Saturday, July 25, 2009

There Are Three Sides To Every Story...

Yours, Theirs, and The Truth......

After much discussion, the bottom line was we had to look out for the best interest of our household. Katy was not fitting in as well as we had hoped. The pup transitioned into our family very well.

Unfortunately, we had to take her back to the shelter. Anyone who knows us knows that it was one of the most painful decisions we've ever made. However, she went back with more of a chance of surviving than when I took her out a month ago. Assuming I was told the truth (and I have no reason to believe otherwise) then she has been pulled by a GSD rescue and my taking her back to the shelter was the best for her, which is what matters.

Wolfie and I both are still dealing with the loss of her from our home. She will always be a part of our hearts. She is loved and missed very much.

This has been an emotionally trying time for us.

We have adopted the black and tan GSD pup and she has been named Buffy.

"The more things change, the more they remain...insane."

Saturday, July 11, 2009

Rock Weigh In....

And he's UP! Rock's weight is up to 65.4! Needless to say I'm beyond pleased. I really need to thank my bestest Kaffy the Great and the awesome people on the GSD lists I'm on. I've put him on a mostly raw diet along with using slippery elm to help with the stomach/intestinal inflammation. As long as we can continue on this path, with him continuing to gain weight we are good to go. So keep them prayers and crossed fingers going.

On another note, I now have all EIGHT dogs in different stages of kennel cough. *cry*

Rock and Fifi got into a scuffle yesterday. Fionn has no doggy manners at all and continues to run right up into the face of another dog. Rock had enough after she did so outside near a ball he was going to pick up. Fortunately it was a short fight and they were out by themselves (I don't want to think about what would've happened if all of the dogs had been out, btdt NEVER AGAIN.) She has a small area on her left ear that he got a hold of, and she didn't get him at all. When he let loose, she ran. By then I had the pool gate open, Rock looked at her, looked at me, and went for the pool area (no he did not get to go into the pool, that would have been a reward!) Me thinks he was just trying to say "Enough woman, get out of my face!" I kept them separate for the rest of the day. This morning she is behaving far less obnoxious (much more submissive) and they are doing fine.





She made eye contact with him and he barked. This is all natural responses to a lack of manners, Rock seems to be the one taking it the hardest though. Keenan has really settled down since Odin died. Pooka has a thousand buttons to push before he will snap at another dog. I do watch her with Banshee and Cailly, but so far she seems submissive with them. She really needs to learn about 'personal space' and admittedly, Rock has truly lived up to his GSD potential and become the guardian. He is doing what he is bred to do. I just need to find him a different outlet, it hasn't helped that he hasn't been able to swim, play ball or frisbee in two weeks. :(

Of course, once the girls are spayed, things may change, hopefully for the better.





Considering two weeks ago she wanted nothing to do with us OR the other dogs she is doing so much better. Although I've not been able to take her in for a weight check, she appears to be putting on a little weight. I'm slowly moving her over to a MUCH higher quality food.

Mentally she is more of a puppy. No self-confidence, no doggy manners and no training. We have had to teach her how to sit. She still doesn't like her rear touched, grooming gets her upset if the comb goes to her rear she will try to bite at it. Seriously, she's that bad off and she's approx 3-4 yrs old? I really don't even like to think of what her life had been like. BUT, the truth of it is, it doesn't matter. She lives now, with us, and we'll do our best to change it. We both adore her. We just have to integrate her into a pack environment. The big question is whether we're up for the challenge. Because it IS a huge challenge to do this. Even though I'm home all day, I have all of these different personalities I have to work with. Even if I take only 15 min a day with each dog that's 2 hours. It takes 45 min to an hour to fix meals, meds and clean up (hopefully THAT time will change for the better!) Add in play time for the pack, I'm supposed to be working somewhere in here. When you add in new dogs it takes even more time, and the stress is definitely in abundance!





Our Gracie is definitely all puppy! We're working on a schedule of what we need to work on with her most. So far she has shown a severe prey drive towards cats, and she does NOT like crates. Typical of a GSD, she wants mommy and daddy in her sight at all times (and throws a yapperhead fit when we are not!) So we need to work on her understanding that we will come back. Those seem to be her biggest obstacles, along with basic obedience training needed.





Also, she and Connor play well, but due to her size she occasionally gets the upper hand. That is not good and could become life threatening for Connor as she grows. Rock seems to think he must referee all interactions (we're still working on that) so he tends to get involved. This can start a dangerous chain. Things can go from play to prey very quickly.





All dogs need exercise and discipline along with the love we give them. Unfortunately, my guys have not been getting any exercise due to the kennel cough. I'm hoping that as they overcome the illness and are able to get back into daily walks, and playtime, it will assist more with the integration. After all, a Tired Dog is a Happy Dog!

ttfn...
Uni & the Underdogs

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Cough Cough Kennel Cough *hack*

Just a short update because, well frankly I'm too damned tired. But I know there are a few people who actually care so...

I now have FIVE dogs showing obvious signs of kennel cough, the other three, are well, I'm just not sure yet. They're all getting Tussin just in case. Five are now on doxy.

I would LOVE to thank the f*$@^%g shelter for not appropriately quarantining dogs with kennel cough. I should send them my vet bills. Then again, they would've just murdered Gracie and Fifi. Just dogs. Callous morons. YES I am still angry.

I'm also getting sick.

*cough*

On 7/3 Rock weighed 65 pds. We took him in on 7/7 he was at 61.9, I'm trying to allow for the fact that he's sick. Because he had not been eating. He IS eating now. I'm going to wait until tomorrow or Saturday and take him in to get weighed again.

*cough*

Ok, well, you know me, I can't stop on a sad note no matter how bad things are.

*hack*
*cough*

A couple days ago, I had turned around when I heard this rustling, and I couldn't help but smile ...Wolfie (that would be the DH) made "bunk beds" for the dogs. Smartyboots Gracie decided to take the top bunk, then realized she could squeeze through and get on top of the crate. Needless to say, we've removed everything from the top of Fifi's crate now. ;)




ttfn,
Uni & the Underdogs
*cough*

Sunday, July 5, 2009

There's Not Supposed To Be Anything Wrong. Ever.

Rock hasn't being doing well for a while. For about 2 mos now he's not been eating well. He's been picky and extremely selective. We changed food to a higher quality (Taste of the Wild - a no grain food) we've supplemented with beets, pumpkin, green beans, sweet potatoes, chicken, rice, and the like. While everyone else has eaten, he has been eating fine one day and the next he eats little to nothing. We'd become worried, we were starting to see his ribs.



Last week, we pulled two GSD's from the shelter, one of which started showing signs of kennel cough within a few days.

Now Rock and Connor both have it. Up until this morning, Connor had been eating fine. He snubbed his nose at chicken. Wants nothing to do with it. Oddly, as I sat here to write this, he started to eat the slices of chicken I put in front of him. Maybe my writing is magic. ;) All three are on medication to relieve their congestion. I don't want them on antibiotics if I can help it.


We took Rock to the vet last week for bloodwork. While he was acting ok, there was something still not quite right. He also got xrays done as there were concerns regarding his liver, etc.

The results of his bloodwork came back fine, well within normal ranges for everything. His xrays looked fine except for the lining in his intestines and stomach were showing signs of inflammation. She sent us home with cans of EN and told us to put him on a bland diet and to keep bringing him in for weight checks over the next couple of weeks to see if there are any changes. With luck, it is is gastritis and we can work with that easily enough. Otherwise the next options we are looking at are an ultrasound or more specific bloodwork (looking for possible nutritional difficiencies), and eventually the probability of a biopsy.

Mentally I've checked out. That's my boy. Hell they all are (well, my girls too, yanno)...but Rock... well. dammit. He's my Rock.