The Boys Lose their Grandma

The boys know something is up. We're gone for long periods of time, and they've seen more of our family coming and going than ever before. People are always dropping in and staying the night. And then we're all gone again for hours. 

They haven't had their bath or brushing like they always did. Their walks to the lake have become non-existent. When their mom and dad come home, they don't do much more than fall on the couch and sleep. And through it all the boys are the most patient, caring little guys you could ever wish for.

Although they don't know exactly what's going on, we know they will never see their Grandma again because Grandma is in the hospital and, after being poked and prodded and tested for the last month, we are told there is no hope for recovery and she is simply being kept comfortable until she takes her last breath which, we believe, will be at any time.

The boys became close to Grandma when she stayed with us for seven months. Grandma had surgery on her hand and was supposed to be here for about four weeks to recover. However, with complications and further surgeries, she was here for almost a year.

Every night as she slowly made her way to her bedroom, the boys would run ahead and go into her room. They'd check it out, sniffing every nook and cranny, and then return to the doorway when all was clear. When she woke up in the morning, the boys were waiting to greet her with their tails wagging and their bodies wiggling with joy. It put a smile on her face every day and, after she went home,she said the one thing she missed the most were the boys greeting her each morning and coming to say goodnight. During the day, they would sit with her in her chair and cuddle with her. They never worried that she limped and walked with a cane...they would patiently wait for her. They never saw her twisted, arthritic hands...all they felt were the warm caresses those hands provided each and every day. When my husband and I went on vacation, Grandma was always the first to volunteer to house sit with the boys so they didn't have to go to a kennel. 

The boys continue to run into "her bedroom" and look around even though Grandma is not there.  They sometimes will sit in the room and have a little nap. It seems to bring them comfort to be there. Last night we noticed the little nightlight we placed next to Grandma's bed was on. We did not turn it on as we don't really even go into that room. But perhaps this is Grandma's way of letting us know that even in her comatose state, she still comes to visit.

The new bed?

How Rocki manages to fall asleep is truly beyond me. His new "bed" is at the top of the couch buried in the cushion. And yes, he is actually sleeping in this shot.

Are your dogs treated better than people?

I've often had people jokingly comment that my dogs are treated better than most people. And the fact of the matter is yes, at times they are. I treat people the way they deserve to be treated.

Why are dogs special? Dogs, and pets in general, remind us that relationships do not have to be complicated. Simple concepts like love, empathy and respect are lost in our day-to-day interactions with others, but our pets bring us back to reality and show us just how simple it can be.

Dogs just want to love you, no matter what you look like. When you are angry, stressed, moody or anxious, they are there to offer their love. When you are happy, all they want is to share your joy. When you are sad, they lick your tears away. All they ask for in return is food, water and the pleasure of your company. Dogs who are abused or neglected act out in many ways, either with anger or through destruction. 

People, on the hand, are more complex. They will pick on any physical characteristic that deviates from "perfection". We are constantly judged, and often rejected, based on our looks, our body types, our clothes, our hair, our "titles" or status in society, and all other aspects of our being. We deal with family members, friends, acquaintances and strangers that gripe, grump, complain, demand money and disrespect us. How many people do you know that love unconditionally? I bet you can count them on one hand. How many people disrespect you and then expect money or other items from you? How many people just take and never give of themselves? I could go on and on but I think you get the point. 

Have you ever come home from a bad day at work stressed to the max and are greeted at the door by your pet's wagging tail, wiggling body and the sheer joy they exhibit at your arrival home? At that point, your heart melts and all the stress from the day washes away as you greet your four-legged friend.

The only demands your pet ever makes on you is for pats, cuddles and snuggling. And, of course, the occasional treat. They don't call you names, criticize you, expect money for nothing, insist on bigger and better toys because the dog next door got one, refuse to be seen in public with you because you embarrass them in front of other dogs, greet your family with disdain, or refuse to associate with you or others. Their emotions are pure, honest and positive, and they are not afraid to show them to you.

So you know, you get treated the way you treat others. And my dogs have nothing but love for us as well as anyone who comes to our home. So yes...I treat them well. I treat good people well too. And anyone who disrespects us? Don't even bother stepping foot through the door.

Dog Food and "People Food" - Is there a difference now?

I'm seeing a lot of commercials for dog food that now offer beef, vegetables and sometimes, a bit of rice. For example, look at http://www.proplan.com/wet-dog-food/beef-vegetables-entree/.

Now when I last took Bruiser to the vet when he was sick, she asked what he was eating. "Is he still eating 'people food' like meat and vegetables?" She says "people food" with the same sort of disgust as if you were talking about feeding them human flesh. I lied...just dog food. Hmm, she says, pleased. So if I said "dog food" and was referring to the Proplan, what is the difference? The only difference I can see is that I actually know where my meat and vegetables are coming from. And that's my brother-in-law's farm where his cattle are free range and the soil where the vegetables are grown have never seen a chemical of any kind.

Coincidentally, this vet just happens to sell a certain brand of dry dog food as well as this company's wet food. I did buy the wet food, on the vet's recommendation, one time. I opened the can and the food looked like day-old puke that was sitting in the sun. But I dutifully put it on a plate and the dogs came to sniff it. Both turned their noses up and never returned. I threw out the plate after a day and half of no interest and donated the remaining cans to a shelter.

So the question becomes whether or not vets are actually interested in the health of your beloved pets, or is making a buck by peddling a certain company's food the ultimate goal?

What's with these Denta Stix?

The boys love Denta Stix. I'm not sure why but whatever they've got in there....the doggie version of catnip or something...my dogs go crazy over them. However, the boys do eat goose poop whenever they can access it and moths, when they're in season, so nothing really surprises me.

What did surprise me though is how nice Bruiser's teeth are. Rocki isn't a good test subject because he doesn't actually chew anything...he breaks it into tiny pieces and swallows. I'm not sure how to teach him to chew, but that's another story...

I did have chicken-flavored toothpaste the vet gave me as well as a little finger brush. I tried brushing the dogs' teeth in the past, but they were more interested in eating the toothpaste and chewing the finger containing the brush rather than letting me scrub their teeth. So when I took Bruiser to the vet one day, the vet commented that he had a lot of plaque on his teeth. I shuddered...how much was his dental bill going to cost down the road? I had to do something.

So we tried different kinds of cleaning bones but the dogs turned their noses up at them. Then one day I found Denta Stix and thought what the heck? Let's give them a try. Well, the dogs actually dance and leap around for Denta Stix and promptly run off in separate areas of the house to devour their treat. Bruiser wolfs his down, although chewing is involved. Rocki takes his time, so in the picture Bruiser is actually waiting for Rocki to turn his head for a split second so he can sneak in and grab the Denta Stix. But the plaque on Bruiser's teeth is gone, so whatever is in those things is actually working. Now to get Rocki to understand the concept of chewing...

The boys get the flu

I never thought dogs got the flu, but mine did.

It started one morning with Bruiser when he threw up. I cleaned his mess and wondered what he had eaten since eating something they shouldn't is the usual culprit. However, the vomitting didn't stop but got worse. He also was running outside frequently with diahrrea and that's when I knew something was wrong. He wasn't eating or drinking and I had visions of Parvo all over again, so I called the vet and asked if I could bring him in and have him checked out.

Luckily, the vet was very accommodating and I was able to bring him in within the hour. They did a physical checkup and everything seemed okay. They used the rectal thermometer and his temperature was normal. The did the bum smear and that too came out normal. They also did blood tests to check for internal diseases but his blood work came back as normal. So, after $280 the verdict was that he had a virus and was given electrolytes to rehydrate him and a shot of something that stopped the vomitting for 24 hours so he could eat and drink. After that I took him home and let him sleep. By the late afternoon he was drinking water and eating a bit and by the next morning he seemed almost back to his old self again.

So life went on and at about 10:00 at night I settled in to watch a movie and, as usual, started dozing off. That's when Rocki woke me, frantically pawing on the blanket, and ran to the door. I dragged myself up and let him outside where he promptly began throwing up. Oh no...Rocki caught the same thing that Bruiser had.

To make a long story short, I was running to the door with him every 10 or 15 minutes until 2:30 in the morning while he threw up and had bouts of diahrrea. I finally fell asleep on the couch at 3:00 a.m. and at 5:00 we began the process again. Finally, it appeared that Rocki had nothing left inside him and curled up to sleep. The vet had given me two extra anti-vomitting pills for Bruiser and I didn't have to use them, so I got one down Rocki's throat and coerced him into having a bit of water. That's the one thing about Rocki - he is the most obedient little guy I've ever seen. His greatest fear is that one of us is cross with him for some reason, so when I tapped on his water dish and kept telling him to "come", he did and drank. Once he started drinking, it's almost like he couldn't stop he was so dehydrated and drank a good bit of water. Then I settled him down and he had a good long nap.

The only real difference in behavior between this flu and Parvo was that this time, the boys were not listless and without energy like Rocki was with Parvo. Although they weren't running amok like they usually do, they still trotted to the door or from room to room looking for the perfect place to nap. With Parvo, they don't have the energy to move. And that's the big difference that I noticed. However, if I had to do it again, I would still have taken Bruiser to the vet to have this checked out.

Although I was prepared to run Rocki to the vet that day, he seemed to be getting better and by late afternoon was drinking on his own and sniffing at his food dish. By supper he was eating little bits and pieces and holding it down. By the next morning he was racing around and eating like he'd never seen food before. Neither he nor Bruiser threw up again nor did they have diarrhea. Both are back to normal after about a 24 hour bout of the flu.

Of course, the question became where did these two little house dogs pick up a virus? Well, two days prior to Bruiser falling ill, we had them at a new groomer where there were other dogs and a doggie day care. They were in holding cages, on a groomer's table, and walking around on the floors. So that's where they caught it. But, obviously, there's nothing you can do about it because they have to be groomed and you absolutely cannot monitor every dog they come in contact with, so I guess flus for dogs are just a fact of life.

Sleep Disturbances? It's just Rocki.

Rocki has recently decided that it is not okay for my husband to sleep in our home.

My husband works night shift and can often be found on the couch snoozing. It's not that he's snoring or making any noises, but the mere fact that he's sleeping drives Rocki to distraction. He will march to the couch, growl at my husband and, if there is no response, he will jump on him to wake him up.

If I fall asleep, it's okay. If Bruiser falls asleep, that's okay too. When my husband falls asleep, it's time to wake him.

What goes through his mind is beyond me. If I see him approaching my sleeping spouse, I try and coerce him over to me with toys, treats and voice commands. Nothing works...he is on a mission and will not be distracted. If I go over and pick him up and take him to another room, the minute I set him down he will make a beeline to where my husband is and start growling at him and jump on him. My husband's head is the favored landing spot, but his chest makes a good secondary target when the head is not readily accessible. Rocki will then stand on his chest and growl.

Although my husband is shocked out of sleep and wants to be mad at him, the sight of those two big brown eyes and wagging tail melts his heart and dissipates his anger. Usually Rocki emerges from this escapade with lots of hugs, cuddles and pats.