TPLO Surgery and Recovery / Week 8—Great News!

I start this with absolutely fabulous news. We had our 8th week post-surgery visit with a radiograph. Bella was pronounced 90% healed and ready to resume normal activities. We have to e-a-s-e into it as she hasn't been doing anything for two months. (Food consumption has been cut as she's getting a bit pudgy with lack of exercise.) Swimming, highly recommended. Chasing balls, not very recommended, but if she is on a sit/stay at my side, I can toss it and release her when it's landed. Or, I can roll a ball to her. Oh Bella! She will be in heaven! BALLS!! She can hike. She can play with her buddies for 5 or 10 minutes.

The new rule is if she is tired and sore after limited exertion, lay off for a day or two. Administer carprofen and regroup. If she is good after limited play, I can do it the next day and up it by some matter of minutes. This is all fabulous, wonderful, extraordinary. I'd been told it was a six month process of slow, patient, structured re-introduction to exercise. And it is that. The vet said a solid six months to full healing, but Bella can move and resume most of ordinary life—and so can we.

TPLO Surgery and Recovery / Week 4

We just completed our four-week checkup and Bella came through with flying colors. Yes, she's still in the early phases of healing, but she is moving appropriately for that. Her leg is still jittery and her sits sloppy, but that is normal. The following are my questions to the vet and her answers.

Jittery Leg
The trembling is caused by Bella not putting full weight on the leg. It could also be a bit of excitement (as in going for a walk). If it is jittery while walking, that means she's tired and that means the walk is too long.

Wobbly Gait
The vet did not notice anything odd about Bella's gait. That knee is a bit larger (though it isn't swollen) than the other knee, so perhaps I am over-analyzing her movements. Vet said it should not be a concern.

Sloppy Sitting

Enjoying a Kong, post vet visit.

I am not at all perturbed about the "confirmation" aspect of Bella's sitting, but more about the stiffness and usability of her leg. When she sits, the TPLO leg is more to the outside and straighter, as if a tight bend were not comfortable. The vet said I can start correcting that by pushing her knee closer to her body. If Bella resists, she said stop the corrections. It's a bit early yet anyway, but she said it would be good to work on "sits to stands" which requires the leg to be folded near her body. I will add this to her "figure 8's" in walking where she has to weight the leg differently depending on whether she is turning to the outside or inside of the "8".

Stairs
Because Bella is long-legged, stairs are okay. We just need to watch that she doesn't race up or down them...which she does. The vet recommended holding on to her collar to keep her at a slower pace.

Walks
I asked if it was possible to give Bell two 30-minute walks daily rather than four 15-minute walks. The vet okayed that, but urged caution. She said shorter remains better for the healing. As it is, it is so hot here, that the half-hour walk is only in the morning. Bella gets a backyard pee break mid day and a short evening walk. The vet also said to keep at this pace until our eight week check up. So 20-30 minute walks R Us.

Play Time
Bella still cannot play with her buddies. She's going to be really excited in September when that ban is lifted! All in all, it's a six month healing time.

Swimming
If I can control Bell's entrance and exit from the water, the vet encouraged me to take her swimming. It's good movement without the bone stress.

Camping
We are hoping to go camping next week and got the okay to do so. Bellie cannot go mountain biking or running yet, but I can take her on her timed walks/hikes. We all need to get out of town, so this will be (hopefully) a wonderful adventure.

TPLO on the Other Leg
Those of you reading this or researching this surgery already know the statistics: 50% of dogs have the same surgery performed on their other back leg within a year. It is not from over-use of that leg during the healing process, but just plain, old genetics. I am so hoping Bella beats the odds!

TPLO Surgery and Recovery / Days 6-10

Day 6

The codeine tapering did not work initially, so I went back to giving it to Bella 3 X day, but with only five days left, tapering will begin again. I was told at the end of her prescription, I could stop cold turkey, but it seems more kind to taper it.

I looked up information on pain management for dogs (and cats) and came across many good articles. Here are two:

• Pain Management 101
• How to Tell if Your Dog is in Pain

Day 7-9

Drugs

After giving her two more days on full dose, I dropped her codeine to twice daily and it worked well. She is more alert (was that the drugs?), but not necessarily more active. By day 9 and 10, I dropped her to 1 tab a daily, divided morning and evening. She has also begun drinking plain, undoctored water on her own again. (Anesthesia? Drugs? Not sure what precipitated that dislike.)

I have taken her cone off during the day while I'm with her. I still watch her closely, but she is not as urgent about licking and is good about stopping. Her movements are more sure, though if she hurries, she doesn't use her leg. It remains essential to keep her on a leash in order to slow her down, which requires use of that back leg.

July 4th, Independence Day for Americans, has never been a good day for any of our dogs, and Bella is no exception. Of course the firecracker folks start days early and finish several days afterwards. Any explosion is miserable for her, but on the 4th proper, the bangs began around noon and lasted until 2AM the morning of the 5th. Bella was absolutely a jumble of nerves.

The vet had given me some acepromazine/25 mg (tranquilizer) to give her if necessary, recommending I begin with 1/2 pill. I was hesitant to use it in conjunction with her codeine, but I was assured it would be okay. As the evening wore on, and the explosions intensified, it became obvious that is was necessary. Bella was in full body shakes and drooling; I did not want her moving and restless all night. I chose to give her a 1/4 of a tablet, figuring she already had codeine in her system. My husband downloaded some "white noise" and with the drugs and staying in the basement with us, she was able to make it through the night. I had her cordoned off, in her cone, in a small space. I used to love the fireworks, but now with dogs and knowing how some veterans suffer through it with PTSD, I have little sympathy for the noise.

Movements

Bella has been moving around more. Getting her to the basement for the 4th of July, required taking her outside, around the house and a series of stairs: 2, 2 and 5. I was concerned for the number, though they were separated, and concerned because fear was urging her to bolt. I had to hold her with two hands on a short leash.

In the morning, letting her out of confinement--unleashed, she made a dash (really? yes, really!) for the stairs inside our house (of which there are 16). She got up about 5 when I was able to stop her, but she spun around and ran back down. I am hoping she is okay. All of those movements are big No-No's. She isn't favoring her leg any more than usual, however, which I'm taking as a good indicator.

She is much more eager on walks and really wants to range, which she isn't supposed to do yet. I feel badly in the sense that I know she's loving being outside and smelling. What I'm noticing is she is faster now, nine days post surgery than she was prior to her operation. Her leg must have really been hurting.

Day 10

This was our day of reckoning. All her drugs are finished. I let her sleep last night without her cone. This morning we saw the vet for stitch removal. The prognosis? Yahoo!! The vet thought she was doing really well; her wound looked great.

Our list of what we can now do:

1. Not wear a cone. Happy dance!
2. Up the length of walks to 15 minutes four times a day on any terrain.
3. Work on walking long figure 8's to get her to use and balance on that leg.
4. Work on stands from sitting. (She's already doing this.)

What we still cannot do:

Day 10 Coneless, stitchless and free to move about the cabin.

1. Limit stairs.
2. No playing with her dog pals.
3. No swimming.
4. No jumping.

 A pretty good list if you ask me. Bella will be really happy with the longer walks (as will I)! She has another appointment in two weeks for another checkup, but the vet said if her progress is maintaining, we can cancel it. Then in six weeks, the end of August, we go is for xrays to see how the bone is actually healing.



A foot note. Bella was given Dasquin and carprofen for her pain and joints several weeks prior to this surgery. I asked Dr. Weh, the surgical vet, about continuing them. She said the Dasquin was fine to continue, but recommended I stop the carprofen as it has been shown to interfere with bone growth (yikes!). Also, Bella's knee showed no signs of swelling (yay!), so she felt it unnecessary. So carprofen is stopped as of today, though she said if Bella seemed stiff or in discomfort, it was fine to give it to her for a day or two. I think with supervision of her activities, she should be fine.

On to the next two weeks of recovery!

TPLO Surgery and Recovery / First Five Days

I haven't written in years, but wanted to post about Bella's TPLO (Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy) surgery and recovery as it is something I have been scouring the internet to learn about. I can only assume others are searching for information regarding their pup and what to expect of the recovery period. Hopefully this will help clarify some of what is in store for them and their favorite four-legged friend.

Signs of a CCL Tear

Bella had been noticeably, but intermittently, limping throughout the summer. Something with her back left leg was bothering her. I toke her to the vet in November for xrays, but they came back inconclusive--no swelling, no sign of arthritis. The vet thought is could be something with her back, but since it was intermittent, I chose to hold off on other tests. And really, after going through back surgery with our former dog, Lucy, I just couldn't face it yet with Bella.

By this June, however, her limping was continual. A second round of xrays showed inflammation and perhaps some arthritis. Although this type of technology won't shown a torn CCL, the indicators pointed in that direction. My vet, the wonderful Dr. Kate Schottman at Sunset Pet Hospital, recommended I go for a consultation with Dr. Jennifer Weh at Blue Pearl. Dr. Weh confirmed the diagnosis and within a few days, Bella was back for surgery. (I've been asked why an MRI wasn't performed. Dr. Weh said they are prohibitively expensive and also, inconclusive. Because they don't do many of them, not all veterinarian radiologists are adept at reading the results.)

The Surgery

No food after midnight and an early morning arrival at the hospital for Bella. For a Labrador Retriever, no food spells misery! Her surgery happened in the late afternoon; the hospital called both before she went in to surgery and after she came out. The surgery went sell and proved necessary as 70% of her CCL was torn. Thankfully, her meniscus was fine and there was little sign of arthritis. But this bring us to the rehab...

Luckily, as a dog owner, you are never fully cognizant of what you're in for with TPLO surgery. You can read and read about it, but until you live it, you just don't know what you will experience with your dog. I don't need to explain the surgery as you can read about it on your own and your vet may recommend something else. In our case, Dr. Weh said it is one of the most common orthopedic surgeries performed on dogs and has an excellent success rate. As an owner, I was concerned Bella's predicament was caused by something we did, or did not do, but Dr. Weh said it didn't matter what the dog's age, athletic ability, gender or weight. A small peace of mind.

Initial Recovery

The first three days were brutal. Bella was anxious wearing a cone, anxious being sequestered and obviously in a lot of pain. Whimpering, lip-licking, drooling, yawning... So sad to witness, but I kept (and keep) telling myself the outcome will be so worth it.

The vet tech was adamant we follow the protocols and because it's our girl (and the surgery isn't cheap), we're on board. Some things I've modified, but not the big stuff.

 

Drugs

Bella is on the following drugs:

• 100 mg Carprofen / once a day (anti-inflammatory)
• 750 mg  Cephlaxin / twice a day for seven days (antibiotic)
• 30 mg Codeine / every eight house (pain relief)

I kept on a strict pain management schedule they had begun at the hospital: 4AM, Noon, 8PM. They said in three to four days I could try tapering the codeine to two pills every 12 hours. Today (five days post surgery) is the first time I will attempt codeine only twice daily. It will depend on how she feels later this afternoon whether this is successful. What they warned me is it is much more difficult to get her comfortable again if she's off the regiment, so I need to be mindful of her and not force the issue.

 

Feeding

Bella loves to eat. Getting food in her and pills down her has not been an issue with the exception of the codeine. I can't disguise it. I tried putting it in a ripe blueberry. Nope. Ripe cherry. Nope. The tech said not to use fatty things like cheese or peanut butter as it would slow the absorption, so I resorted to Pill Pockets (chicken flavor, thank you very much) and that did it.

I also have stuffed and frozen Kongs with her meals (which I cut in size by about one-third). This gives her more to do throughout the day as she gets bored. And what a bonus! Five meals a day!

One of the odd things that has occurred is her disinterest in water. Normally, she is quite the drinker. With pain killers and no water intake, I knew her ability to defecate was going to be seriously compromised, not to mention the concern of dehydration (by Day 3, her gums were sticky--a sign of dehydration). So I've added some canned pumpkin (no seasoning, just squash) to water-soaked kibbles to help with fiber and water intake. I am also "lacing" her water with homemade, unsalted chicken broth. Boy! She's cleaning the bowl! I'm running out of the homemade variety and will have to use commercial, low-sodium canned broth, so a little more water, a little less broth. Hopefully, soon, I can just be giving her unadulterated water. Is it the drugs? Not sure. Another question for the surgeon or vet tech.

 

Crating and Cone

Unfortunately, she has to wear the Cone of Shame. What dog likes that! I debated whether to purchase an inflatable collar, but Bella is a long-bodied girl and I know she'd still be able to lick her leg. Luckily, she's very obliging and does not fight wearing a cone. She doesn't like it, but she doesn't avoid sticking her head inside of it--and by Day 5, she is "comfortable" sleeping with it on. Luckily it will only be for two weeks until her next appointment. If, when we go in for a recheck and all looks well, her stitches will be removed and the cone dispensed!

Comfortably sleeping in her kitchen corner.

They recommended crating her, but we don't have one, so I've cordoned off part of our kitchen. It is an area where she already has a bed, so I knew she'd be comfortable with the area. It's also big enough that I could put a small chair within the boundaries and be with her. I swapped out her lumpy bed (I was concerned about her stability on it) for some memory foam. She wouldn't get on the foam prior to this, but seems to love it now.

As I mentioned the first three days home were awful. I ended up sleeping on the floor of the kitchen next to her and it helped both of us. I could monitor her closely and she didn't feel abandoned. It also helped that my husband was gone so I could devote 100% of my attention to Bella. During those three days, the codeine would wear off about an hour before her next pill was due and that made it difficult. I didn't want to mess with the timing of the pills, but I was anguishing over her pain and discomfort.

We're now at her fifth day home and there's incredible improvement. I noticed progress yesterday afternoon and today she seems remarkably better. Most importantly, she is able to sleep.

I bought an x-pen for her for the yard and a harness to help support her while walking, but don't feel I need either, so back they go. She'll be fine on a long line and has managed our two stairs to the back yard since the first day.

Last night we moved her bed into our bedroom and she slept through most of the night and I got to be in a real bed! She got up around 1AM and was restless enough that I took her outside to no avail. She was more quiet when we returned though. I am hoping tonight she'll sleep through the night.

 

Walking and Exercise

From the get-go, they wanted her to do limited weight bearing. I am allowed to walk her slowly (to get her using all four legs) for 5-10 minutes four times a day. Bella is putting weight on her leg. I doubt it's full weight, but she is using that leg. Initially five minutes was about all she could do, but she wants to do more than ten minutes now, although I don't allow that. As she won't defecate in the yard, I've been taking her up and down the alley. She'll only go once a day, but she isn't straining.

Bella's red ankle.

The first two days, her ankle below the incision was swollen and brilliant red. Quite shocking. The red was probably razor burn, because it's fine now. They had warned about possible edema around the ankle and recommended some gentle massage to increase circulation. Her ankle was bloated and fleshy initially, but looks normal today.

They also recommended I do ten seconds of passive range of motion exercises with her leg three times a day. It's a basic bicycling motion. She didn't fight it, but I could tell she wasn't keen on it either. After talking to the tech, they said if she was standing and walking on the leg, that should be plenty, so I'm leaving it at that with just an occasional cycle movement.

Interestingly enough, she seems not at all bothered by sleeping on that leg. She's even used it to scratch her neck when the cone comes off!

 

Care of the Incision

Not unlike care of our wounds, they told me to ice her leg for ten minutes every six hours the first three days. This must have felt really good, because Bella didn't budge when I did this. I used frozen corn wrapped in a light towel. Sometimes I put it between her legs and other times on top of her injured leg.

Incision, Day 5.

By Day 4, the hospital instructions urged switching to heat rather than cold. I warm a wash cloth under hot water and bag it. I lay this directly on her leg. I use my husband as 'Heat Controller' as he is much more sensitive to hot than I am. On me, it feels pleasantly warm, however, Bella doesn't seem to like the heat and will move her leg away from it. Too hot for her? Unsure, as a bit cooler doesn't seem to work either.

Obviously she is not to lick the wound which of course she really wants to do. Hence the cone. Periodically when I am with her, I do remove it and I can tell she really likes that, but any sign of licking I slip it back on. However, without the cone on, I do allow her to clean her crotch, an important ritual for her.

The surgeon would never qualify as a plastic surgeon. The incision will end up a scar, so I will check with them about massaging the area to break up scar tissue. I don't really care what it looks like (nor does Bella), but I think lack of scar tissue will allow better movement in the area. The incision, itself, looks clean. No weeping or smell.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy to be in the wood, by a lake, with her human pack. Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Poisonous Mushrooms

Part of the backyard stash.

This has been a fantastic year for mushrooms in the Pacific Northwest. Hiking has been wonderful for all the varieties one can see and if you're knowledgeable, great for picking and eating. However, while 'shrooms can kill you if you ingest the wrong variety, they can likewise poison your dog. I was at a recent pet first aid class put on by our local emergency vet hospital, ACCES. The vet tech conducting the class said they have seen a large influx of dogs poisoned from eating mushrooms. 

A local TV station recently posted this article which has some great links at the bottom. Please read the article and check your yard for mushrooms, protect your dog. I removed a large bowl from mine.

First Snow of the Season

Bella feels strongly about the snow.

Our camping trip into Colorado was fun, but cold! In fact, the snow turned us around as we just couldn't stay warm. Bella, however, had a ball!

Car Travel Safety

I've had my dogs in car harnesses for over 10 years. I began using a walking harness (see this earlier post) and have since graduated to a Bergen harness as I felt it provided better protection, offered more chest coverage and therefore, less impact harm to my pup. Bella is never in the car without being in her harness. But today, I came across an interesting article that relayed test results from different dog harnesses and the Bergen was not a leading contender. In fact, for a 75-pound dog, it proved catastrophic meaning the restraints broke, launching the dog.

With a bit more scurrying around the Internet, I was able to locate the actual study and am linking you to it, so you can see how the testing was done. This is the first time I've read that a study was even conducted. It seems the Sleepypod Clickit harness was recommended in all dog weight ranges (small: 25; medium: 45; and large: 75 pounds).

The Clickits are not cheap, but it could save your pup's life.

Lost & Found

Heaven forbid your dog runs off. As careful as we all are being mindful of our dog's location, things happen. Unfortunately for some owners, their dog take off without the slightest provocation. Lucy was like that. Any opportunity was golden. Luckily, the majority of the times she "left," she went to one of two neighbors who would bring her in and call us. How could we be so careless with her?

For the first five years of her life, she made no attempt to leave our fenced yard. Then, one summer a new family moved in with a passel of kids. It was late June and the kids had gotten a hold of "squealer" fire crackers and were lighting them off in the alley behind our house. Lucy panicked and jumped the fence in fear. Luckily, we saw it happen and were able to race after her. Long story short, once she discovered this access to the world, she made the most of it until we could eventually build a taller fence. She learned to open the gate latches with her nose, so we installed locking handles.

Bella stays close by, but she is a normal dog and an open door is...well...so beckoning. If my husband doesn't pay attention and the garage door to the alley is open, she trots out. Luckily she only goes across the alley to our neighbor's garbage. (Not so good for her tummy and our carpet, but usually we catch her before she devours the pile.)

All our dogs have been licensed. All have had tags. (My favorite tags are Boomerang. They slide over the collar, don't clink and more importantly, don't get stuck on things. Bella once caught her tags in the slit between deck boards. I've used Boomerang since then.) All dogs have been microchipped. Every year when we go for Bella's annual checkup, I have the vet scan her to make sure the chip is still reading. When we travel, which we do a lot, I carry recent pictures of her and her medical records.

But what to do if your pup bolts and isn't found? I came across this article today in the Huffington Post, How to Find a Lost Dog: Things You Haven't Considered, by Nicole Wilde. It covers the basics (posting flyers, walking your neighborhood, eliciting help from neighbors, checking at local shelters), but also covers some ideas I hadn't considered. It hadn't occurred to me to give a poster with my dog's picture and our phone number to the mailman and UPS/Fed Ex guys that regularly drive the area. Wilde also recommends posting the flyer at local vet offices and stores. Again, a great idea. If your dog is hurt, perhaps a good Samaritan took your pup to a vet. Perhaps a shopper at a store you don't frequent, has seen your pup.Not only should you post with local groomers and pet stores, but at any local shop. Take your search on-line. A local dog, Harley, was eventually found after four months, because his owner took every avenue to search for his beloved dog. Don't give up on your pup!

Are You Coming Home Tonight?

Are you coming home tonight? You can 100% guarantee that? What if your car breaks down? Or heaven forbid, you're in an accident? What if you aren't able to make it home and your pup is home alone without access to food or water and no one knows? What plans do you have in place in case you aren't returning soon?

I came across this article today that lays out just this scenario. The author was biking when—whoa!—an accident caused an unforeseen delay in getting back to their pup.

One sad puppy...because you aren't coming home.

In the old days, before our house was burgled, we had a dog door that allowed Lucy access to the fenced yard. This gave us peace of mind for the dog if we were delayed in returning. (Of course, we weren't thinking our delay would be anything but what we had control over.) Luce had water inside and out, so the only absence, besides us, would have been food—and she could have made it for a while with an empty bowl.  (Lucy wasn't much of an eater and would literally go days without touching her food. I think her tops was four days, her choice.)

Today, post burglary, we no longer have a dog door, so Bella does not have that same freedom. And like the author of the article, we never leave the house thinking we aren't coming back. She brings up great points and stresses her plans aren't for permanent contingencies, but a shorter period of time—24-72 hours.

I am a cyclist also and identified not only with the possibility of an accident, but just the fact that "stuff" happens. I immediately checked my phone's ICE contacts and realized the woman who looks in on our house when we travel was not an ICE contact. She is now, as she as complete access to the premises and loves Bellie to bits. I know she would take excellent care of her. Next up, a list where we keep food, treats, poop bags and leash for our neighbor, and vet notification that said neighbor, knowing our desires, is authorized to make medical decisions for Bella, should they be necessary.

What are you contingency plans?

Snail Bait—Not So Pet Friendly

When Bella was a pup, my husband put some moss kill on the lawn. I don't remember the brand, but it had iron in it—and Bella loved it. Her tongue turned orange (which was how I knew she'd been lapping it up). Although she didn't act sick in the least, I took her to the vet just in case. Luckily, all was well and those products are no longer used in the backyard where she hangs out.

Today I received an email via a gardening group to which I belong. In it was an alert about iron toxicosis in pets that had consumed slug bait containing iron phosphate. Symptoms of consumption are typical: lethargy, vomiting and diarrhea.

Although slug bait containing metaldehyde is more toxic, iron phosphate is not benign. If you live in slug country, as I do, battling those slimy garden decimaters is an ongoing job. There are less lethal methods of controlling slugs (beer traps), though they may not work as quickly. However, better safe than sorry with your beloved pets.

You can read the AVMA notice here.

Remember, although a product may be organic or natural, it doesn't mean it's safe when consumed. Be sure to:

1. Always read pesticide labels carefully and follow the directions for recommended dosage. More is not better!
2. If the product is dry (i.e., pellets), don't create bait piles. (If you must, but it in an enclosed container that only a slug can enter.)
3. And of course, store the product somewhere out of reach to pets and children.

ALERT! Dog given away during soldier's deployment

Picture of Oakley

A soldier returns from deployment to find his dog has been sold or given away by its caretaker. The soldier was not informed of this until May, but he states he could have happened anytime between February and June of this year. I've seen this sad news in several different places and on Facebook. This Craigslist ad is circulating through the local dog news in the State of Washington. If you know where this dog may be, please contact the soldier through his Craigslist listing.

Baby Kisses Dog

I have seen tons of pictures recently showing babies and toddlers face-to-face, lying on top of, or tightly hugging their dog. Babies and dogs together aren't anything new—and the photos are sweet, but have you ever noticed how uneasy the dog often is? Perhaps these photos stand out to me because I am both more aware of how a dog communicates and I have two new grand-(great?) nephews (1 year and 9 months). More often than not, the poor dog looks like it is tolerating the interaction and gratefully, is well-behaved enough to suffer through the interaction. But how many people unknowingly subject their dog to the discomfort and their child to the danger? It seems like a lot.

I came across this video showing very subtle dog communication around a wee one. I sent it off to both new sets of parents. They may be comfortable with the interaction between their baby and their dog, but do they know their friends' dogs as well?

After Lucy passed away, we briefly trialed-for-adoption, a male pup around a year old. He was a sweet, young thing, but I realized almost immediately he harbored more issues than I was skilled to deal with. Although he suffered several bizarre personality traits, the clincher for his return was nipping a neighbor's young daughter. The little girl, around eight at the time, came over to see our new pup. She was shy and stood quietly by her mother, when Jake came up and nipped at her shirt. No one had anticipated that. He didn't touch skin, and neither the mother nor her daughter was bothered by it. The little girl was unharmed. However, I was greatly concerned! We travel a lot and are in many different situations which include children. I did not want a dog that needed constant monitoring; I had already experienced that with Lucy. After much distress on my part, the young dog was returned to his foster home for more evaluation.

Lovely Bella is as sweet as can be, but she isn't used to babies who grab her fur for balance or grab her neck to hug or topple accidentally on top of her. Whenever we are around small ones, I monitor her and the babies like a hawk and do not allow close interactions. I am guarding Bella as much as the baby. Bella is far more quick than I and a baby's face is far closer to Bella's teeth.

On the street, there are several things I do when a child runs up to Bella, as often, the parent with the child does nothing.

• First, I safeguard Bella. I make sure she is not anxious (never the case) and next to me. 
• I explain to the child they should never run up to a strange dog. 
• They should always ask the owner permission to pet the dog.
• They shouldn’t shout or grab at the dog—all things that can frighten it and precipitate a bite.
• When greeting a strange dog, they should extend a fisted hand, fingers down, for the dog to sniff (safe-guarding small, tasty fingers).
• When leaving, it is wise to walk, not run, from the dog.
  
  

A bit of overkill, perhaps, but if the parent is non-responsive, I assume the child hasn't been taught how to behave around an animal. Better to know how to approach an animal safely, than risk a bite.

Recently I read the article, Why Some Pet Photos Make Me Nervous, by Dr. Nancy Kay, DVM. In it she advises parents to:

• Actively teach young children how to interact with animals in a gentle, respectful fashion. Role model this behavior every chance you get.
• Be reminded that every animal is capable of unpredictable behavior. Never leave a young child unsupervised with an animal, even if that animal happens to be the beloved family pet.
• An eating or sleeping animal is wearing a “do not disturb” sign which should be respected.
• If your pet enjoys spending time in a crate or other small, enclosed shelter, consider this to be their sacred space and bar young children from entering.
• Avoid subjecting your pet to unnatural, uncomfortable poses for the sake of a photo!
  
  

Respect a dog's sense of space—and be responsible for your child’s interactions with pets.

"Part Wild"—What Do You Think?

I just finished the book, Part Wild, by Ceiridwen Terrill, which chronicles four years spent with a wolf-dog. She adopts Inyo as a pup for the wrong reasons and without doing any research regarding the difficulties faced owning a dog that is part wolf, part domesticated dog. Her life is full of bumbling relationships with men and her wolf-dog, but also contains some magic moments. When she and Inyo are in the mountains and civilization is remote, both are free and happy. Not so the case when confined in a city. Terrill writes well and some of her tales are quite funny. Most, however, are sad—a tragedy because Inyo is neither a wolf nor a dog and fits in neither world.

A good friend has also read this book and we had very different takes on it. Both of us are dog lovers and spend much of our time discussing our dogs in particular, but also other dogs and dog owners. She felt Ms. Terrill was initially ill-informed (she was), made many mistakes with the care of Inyo (some will make you cringe) and felt the author saw herself above others (I disagree). But how many of us got our first dog with no more to go on than love of a pretty face? Some of us were/are lucky, but the over-crowding of animal shelters is testament that Ms. Terrill isn't the first to be ignorant of what's involved in owning a dog, let alone one that is part wolf.

The book is well written and quite honest about the difficulties for the wolf-dogs and owners, most of whom, like herself, get the dog for the worst reasons. She went into the relationship ignorant and left heart-broken. She interviewed (canine) geneticists, dog trainers, wolf experts and wolf rescuers attempting to understand the difference between a wolf and domesticated dog. Ms. Terrill does not advocate owning a wolf-dog, far from it. She spells out all too clearly how heart-breaking it is for all. In the end, she had to make an excruciatingly difficult decision.

Here's a bit more about wolf-dogs from one of my favorite (dog) authors, Patricia McConnell. Again, not a pretty story.

Just Plain Cute

I came across this photo blog today Find Momo. Can you find Momo? Love it!

Great Point of View Regarding Training

I came across this article today and had to share it. I couldn't agree more with the author! In Common Misunderstandings About Training and Behavior, author Kelly Gorman Dunbar writes about two important facets of our human-dog relationship. One, the use of treats—to use or fade out, and two, our misinterpretation of dog behavior—are they being willful or are we being unclear.

I'm sure you've noticed that after you've phased out treats, and months (or years!) have passed, your pup seems to ignore or forget basic behaviors. "Oh! You want me to stay (sit, heel, etc.)?" And meanwhile, you are thinking, "Wait a minute! You learned this years ago!" Ms. Dunbar hits the nail on the head when she writes:

"Yet it seems that people want their dogs to do their bidding without getting some sort of reinforcement in return. It’s interesting to me, because this is not how we humans operate; we expect to get paid for a job well done. Nor is it the way of the rest of the natural world. We mammals do what works for us to keep us healthy, happy, and alive. Behavior is driven by its results or consequence; life is inherently rewarding or punishing."

I know Bella loves "payment" and as soon as it arrives, she is more anticipatory to the next command. Sometimes that payment is food, sometimes a bit o' loving, or maybe some ball time—but the point is, the reward works. I don't always have food with me, but I consciously bring training treats with me on certain walks or adventures, just to reinforce heeling, sitting at stops, paying attention. It works!

Ms. Dunbar goes on to write about what some owners say is their dog's willful behavior. She counters with:

"I often say that dogs don’t generalize well and that’s why we have to painstakingly break things down into tiny exercises to teach with clarity. However, there are other reasons a dog might not be learning what you are trying to teach. Or perhaps it’s not that they don’t generalize well, but rather that they really just aren’t getting clear instruction most of the time. We humans are incredibly inconsistent. We have such terrible and confusing habits as changing verbal cues (is it Off or Down?), changing the reward marker if we have one, and not telling the dog when she’s got it right."

Early on, my husband and I were wondering why Bella wasn't "getting" a couple of commands and we realized we were using different words. I was using "down" for laying down and "drop" for spitting something out of her mouth; he was using "drop" for both the former and latter command. Oh boy! So we agreed to use "down" for laying down, "drop" for downing at a distance and "out" for spitting things out. But I've noticed we occasionally use "out" for when it's okay for her to proceed us through an open door. No wonder she doesn't always respond—she's confused about what we're asking of her!

Training us is much more difficult than training the pup. Not only do we need to be consistent with the words used, but it's necessary to use clear markers when a command is executed (timing is so important here), when training is over, or when we're just talking/working with her. I wish I had not used "OK" as completion, as that word has come back to bite me several times. "Release"...or another uncommonly used word, would have been much better. Perhaps a reason for another training session for us!

Sitting in a Parked Car

We've all heard it—don't leave your dog in a parked car on a warm (notice I'm not even saying "hot" here) day. I'm sure this video will go viral in the dog world. A vet, Dr. Ernie Ward, takes a video of himself sitting in his car for 30 minutes. His windows are ajar. Unless you can do the same and be comfortable, don't expect your sweet dog to fare better. Leave your pup at home.

Water Intoxication—No Joke

Having suffered this myself, I can genuinely say water intoxication is no joke. I passed out and ended up in the emergency room. They thought I'd had a stroke. I was completely dysfunctional—all from having drunk too much water. Drinking too much water (hyponatremia) dilutes the sodium/electrolytes in your body causing swelling of cells which can impact your brain and other organs in your body.

So when I saw this article stating the same thing is possible for dogs, I knew I needed to address it. A couple of years ago, I think Bella was close to experiencing this. We'd gone to a friend's lake place and Bella was in heaven. Not only was there water to play in, but the gathering hosted nearly 20 people—all of them more than ready to toss a ball for the B-Girl. I was watching her pretty closely and was concerned about the length of time she'd been retrieving the ball in the salt water. Her swimming had slowed down, but not her drive.

Nothing like water and a ball to make a puppy happy, but it
can be a dangerous combination if not monitored closely.

I finally called a halt to the play despite the fact that everyone thought I was over-reacting. It was a good lesson to always trust my gut instinct when it comes to my girl. I am with her more than anyone else and was aware she wouldn't stop until she collapsed. I have never seen her quite so worn out. She was definitely feeling the effects of ingesting a lot of salt water. She vomited several times and had diarrhea—both signs of water intoxication—and her coordination was slowed. Dilated pupils? I don't know. Excessive salivation? That's one of Bella's trademarks.

Luckily, she didn't succumb to water intoxication, but I can attest to how quickly I deteriorated, so I don't doubt it's as fast, or faster, with a dog. So while you have fun with your pup in the water this summer, be mindful. Don't let her stay in too long and be sure to give her plenty of breaks.

The Benefits of Knitting While Owning A Chewing Dog

Bella catches new toy.

Bella destroys most of her toys. At four, she's slowed down on that destruction only a little. I've spent more money on toys for her in four years than I spent on our last two dogs over a 29 year span.

I heard about a company called Bionics that sounded really cool and got Bellie a toy from them. (Friends gave her two more). If she destroyed them, they'd send me a new one. If she destroyed the second one, she could become a life-long tester. How could you argue with that? Problem is, Bella doesn't like their toys. She rarely even mouths them. So I continue to buy toys knowing their life span will be short.

Sputnik minus some niks.

I recently got her a new toy that looks (looked?) like a Sputnik. Now you might ask, "What does this all have to do with knitting? Good question!

Future knitting needle stops.

If you are at all into knitting, you know one of the foibles is your project might fall off the needles when put down for the night. Usually this is because your project is too big for the length of the needles and no matter how much you push it back to one side, it o-o-z-e-s to the other and just drops into space. This probably elicits a lot of colorful language from you the next time you pick it up to work on it. Hence, the invention of needle stops. (Of course, you can jam the needles into a ball of yarn and hope for the best, but this isn't always successful.) Those little point protectors don't fit all needles, so you need different sizes and after a while, you realize you are spending money on something that you shouldn't. (I've also twisted rubber bands 80,000 times around the tip. Tedious.)

Back to Bella's great chewing capacity. She is working on chewing off all the sputnik extensions at just the right length. I'm collecting them and they will become point protectors/needle stops. I'll just drill different sized holes into the chewed end. Oh the joy! This isn't money wasted on toys; I'm saving money in knitting!

Loose Dog—"Oh! He's friendly!"

This kind of situation would not have been an issue for me had we not been blessed with Lucy. Lucy was aggressive with any dog who approached her—unless it was a puppy or a dog she knew. Lucy was always on a leash, not so other dogs, though some were on equally unmanageable flexi-leads. Somehow, dog owners assume that because their dog is non-aggressive, all will be well, but they don't consider the other dog. Lucy was beautifully behaved on a leash—unless charged by another dog.

I can't tell you the number of times people allowed their dog to zoom in our direction with the shout, "Oh (s)he's friendly!" (The flexi-lead walkers were almost always oblivious to the location of their dog.) No one ever bothered to ask if my dog was friendly. Usually, I could maneuver Luce away or yell to the owner to grab their dog before things got out of hand—but not always. A fight would occur and who was considered the guilty owner? I always felt horrible that Lucy was in a situation in which she clearly felt threatened. Her psyche was so fragile and I did my utmost to avoid those scenarios.

So I was quite taken aback the other day while walking mild-mannered Bella. A loose Golden Retriever, hackles raised, came rushing at us from behind some shrubs. What did the owners yell? "Oh, he's friendly!" In fact, there was no problem because Bella reacts beautifully in those kinds of circumstances, giving just the right doggie "I am not boss" signals. But that's besides the point as I don't want my girl to have to be in those situations. I had no time to extricate her or avoid the oncoming Golden. Had it been Lucy, there would have been no question of a fight.

The owners were walking their dog off leash. Mistake number one. Two, they assumed because their dog was friendly (although his approach was anything but), there would be no issue. Three, they made no attempt at calling their dog to them, but let the situation unfold. Trying to be as calm as possible, I explained why it was very unsafe for them to allow their dog to do that. They looked at me like the problem was mine. I feel very, very sorry for their pup. He may not be so lucky the next time he charges a dog.