Eh, Loki and the cable are my fault. He still gets slightly upset when I leave for work and he's crated. That Friday I forgot something and had to come back in. He was pretty calm until he saw me and I left again, then he started to freak a bit. I usually leave a toy or something in there for him to destroy, but my husband wanted to try going without it and Loki got creative in taking out his frustration. Somehow he managed to get hold of the TV cable and ripped it out of the wall. Still trying to figure out how he got it in the first place.
I'm still going back and forth on Kaia's spay. I think I'm leaning towards holding off for another 3-4 weeks at least. She's still under 16 pounds so I'm hoping she'll get a little bigger before we take her in. I definitely want to do so before her first heat so I can't put it off forever.
Yes, Ava is continuing to improve, Chealsie– though her improvement is best measured in nanobits. She's almost through teething, so perhaps we will not be treated like lepers, anymore. Funny how people stop visiting when they go home bleeding, with their clothes ripped. And we haven't been invited anywhere in quite some time!
I would like to hold off another few weeks on spaying Ava, but she is starting to be really moody and defiant (I know-- what's new, right?). Then this morning, she started marking in the house. Well, that's a new one! She has peed everywhere and had accidents galore, but she's never intentionally marked an entire room. And she's licking herself like crazy. So she's going in Monday for bloodwork. Her vet has been on vacation this week, so I hope it's not too late. I'm guessing Kaia isn't acting strangely, TMartin? (And as for the TV cable, they will ALWAYS find a way!)
How has little miss Ava been lately?? Any updates to share?
She's a teenager. She ignores me, she sasses me, she slaps me in the face and pushes me away. She knows everything, wants her space and has a constant "Wut? You talking to me?" expression on her pretty little surly face. She's needy, she's moody, she wants constant attention, she wants to be left alone. She doesn't want to listen, obey or be told "no." She doesn't want to play nicely or behave in the car. She does want to jump, steal, counter surf and chew on things she hasn't chewed on in months.
And now we have hormones. And food allergies. And UTIs. And anal gland issues. She marks. She leaks. She leaves trails of pee like bread crumbs throughout the house. I can't wait for her first birthday!
How's Oakley doing? Has he recovered fully from his surgery and intestinal problems?
She's a teenager. She ignores me, she sasses me, she slaps me in the face and pushes me away. She knows everything, wants her space and has a constant "Wut? You talking to me?" expression on her pretty little surly face. She's needy, she's moody, she wants constant attention, she wants to be left alone. She doesn't want to listen, obey or be told "no." She doesn't want to play nicely or behave in the car. She does want to jump, steal, counter surf and chew on things she hasn't chewed on in months.
And now we have hormones. And food allergies. And UTIs. And anal gland issues. She marks. She leaks. She leaves trails of pee like bread crumbs throughout the house. I can't wait for her first birthday!
How's Oakley doing? Has he recovered fully from his surgery and intestinal problems?
sounds like she's in season?
Pamela, she sounds like Oakley as a pup! Minus the marking- that he didn't do. We have had a very long two months since surgery. Oakley has some post op issues; mainly irregular stool and diarrhea constantly (never a hard stool)..after many trials of Flagyl for different strengths and durations it just wasn't working..nor was he gaining any of the weight he lost ( got down to 19lbs)..we have finally landed on the ID diet (ugh)…and he is gaining weight (currently 21.4lbs) and has good solid stools..he can't handle the fromms since but I'm hopeful eventually we can get back to it. His coat has been awful on the ID diet, he's been blessed with a shiny sleek coat all his life and lately he's itchy and has dandruff, he's constantly nibbling himself. It is driving me crazy, yet anytime I try to reintroduce any amount of fromms he gets soft again. We have also had a run in with a centipede and he had a bad reaction to it on top of eating the bite raw ( it's where his scrotum would be). It's been two weeks of Benadryl and antibiotics and a bad run in with trying prednisone. Many sleepless nights, calls to the ER and practically bi-weekly vet visits. My nerves are shot, my wallets empty. I have also been struggling with food aggression around other animals or other people when food is present (bbq's)..but at the current moment we are stable. I'm praying I am at the end of the tunnel; I need a big break. Throughout all this oakleys been such a good boy, we have a great routine working for the both of us and he really is so great. I never would have thought we would get to the place we are at barring the medical craziness...30-33 months had been my favorite so far...and it looks (crossing fingers) that it will continue to get better. He enjoys our walks, loves snuggling and gets our routine now; and because of that its become enjoyable not daunting or challenging.
The pup/teenager stage isn't all it's cracked up to be. Especially when you get a spunky one like Oakley and Ava; then again some
of it was a lack of knowledge on raising him on my part.. Either way though- glad its over
Elliot (9 months at the end of the month) is going though a "I hate your cooking" phase and has gotten so picky that he has me in tears. He likes a food for a couple days and then he's over it. Orijen, Fromm, Wellness.. and a million more. A trip to the vet (just to be sure) confirmed that he is completely healthy but needs to gain a couple pounds and the pickyness is behavioral. He's killing my patience and wallet. He also is chewing up things that he never touched before or hasn't touched in months. (like you mentioned with Ava) Today it was a wheel barrel.. WHAT!? He also had not peed in his kennel in well over a 2 months but today he though he'd revisit that lovely behavior and shred his blanket for good measure. He seems to have forgotten that he DOES know his name but now he thinks when I call him it's only a suggestion.
He is sassy but also so darn sweet and loving. I took his face slapping habit and turned it into a "high 5" trick and he loves it! I couldn't have asked for a sweeter, more social, loving dog but this pickyness and crazyness is driving me up a wall!
Long story short.. I feel your pain!
sounds like she's in season?
Not yet– probably not until late Aug/early Sept. I held off having her spayed in the spring. She's doing the adolescent pee everywhere rite of passage, though-- part UTIs, part hormones, part ???
You're right, Chealsie– Ava and Oakley have had similar puppyhoods! They are equal bundles of energy and joy! I'm sorry to hear that Oakley's still having troubles. He's been through a lot for such a young boy. I know what you mean about the diet. The vet put Spencer on the k/d diet, and he didn't do well on it. Actually, he wouldn't touch the dry and didn't thrive on the wet. His coat dulled noticeably and he had flaking, too. I ended up having to cook for him the last year of his life.
And Ava isn't doing well on the Fromm's, either. I'm going to have to switch brands. She did great on the Fromm's puppy, but is having a reaction to the adult food. I was feeding a mix of the Fromm Adult and Surf & Turf, then she started having ear, paw and anal gland issues. So I took her off the Fromm Adult and kept her on the Surf & Turf (grain-free) and all the issues went away except for the anal glands. Now she's on the Fromm Salmon and still having anal gland issues. She can't tolerate any of the Fromm treats, and I had stocked up on a bunch of flavors for training. The animal shelter has benefited greatly from Ava's unexpected food allergies.
I wonder if there is some in-between for Oakley-- something not as rich as the Fromm's and not as bland as the i/d? I'm sure you've researched all the options, and I'd be interested in what you find. Tad has recommended the Costco brand food, and that's what I'm going to try, switching Ava gradually from the Fromm to the Nature's Domain Salmon. It's a lot cheaper than Fromm's, it gets good reviews and Tad's dogs are doing great on it. If only it didn't come in those big bags! Maybe fish oil caps or salmon oil would help Oakley's coat? All the pictures you've posted do show such a beautiful shiny coat!
Becky, sounds like you're having food issues, too. When I was home-cooking for Spencer, he got so he wouldn't eat anything for more than a day or two. The dog got so picky, he wouldn't even eat leftovers! So I planned my meals around Spencer and cooked for both of us. It was the healthiest I've ever eaten. And I learned to flavor veggies and things with healthy oils-- salmon oil, olive oil, etc. And adding a few noodles would perk up his appetite right away. Don't ask me why. Ava isn't all that picky, thank goodness.
And what's up with all the peeing and chewing? Elliot too? The "forgetting" obedience and disregarding commands I get, but the peeing! Though I have to say, the anal gland issue is worse. She dumps her anal glands on your lap... on the bed... on the carpet. Every day. Every time she relaxes. OMG, the smell... and it stains, too.
Though I have to say, the anal gland issue is worse. She dumps her anal glands on your lap… on the bed... on the carpet. Every day. Every time she relaxes. OMG, the smell... and it stains, too.
Oh how I loathe anal glands. So long as Loki's stools are pretty firm, he does well and only needs to be manually expressed once every 3-4 weeks. Thank goodness his is under control as his is worse when it comes to the smell and the staining. Kaia however…I don't know if we'll ever get hers fully under control. She leaks mostly when she's asleep, but will also do it when she's very relaxed. I don't know how she builds so much up; we have to manually express at least 1-2 times per week and you wouldn't believe how much there is! And she never fails to do it within 24 hours of us putting on nice, clean, fresh sheets. Changed the sheets last night and she leaked twice this morning and that was after 2 poops on the morning walk 
Ava is having the exact same problem as Kaia! Nobody wants her on their lap anymore, because once she curls up and relaxes, she leaks. Then she urgently hops up, all alarmed and sniffing and licking back there, like "whoa, what happened?!" I have tried changing foods and adding pumpkin and FortiFlora to every meal, and that's helped some. She's not having to have them expressed as often, but she still leaks. The carpet is starting to smell, and all my sheets are stained. I had no anal gland issues with Spencer, but Ava… I'm hoping she'll grow out of it, but the vet said some dogs never do. It's awful!
Becky, sounds like you're having food issues, too. When I was home-cooking for Spencer, he got so he wouldn't eat anything for more than a day or two. The dog got so picky, he wouldn't even eat leftovers! So I planned my meals around Spencer and cooked for both of us. It was the healthiest I've ever eaten. And I learned to flavor veggies and things with healthy oils– salmon oil, olive oil, etc. And adding a few noodles would perk up his appetite right away. Don't ask me why. Ava isn't all that picky, thank goodness.
And what's up with all the peeing and chewing? Elliot too? The "forgetting" obedience and disregarding commands I get, but the peeing! Though I have to say, the anal gland issue is worse. She dumps her anal glands on your lap... on the bed... on the carpet. Every day. Every time she relaxes. OMG, the smell... and it stains, too.
He ate perfectly and one day he just decided he didn't want the food I was giving him anymore. Cody used to stop eating when it was close to the end of a bag (maybe getting stale?) but always started again with a new bag. I thought Elliot was doing the same but NOPE. He just refuses to eat more than a few bits at a time. I practically have to force feed him!
He only pees in his kennel. It's not even "you left me here too long and I had to go" it's more "HEY..HEY… Why are you leaving! NO! -pees- NOW YOU HAVE TO LET ME OUT AND CLEAN THIS". Thankfully he's stopped this but I'd trade it in for this not eating thing.
I have yet to have anal gland issues with Elliot. Cody's abscessed once and it was awful. He'd need them expressed from time to time but I'm a vet tech and could do them myself. I've had them on my face, down my clothes and in my hair.. YUCK! (not from my own dogs but while at work)
Kaia has done it on my lap once. And she loves to sleep up by our shoulders and heads and prefers to put her bottom right up against your back. So now on the nights my husband is working, I have all these extra pillows on his side so she can't get up there and I use extra throw blankets to tuck under her bum. At least then if she leaks, it's on an extra blanket and I won't have to strip the entire bed. But she likes to move around a lot so there were plenty of nights I went with very little sleep (pre-half a dozen pillows) because I was so paranoid about getting anal gland leakage far too close to my face for comfort! It's getting better now that we're learning how to manage it. I was beginning to wonder if I'd have to buy those doggie diapers to put on her at bedtime.
Yep, anal glands and peeing– my two least favorite things. Funny thing is, Ava had no anal gland issues at all-- never even had them expressed-- until I switched her from puppy food to adult food. Same brand; pretty much the same ingredients, so I don't get it. A lot of the peeing is from her recurring UTIs, so it's hard to get that under control. She's peeing the bed again this week and is back on antibiotics, so those doggie diapers are sounding pretty good!
There has been talk of using oil of oregano to cure/prevent UTIs on my K9 Kidney list. Might be worth looking into or at least googling. I will say the oil itself tastes VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY bad. I think they say to put the oil inside empty capsules in order to dose the dog. I am unsure of the dosing strength. And I think there are capsules available.
Otherwise, you may want to look into cranberry supplements. (got to taste a whole heck of a lot better than the oregano oil.)
PS - did I mention that the oil of oregano taste really horrible? (and I like oregano)
Oil of oregano– that's a new one. Thanks-- I'll check it out! But if it's that bad-- and sounds like it is-- Ava won't get near it. Poor girl has been pilled so much in her short life that she's already learned to run and hide.
I'm using a cranberry supplement now. She doesn't mind it in her food with all the other supplements, but it isn't helping her thus far. I would be willing to give the oregano oil a go, because at this point, I'll try almost anything to get her healthy.
I am trying to adopt from BRAT but I haven't had any luck. The first one I tried on ended up not caring to much for cats. My home was inspected and approved. My application is in. They have one right now named Saphire that I have sent off a few request but no reply. Any tips or pointers that you can give me would be appreciated. thanks
