Lame dogs update

Megan just jumped onto the couch without hesitation so whatever was bothering her has been resolved.  After looking closely at Shelby I discovered a big (not deep) scratch on the inside of her right thigh.  I am pretty confident that is the problem.  

Two lame dogs

Well, just before we’re going to leave on vacation (Wednesday morning we’re headed for Hawaii) both our dogs decided to come up lame.  Yesterday when Megan jumped up on the couch with me she yelped.  Now she won’t jump up on the bed or couch.  Otherwise, she seems fine.  No limping.  She can run and wrestle.  She just won’t jump.  This morning, Shelby stopped putting any weight on her right hind leg.  She is just hopping around on three legs.  She is not crying.  She seems her happy self.  She is eating food and treats just fine.  She jumps up and down off of things, but just continues to favor the leg.  I have given them both doses of baby aspirin and am watching for now.  If this is still happening on Monday it’s off to the vet.

Still no daycare clearance for Shelby

I am starting to believe that Shelby will NEVER have a clear stool sample so she can go to daycare.  First it was whipworm, then oocytes.  Now it’s giardia.  Ugh!  I have to go pick up some medication for both dogs after work tonight.  Shelby is always asymptomatic.  I would never know she had an infection if I didn’t bring in a stool sample.  She had her physical on Monday and came through with flying colors.  Even got a perfect body score.

Such good dogs!

Pamela, Megan, Shelby and I went on the Dog Jog yesterday.  It is a two-mile walk/run sponsored by the UW Vet School to support area shelters spay/neuter programs.  It was WET! I was concerned because they stated in the entry form that “unruly dogs will be asked to leave”.  Both Megan and Shelby are generally dog reactive so I didn’t expect good behavior amidst hundreds of people and dogs.  They were both little angels though.  I was so proud of them! No barking or pulling or growling or snapping.  The just walked alongside us quietly.  I think it’s a good thing to get them out at events like this.

Megan went to the groomer today.  She has lost 2.3 kilos since June!  

Weight loss and Shelby video

I have some big news on the personal front.  Five and a half years ago I had gastric bypass surgery due to morbid obesity that caused several health problems.  Yesterday when I stepped on the scale I was finally in the “normal” weight range.  I can’t tell you how much this means to me and how much I love to share it with all of you whom I consider friends.

Also, Pam has taken up running.  She is in the very early training stages but doing well.  Megan goes with her.  According to Pam she LOVES it.  Pam reports Megan just looking back at her and giving her a big grin every now and then.  I have bad knees so am unable to run along.  I take Shelby with me.  Shelby doesn’t like their departure after warm up but I’m sure she’ll learn to get used to it.

Speaking of Shelby I’ve uploaded a video of her to You Tube.  It displays one of her most annoying/endearing behaviors - - playing with her squeaky ball.   

Shelby has worms

I was hoping to get the dogs into daycare a couple times a week starting soon.  Megan could use some more socialization and Shelby just LOVES to play with other dogs and is bursting with energy.  One of the requirements is a negative fecal sample so I took those in.  A couple of days later I got a call.  Megan’s was negative, but Shelby has whipworm.  I had never heard of whipworm before.  Apparently, there are no symptoms unless the infestation is severe.  Yesterday I gave them both a one-time dose of Drontal (Megan’s prophylactically I suppose) and they are now switched from Heartgard to Interceptor.  I think the Drontal may have had some side effects for Shelby because she was acting a little weird last night – just whining a lot for no apparent reason.  She was eating just fine and didn’t appear to be in pain. Then later in the evening she was just wild.  It took a while for her to settle down. She was back to normal this morning.  Anyway, I am hoping to be able to get some clean samples to the daycare soon.  Megan is learning to sit when another dog is approaching. She’s doing well except for one particular dog. There is a black lab mix down the block named Sophie.  For some reason, they really hate each other.

Coincidence or smarts?

The other day Shelby was doing her sometimes-annoying play with me act. The one where she stands by my chair and barks in this ear-splitting way.  I usually tell her to bring me a toy and I will play with her.  This day I told her to get her fox (a Skineez fox).  She went over to an area that had the fox, a ball, a small Skineez beaver and a tiger-striped octopus (Yes, my house is basically a giant toy box for Shelby). She looked over the items carefully, then picked up the fox and brought it to me.  I have associated the word fox with this toy several times.  Still, I’m reluctant to believe it was anything but a chance occurrence.  But for one brief moment I thought Shelby was super smart!

If dogs could talk...

This morning I called Shelby in for breakfast but she wouldn’t come. I didn’t see her anywhere either. I was beginning to worry that maybe she was stuck or had slipped out of the yard somehow.  I found her in the back corner of the yard just sitting. She wouldn’t move and she was visibly shivering. I picked her up and carried her inside.  She didn’t appear to be injured in any way. She acted very skittish for about half an hour and it took some coaxing the get her to eat breakfast. By the time we went out for a walk, she was back to normal.  I just wish she could tell me what happened to spook her so badly.