Tuesday, April 5, 2005
Lori wrote that Lexi �is doing GREAT with not coughing on the steroids. She is nearly done with those. This will put us right on track for heartworm follow up and the Bordatella that vet has held off giving. We have a cat moving in next door where she spends a lot of time with the kids-should be interesting. We are taking a long weekend trip to Charleston. The dog sitter came to meet Lexi on Saturday and it was love at first sight for Lexi. The woman is a fit middle ager, and Lexi had no problem following her all over while we gave our instructions. I took Charlotte to the caregiver, but a house sitter works better for Lexi. It was a perfect match.� I told Lori that I would love to have Lexi come stay with me when they are on vacation, but it�s wonderful that they are able to find a great sitter and also someone Lexi likes, because most animals do feel more comfortable in their own environment. Also I told Lori more about desensitization training. I'm reading a dog psychology book called "The Dog Who Loved Too Much" by Nicolas Dodman, DVM. He's the head of animal behavior department at Tufts Vet School near Boston. I read his cat psychology book about a year ago and like it very much. The title of the book is about a separation anxiety case, but one third of the book is about dominance issues (reading it for Brenna), and one third of the book is about fear issues (which led me to think about Lexi). Here's what he said about treatment for fear issues (sounds like what the Dog Whisperer would say):
1. Make sure the dog gets plenty of exercise (if they are tired, they care less about whether or not the "boogieman" is there or not).
2. Feed the dog a sensible diet (don't feed them more than they need, and to avoid the �sugar high�, again, if they have excess energy, they are more prone to behavior problems).
3. Start a program of regular training with positive reinforcement only (several times a day tell them to SIT-DOWN-STAY and make sure they do it promptly).
4. Begin desensitization and counter-conditioning (avoidance is not the answer)
5. Avoid reinforcing the dog's fear with your own anxiety ("What are you being afraid for? I'm the leader, now you stay calm and let ME take care of it." But NOT "That's okay, Mommy's here, you are Mommy's baby, it's okay to be afraid" or "Oh my God, here comes another dog. I don't know if I can take care of the situation..." is not the message you want to send to the dog. If the dog stays down and calm, give a short "Good Girl" and treat. There's no need to cuddle and pet all over, like it's a huge deal or that being afraid is okay).
�Lexi had a rough few days. She had lost appetite, loose bloody stool, and some spit-ups. Vet found a single hookworm egg in her feces. She suspects it could have been left over from her period of heartworm positivity, but there is no way to be sure. It was weird how sudden the onset of symptoms seemed. It was also weird to me that she continued to be otherwise perky. She also said that normally heartworm medicine would help resist a hookworm infection, but sometimes not. She is on Strongid and Metronidazole. But she is heartworm free, and ears and eye look good, too. (FYI bowel obstruction ruled out and bloodwork done to rule out kidney/pancreas problems.)
She did great with the dog sitter, even sharing our bed with her and giving her the happy song in the morning.
I have not worked terribly hard on the dog vs. dog behavior issue. The kids love to walk her, and I hesitate to discourage their interest in being involved in her care. When I walk her alone, there are not usually too many other dogs out very early or very late. This could change as we continue to have warmer days. Otherwise, she continues to be a thoroughly wonderful companion to all of us.�
Thursday, April 28, 2005
�So far no symptoms, but she was crying just a little bit yesterday so maybe her tummy hurt. On the other hand, she has been a real singer these last few days-it is VERY CUTE.
I give her the pills with peanut butter because she is not a perfect pill-taker for me. I had not been using the Barley Dog because of the coughing issue, but no reason now to not resume. I'll try the yogurt for her, though. Have you ever used a low-residue diet? This was suggested by one of the technicians, but I'm thinking "bland"...=yuck. The suggestion was made before the hookworm egg was detected and I think they were thinking pig ears, knuckle bones, etc., were bothering her.
She also likes the dog ice creams (and the people pop tarts).�
I suggested to Lori that there might be a possibility that maybe Lexi got sick from �food poisoning� from one of the chew treats. Although they are supposed to be sterilized, sometimes you just don�t know.
Saturday, April 30, 2005
�She had had a pig ear, which you know has not been a problem. I really don't think anything like that she consumed was the problem, but the scary stories about that being a possibility have turned me off any of the animal parts treats for awhile. I couldn't forgive myself if she got bowel obstruction after being warned to avoid these treats. Even though she is an accomplished counter surfer, I don't think she got into any people food.
I had started to give her ears and knuckles if I knew she'd be alone awhile to ward off separation anxiety as a new pet. However, she really likes her crate so much, even when we are home, that I don't think she needs to chew for relief.
I like the food you brought, so does she, and unless she develops problems I don't think I'll change. It's too easy to run to PetCo and pick up at the last minute. Charlotte had a food allergy and the prescription food was a true lifesaver.�
Thursday, May 5, 2005
Lori emailed to say that Lexi started to sneak the deodorant soap out of the shower about two weeks ago. Lori said Lexi would both lick and chew on the soap. I told her that Lexi did that for about a week when she was here and just suddenly stopped, so I don�t know if it has anything to do with something missing in her diet. But I suggested that since Lexi�s not getting any chew treats for a while (still suspecting that she might�ve gotten food poisoning from the pig ears), she should be getting more access to the chew toys, even when she�s in the crate. Lori also reported that Lexi has had no stomach trouble or appetite problem since Sunday.
Monday, May 9, 2005
Heather emailed and said she has no solution for the soap dilemma either. She said maybe just hang the soap higher up in the shower so Lexi can�t get to it.
Thursday, May 19, 2005
�She had her Strongid on Sunday and is back to normal. Mom is not ready to resume pig ear/trachea treats yet-the bloody diarrhea was just too scary!
She is so good. Erin has been walking her at night and she has been very compliant with the commands Erin gives her.
She got groomed last week and looks very pretty of course.�
Friday, June 17, 2005
�Lexi is doing just fine medically. No issues at all to report. She is most recently enjoying playing fetch with her Madagascar (movie) penguin. She definitely prefers walks more when it is not so humid.
All I can think of when I walk her on those days was how miserable she must have been last summer before she was picked up. She is very sensitive to my being upset about something or not feeling well. I like that about her.�
Sunday, July 17, 2005
�She is doing great. Health and appetite are fine. She is very good for the groomer and they do use the gel for the eyes when she goes. She ate a plate full of pot stickers about 2 weeks ago-has a bigger reach than I gave her credit for! She is a very compassionate soul when one of us is sick or sad. I get walks in, but they are not our best ones because 1) so sticky outside and 2) the kids like to come and I don't want to discourage them from helping to care for her. I like to go in the morning but Ethan is such an early riser I don't get to go at the best weather time.�
Monday, August 29, 2005
�No news is good news! All is well here healthwise. No eye, ear, cough, or potty issues. She enjoys lox on Sunday mornings with the family-fits right in. My children have surprised me and are both still very interested in being involved in her care. The feeling must be mutual because she helps me put them to bed. At night Erin gives her 2 drinks of water after her teeth are brushed.
It is cooling off in the evenings so the quality of her walks is improving. That is a good thing because she has put on some weight since you last saw her, although I'd say she still looks okay. She isn't getting too many treats these days so we can keep it under control.
I am also looking forward to bringing her in the car in cooler weather. Erin and Ethan have busy schedules this fall, and I'll take her wherever I can.
I have only bought one Christmas present so far and it's for her! It's one of those creatures with an egg to fish out of the belly from Red Bandana-what makes it special is that it's a platypus-just like Erin's favorite doll.�
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
�Thanks a lot for the 2 shipments of treats for Lexi. I thought it was very fitting that she ate a heart cookie from you first. You really know the way to her heart-through the stomach!
Lexi is fine and is wonderful to the whole family, but she is still a major Mommy's girl. The neighbors like her too.�
Monday, December 12, 2005
�Lexi is doing great. We were happy to mark 1 year with her on Sunday. (I told Ron we should celebrate by getting her a Springer!!). She has changed so much since she came to us.
Where can I start....well, did you know she is musical? One time this summer she sang along with Ethan's harmonica, but I wasn't sure it was a pleasant experience for her or not although she stayed in the room. Well, he still plays and she still sings. She also sings with Ron at the piano. Not every time, but sometimes. I don't know if she has a favorite song.
The week of Thanksgiving she was running errands with me. I was not used to her being in the car-still too hot before then-and forgot I left her with groceries while getting Ethan from school. She had roast beef and had just barely got through the paper wrapping raw chicken when we returned. As a result she had tummy trouble on Thanksgiving but we have since made up for it.
She is otherwise healthy.
She is fine with men now. We had some contractors over this week and she was all over them. She even liked Ethan's tennis coach once he removed his sunglasses. She is better with other dogs-let's say she is as good as we make her. She has a boyfriend at the bus stop, an elderly black lab named Boss who was rescued as a puppy himself. He tolerates her; she likes him but occasionally feels the need to speak to him. A Westie named Wolfie was also recently a guest briefly in her house and she did OK after the initial introductions.
I am not doing so well with the camera. I am the picture taker, and she is my shadow, so every time I get up she follows me. I have missed plenty of cute shots. I had told Ron some time ago to download a few I think are stored on the digital camera so I can send as an attachment. We'll get it done.
Our baby sitter is afraid of animals, and Lexi's intuition to proceed gently has worked well for both of them. They have been fine together many times now.�
�Well, my Christmas greetings were supposed to have become valentines, and you see how far I got. Lexi is enjoying ALL her gifts. The jacket is adorable; thanks a lot.
Of course we would love for Lexi to have her favorite visitor!!!!! Be warned that she is not as slender as when you last saw her. Her reach has no limits and she has helped herself too many times.
Not much occurring here. Her favorite neighbor is moving to NC. Part of her morning routine is to lick his coffee cup at the bus stop. She will miss him.�
Sunday, March 5, 2006
Yesterday Keely and I went to Atlanta for CGC practice test, afterwards we drove to see Lexi. I left Keely in the car with the windows down, I just wanted to have my attention on Lexi, instead of trying to have to focus on Keely, during the visit. When Lexi's mom, Lori, opened the door for me, Lexi was so excited to see me that she jumped on me and kept licking me. This is like a different dog from a year ago when I visited last time! Lexi appeared to have a lot more confidence and knows she's a loved dog and part of the family. And I told Lori so. Lori said Lexi remembers me because Lexi is now okay around strangers, but she rarely jumps on people and licking them like she did to me. Lori said the one other person Lexi has done this to is to their current baby-sitter, who is afraid of all animals except Lexi. Lexi's fur and feathering is just absolutely gorgeous. The feathering on her abdomen is so long that it almost touches the ground. The fur on her hair is very long too. With her beautiful markings, I think Lexi can win any beauty pageant. Also, Lexi's left eye appeared to be completely normal. Lori said she continues to check Lexi's eyes regularly, and most of the time it looks like this; once a while she would get a little worried, but it looks completely normal almost all of the time. I told Lori that Lexi had a dog bite wound on her nose when she was first rescued, although we didn't know if her entropion was caused by nerve damage from the bite or if it was congenital. So now appears it's probably not congenital, and probably the nerve damage has healed. I'm so glad that it has, because that's one thing that always kept me worried about Lexi for the past year. I was only going to stay for five minutes, but Lexi's family invited me in and I'm very grateful for that. It was strange though, Lori and her husband, Ron, sat on the sofa, and I sat on the loveseat. Then Lexi went over and sat between her parents, even with some coaxing, she wouldn't sit with me. This is a good sign though, because this means she has completely bonded with her family. So we just talked while Lexi sat between Ron and Lori and leaned again her dad, at one point even started snoozing.
Lexi would do home alone with all these work noises, so one day next week she's going to take Lexi to the groomer's. She hasn't decided what they're going to do with the other day.
