is not that of man, but I still feel betrayed a little. I just don't know what to make of all this. Maybe she got out every day, roamed around a little, and then came home. What prompted her to do this. We're walking them both even more now or at least throwing the ball for her, but I don't want to be held hostage by this. What if I am sick and cannot take them out, will she jump the fence as punishment for me? My arm got injured during my last hockey game so walking two large dogs has become a chore, if I don't walk them long enough will she jump? We're not gone for hours at a time, I leave for work at 8:15; home for lunch at Noon, and then back home for the day at 4:30. It has been too hot to walk the dogs for an extended period of time at lunch, but they usually get that midday exercise.

Regardless, the addition of a "lattice shelf" along the top of the fence will occur on Saturday. And I think the wheelbarrow will stayed propped against the fence where she has climbed.

Didn't mean to dump on all of you... just needed to vent.

[craines]

My biggest problem here is it seems a betrayal of trust. Now I know that a dog's reasoning capability is not that of man, ........

I was not aware a dogs capability to reason. Maybe a simple deductive type of reasoning. I do not know could be....................

As far as keeping him in you can extend the fence down below the finish grade (just incase she reverts to digging and extend it upwards. Though they may react to this with more unwanted behavior.

Just remember you are the ALPHA DOG

[dandy_warhol]

zman, why not avoid the problem by not leaving the dog unattended in the backyard? i realize that make your life a little more difficult and inconvenient but it may save the dog's life in the long run.

and if you don't want her loose in the house during the day, crate her or confine her to one area.

[zman]

99% of the time, she is fine in the backyard unattended. She usually smiffs around, goes to the bathroom, and then suns herself on the deck for a spell, only to return inside to sleep on top of the A/C vent in the kitchen.
It is that 1% of the time where she decides to get out and roam a bit. It's weird, I take a little offense to the "Don't leave her unattended crowd, because it makes me sound like a bad dog owner and I don't think I am...

Anyways, the lattice board is up and looks to work well. I will be leaving the dog door open this week (except for hockey tomorrow night, where I don't not want to thought of her climbing to hit me while I play my game...) and I will post back.

[dandy_warhol]

It is that 1% of the time where she decides to get out and roam a bit. It's weird, I take a little offense to the "Don't leave her unattended crowd, because it makes me sound like a bad dog owner and I don't think I am...

i don't think, nor was i implying that you're a bad owner, leaving her unattended in a secured yard is one thing. i've thought about it with our dog.

leaving her unattended in a yard where she can get out and wander is another. i'd be concerned about the numerous bad things that could happen to her while wandering, but i am a worrier.

i hope the lattice-thing works for your sake and hers.

[zman]

i don't think, nor was i implying that you're a bad owner, leaving her unattended in a secured yard is one thing. i've thought about it with our dog.

leaving her unattended in a yard where she can get out and wander is another. i'd be concerned about the numerous bad things that could happen to her while wandering, but i am a worrier.

i hope the lattice-thing works for your sake and hers.

Me too. While she seems to wander close to home; going to the park and the like 5 houses down the street, she also doesn't look both ways when crossing streets. For now, she is staying away from the major roads in the area, but I worry too (part of my nature, I guess...) about her getting hurt, in a dog fight, or picked up. She is microchipped and has a collar with ID on, plus any loose dog calls are sent to our office where staff knows to let me know if a yellow lab is reported loose.

We may just go to the "keeping them inside thing" while we are gone from the house, but on weekends we sometimes are gone for the whole day and over Christmas we will be gone for 6 days. Maybe boarding them is an option? (better start planning that now, especially since our vet and their boarding kennels were swept up in the tornado)

[mendelman]

...over Christmas we will be gone for 6 days. Maybe boarding them is an option? (better start planning that now, especially since our vet and their boarding kennels were swept up in the tornado)

Wait....you would leave your dogs loose in the house, by themselves for 6 days!?

Not to sound mean, but that is ludicrous. My dog would freak out and probably have a heart attack. I cannot conceive of doing such a thing with any dog.

Yes, board those puppies during xmas.

[ofos]

We may just go to the "keeping them inside thing" while we are gone from the house, but on weekends we sometimes are gone for the whole day and over Christmas we will be gone for 6 days. Maybe boarding them is an option? (better start planning that now, especially since our vet and their boarding kennels were swept up in the tornado)

Don't even consider not boarding if you're going be gone for more than a day. I wouldn't even leave for a full day without some trusted person to check on them.

[Cardinal]

Wait....you would leave your dogs loose in the house, by themselves for 6 days!?

Not to sound mean, but that is ludicrous. My dog would freak out and probably have a heart attack. I cannot conceive of doing such a thing with any dog.

Yes, board those puppies during xmas.

Our kids would freak out if we took them to be boarded somewhere. Roscoe has issues because he was sent to a shelter as a puppy, then adopted and returned by two families before finding his true home. A kennel would feel too much like returning to the shelter and would be too traumatic. Sukros does not get along well with other dogs and has severe anxiety isues about being separated from her parents (us). She especially does not take well to being caged, and becomes terrified. If we do not take them with us, we leave them in the house and have a sitter come in two times every day to take them out, feed them, and play with them. Sometimes she stays overnight with them. They are better off, knowing they are in their own home, with their own things, and knowing that their humans will be returning to them.

[zman]

Let me correct things in saying that during Chirstmas (or any other vacation) we have taken in the past, the dogs have stayed home and our next door neighbor who the dogs know and love comes over 3 times a day to feed and water them, play with them in the yard and walk them.

There has never been a time for even a short overnight trip where they haven't been taken care of and fed by a neighbor.

My original statement makes it sound like I am leaving them to fend for themselves for 6 days, sorry.

And now Cardinal has me thinking. Kaslo was surrendered twice before and freaked out at the HS before we adopted her. Kaia has been at the house mainly since we got her, while she is leary of other dogs, we aren't sure how well she would be doing while boarded.

[ofos]

My original statement makes it sound like I am leaving them to fend for themselves for 6 days, sorry.

Sorry, Zman, you've dug that hole too deep to be let out now. Even as we speak, PETA is suiting up in full battle gear (organically grown tomatoes & rotten apples) to march on your house and liberate your poochitos.

[mendelman]

Cool, zman....I thought 'by themselves' possibly needed clarification.

Yeah, having someone come to see them several times each day is certainly a good method.

Hell, our pooch wouldn't do the kennel, so when we went on our 2 week trip to Spain, we actually drove the dog 5 hours to my MIL's to spend the time, instead of taking her to the kennel.

[zman]

Yeah, our neighbor that looks after the dogs is a huge animal lover with 2 dogs and a family of cats of her own. We are so grateful for her help that we ask for their travel plans before we book our airline tickets or plan to leave town.

On short trips within the state (to the family cabin, or my parent's house in Denver) we usually take the dog, except Kaslo (in addition to her 'Houdini-ness') does not like long car rides (something to explore next, I am sure).

[Mud Princess]

Pet sitters that come to your home are the best. Our dog doesn't even like being in a cage at the vet's for a few hours, let alone in a kennel. When we first saw her at the pound, she was practically covered in her own drool because she was so stressed out! We use a professional pet sitter when we go away, and she's been great with all our pets (even our old dog who was hyperactive ). It's well worth the cost.

zman, I wonder what the Dog Whisperer would have to say about your predicament with your Houdini-dog...

[zman]

zman, I wonder what the Dog Whisperer would have to say about your predicament with your Houdini-dog...

Cesar's remedy was always "go for a walk" "exercise your dog" etc. I set a good pack leader example in and out of the house, and the dogs are out walking and/or exercising in some form for 5-6 days a week. BUT, I would be curious in light of our normal day-to-day what he would have to say.

I know he says 45 minutes/day. We usually go for 30, is it as easy as spending 15 more minutes in the field?

[tsc]

I donno how chilled out your dog is but I have to throat fist my beagle to get meds into him. Pretty much pry open his jaws and stuff the pills all the way back in his throat then hold the jaws closed and massage the throat until he swallows.

If it did not go back far enough he will start trying to chew or foam at the mouth.

We have reached a simi acceptable level of compliance with him doing this, as long as I get it over quick he wont buck too much. If I screw up and he has to taste it well it makes for a not fun morning.

good luck

My beagle ate ANYTHING coated in cream cheese. or wrap it up in hamburger. Works like a charm. He used to look forward to pills...just the rattle of the bottle made him wag his tail.

[Cardinal]

Let me introduce the kids.

Roscoe is our oldest. He is a Roscoe Terrier, a very rare breed, and as far as we know the only one in existence. As I mentioned in the prior post, he is a rescue who went through two families before settling in on the third (ours). He is an exeptionally well-behaved, smart, and lovable dog.

Roscoe likes walks, peeing on plants, tummy rubs, and petting in general. Treats are also good. He is not fond of water, which made it especially cute that he wanted to swim out to me in Lake Michigan the other weekend. He is very loyal to his humans.

Some people might think he is spoiled because he can get up on the couch, has his own corner of the bed, and does not even get booted off the expensive hand-woven wool rug I brought back from Saudi Arabia, that sits in front of my desk. I would say that he deserves it. Yeah, this puppy is loved.




At the summit.



Resting at home with a rawhide.



I'll follow up with picture and a profile of our daughter, Sukros.

[Journeymouse]

Regarding Kennels.

I've worked in kennels of and on between "real" jobs (Please tell me why shovelling s*** is not considered a real job...) and I have always sworn blind that my own dogs will not go into kennels. For a start, an animal is bought as a companion so it feels a bit mean to lock them up when I have holiday / free time. Secondly, most kennels (including those I worked in) operate on an almost factory basis. They have to take as many dogs in as they can, licence allowing, to make the place pay. So most dogs will only have maybe two ten minute walks / play times and even less individual attention. Although few of them suffer for it, only the more nervous dogs.

But then, of course, I got my hellhound. And more recently a job that expects me to travel some. Finn, being highly exciteable and fearful (he was apparently born like that as I've had him since he was 8 weeks), can't go everywhere I can. My father has gone so far as to ban him from his house. (We had an "incident" at Christmas with our male cousin. No harm was done but it might have been so I know where Dad's coming from.) On most occassions, he oges to my sister's but for longer trips I needed a kennels. I looked really hard for one that had time for an individual dog and found it about an hour's drive away. They canonly take on a maximum of 20 dogs. They even take the time to go though his basic training exercises with him - and they asked me if I could show them how I did them and what commands I use, so that they could do it! I had no idea they would until they asked me. Finn loves it. He's been in four times since I found them in March, due to work visits.

[zman]

So, I am having a great morning. Plowing through some planner work, economic development work and helping folks at the counter. Things are going well, mice warm day, perfect for a lunchtime dog walk.

I get home and immediately both dogs start going crazy. Our older, good and normally quiet one is barking loudly and jumping in place (a little uncharacteristic unless it is dinner time) and our young hell raising houdini lab is barking her annoying "frustrated" high pitched bark and jumping up punching her front paws into my stomach.
So I begin to do the routine of having them sit and waiting until I get out into the garage. They are to come out only when invited (this helps me not get run over while heading out the door). They have been doing this well lately, albeit they anxiously and excitedly sit and wait and then charge out, at least I can get out of the way.
But today, no. They kept heading into the garage, back into the house, into the garage, back into the house. Finally I get them to sit and come in, then houdini begins her "punch-jump" nearly hitting me in the groin area .
So I get them leashed up, grab the tennis ball and open the garage only half way because (for some reason..) it doesn't close when it is hot out.
We get out and of course the garage only goes up, not down. After a couple more tries, I finally get inside and manually shut the door, nearly punching the wall out of frustration (the only thing stopping me is Fall softball and hockey seasons upcoming-I don't want to injure myself).
As soon as we get back into the driveway, the damn neighborhood cats** are lurking about causing Houdini to rip the leash out of my hand and head off in hot pursuit. she's heading for the neighbor's fence and I am thinking, "she's going to jump it"... nope the cat runs along the top of the fence and into her own yard, allowing me to get the dog back with leash firmly in hand now.
I was pretty steamed by then, sweaty and frustrated so the walk didn't go that well.
When we got back, both dogs decided to tangle me in the leashes, causing me to fall in the garage.

Oh, and with Houdini's fence climbing exploits thwarted for the time being, she has taken to digging. Sometimes I wonder why we got a second dog, when the first was perfect.


**- Our neighbor, who loves animals, picked up a stray cat one day and brought it home. Being dog people normally they took to their first cat easily, but noticed it was getting fat. Well, yes, she had 4 kittens. Our neighbor will only get rid of them to people close by, one went next door to us and the other three (plus mom) now have free reign of the neighborhood, thus S***ing in my yard, torturing my dogs (I think this is why she is digging) and creating a thrid-world country like element round my parts. But she just can't get rid of them...

[Mud Princess]

**- Our neighbor, who loves animals, picked up a stray cat one day and brought it home. Being dog people normally they took to their first cat easily, but noticed it was getting fat. Well, yes, she had 4 kittens. Our neighbor will only get rid of them to people close by, one went next door to us and the other three (plus mom) now have free reign of the neighborhood, thus S***ing in my yard, torturing my dogs (I think this is why she is digging) and creating a thrid-world country like element round my parts. But she just can't get rid of them...

Don't these people realize that if they keep their cats inside, the felines will be better off? healthier... no fleas... and won't get chased and trampled by dogs, cars, etc.

I've been trying for years to get my sister to keep her cats inside. She lives in an urban neighborhood, and she lost one cat (hit by car and not discovered until it was too late) and nearly lost another (stuck in a vacant unsecured building for several days).

[craines]

Sounds like some ale is in order......

[zman]

Don't these people realize that if they keep their cats inside, the felines will be better off? healthier... no fleas... and won't get chased and trampled by dogs, cars, etc.

I've been trying for years to get my sister to keep her cats inside. She lives in an urban neighborhood, and she lost one cat (hit by car and not discovered until it was too late) and nearly lost another (stuck in a vacant unsecured building for several days).

Yeah, the cats found the dog doors and thus got out that way. They aren't closing their dog doors for any reason, but they do keep the cats inside at night. I love these guys (they host driveway dinners and movies, as well as take care of our dogs when we skip town) but they aren't cat people and if these cats were in my house, they'd have been shipped out long ago. (and I am a cat guy, it just that my wife cannot be near them).

Sounds like some ale is in order......

That's the best idea I have heard all day. Maybe I'll fake sick and RJ outta here to the pub.

NOPE! Have to buy more chicken wire and patch up the hole that got dug.

Maybe I should get some chickens.