Dear Karen Teacher, Sheilla Jean, Gayla, Dixie, Tracy LateNightLeader, 4given, Martha MFI, & Seaturtle, Thank you so much for your lovely & loving posts.   Love in Him, Deb

Dear Sheilla Jean, Yes, I know about the carrots, so I had my aide dice a bunch the last time I had her coome (ever).  We're going to the vet's this AM, & I'll ask all about feeding.  Love in Him, Deb

Dear Seaturtle, Service Dogs very quickly get used to their TWO SEPARATE modes of being:  (i) working & (ii) off-duty "Relax".  When they are vested (mine has a big orange backpack of nylon, no, not too heavy but it covers her midway down her legs), they know that they are workign.  When not vested, they can play & enjoy the world just like any other doggie.  Obviously, when working, they still can rellieve themselves & thus do some sniffing.  It's just that they don't solicit pettign (which I wouldn't accept when they are in working mode.).  Love in Him, Deb

Dear All, I've been unable by myself to entice Heart to put her rear legs into the huge crate I got for her (a 25-lb-dog-size whereas she is 10 lbs).  I've tried & tried.  That means that I can't leave her alone until the Trainer, Ana,comes to work with her for the first time, probably tomorrow, & hopefully gets her used to the crate in one session, so that I can practice with her until we've got the routine down. 

I have definitely got her to know her name.  I've been having trouble getting her to eat even half as much as the package (Whole Foods organic holistic kibble, main ingredient chicken) states.  That's one of my main questions for the vet whom we're seeing later this AM.  She will eat peanut butter & baby food - turkey with rice.

The spay/neuter instructions say that if she's lethargic &/or won't eat, bring her in to teh ER.  She ws in bed for 17 hours straight yesterday & I freaked out.  I decided to feed her some out of hand before we left, & by the time we got into the cab, she ws my good old frisky friend!  I brought her in the Animal Hospital buildign anyhow (SPCA), & we arranged that my free visit today would go on & that I wouldn't be charged for yesterday -- how kind of them!  Anyhow, now I know that nine walks in a day (Friday) is too much for her!!!

She doesn't lilke most of her toys -- the only one I can even get her to sniff at is the most expensive, a pllush tree trunk w 3 removable plush squirrels.  She won't play with any of the regular stuffed animals.  Maybe she will learn,or maybe she is just getting acclimated, & will play one of these days soon.

My bed is 4" higher than my knees (I'm 5'5").  She can't easily jump down.  I have to lift her up, & she resists.  I am praying that I can get more matter of fact about it, so that my nervousness about hurting her or upsetting her doesn't make a viciious circle.

Yours in Him, Deb

Deb-  She is probably still a little sore from surgery and that is why she isn't jumping.  She's a poodle and they are champion jumpers so she will do it.  My baby Doodles is only 8 inches at the shoulders and he will jump off the arm of my recliner.  He has to work up the nerve to do it and vacalizes about it the whole time but he will do it.  And some dogs are shy about being picked up.  Sometimes they have been lifted wrong and so don't want to be lifted.  Some will never get used to it.  I have one that doesn't like it at all and she's never, EVER been lifted wrong.  She just doesn't like it.

re-tired

Thank you very much for that info, dear Re-Tired.  I appreciate knowing it.  Love in Him, Deb

Deaer All, Guess what!  THis Mommy wasn't all wet yessterday.  My poor precious Heart DID have something seriously wrong with her -- a yeasst infectionn in her poor eaars plus teh much less importrant fleas.  We've been out 4 times today & she is frolicking again.  She even started playing fetch!  She aate a prodicious amount of PB surrounding a flea pill, which works in 30 minutes.  (She took it an hour ago.)  The ears meds that the vet gave have already worked.  I need to medicate her ears daily.  There are 2 preparations, a cleansing solution & the eardrops.  All is expensive.  I spent $253.38 for the meds & cytology (microscope exam), although the 1st office visit itself ws free.  We have a follow-up visit in 10 days. 

Because I now kkkow that Poodles are susceptible to yeasat infections in their long ears, I'm going to ask the vet for a prescription & go online to fill it from a discounter.

The vet told me to go get a cloth muzzle because she might unintentionally nip me when I work on her ears.  She doesn't like to be held, as Re-tired & I just discussed.  But when well, she lays right at my feeeet ...

Yours in Hiim, Deb

  I'm so glad that you got Heart now!! Hopefully she's a fast healer and a quick learner so she'll be more helpful!!

Just hang in there, Deb. You and Heart will have to get used to each other, and it sounds like you're slowly doing that. Finding out Heart's likes and dislikes will be a learning experience. Once you get it figured out it won't be a problem.

Our dogs LOVE carrots. I buy the baby carrots and just give them to them whole. I don't chop them up.

Bailey has problems with her ears as well (most floppy-eared dogs do). We get a bottle of eardrops from the vet that they mix in their office. They call it VoLo drops. The "Lo" part is Lotrimin, but I don't know what the other ingredients are. The bottle costs about $45, but it lasts a year when used once a week. Maybe your vet will know of something similar. Bailey's horrible ear problems have been under control since we've been using the eardrops.

Jill

She is going to be out of sorts with surgery, infections and a new place.   We would be! 

Shows that she has a good temperment that she has been good with all this going on.

 Deb,

I'm so happy to hear about Heart and how happy she makes you feel....

So happy you finally have her home with you.

All the blessings,

Joha

Dear Luvd_Lioness, Jillibean, Martha MFI, & JOha, Thank you so much for yoru kind responses.  Love in Him, Deb

Dear All, WEll, Heart jumped into my arms yesterday!  I wish it had been for reasons of affection, not fear though!  We were in Pet Foods Express, because the vet had said that I needed to buy a muzzle for her while working on her ears.   There was a terrier who lunged at her -- our 2nd such experience, my friend Karla he building manager has a new terrier, who llunged at my Heart.  There were at least 20 very big doors (none the docile Goldens or Labs) & cumulatively, tehy scared her.  Once we left the store & were waiting for the cab was the denoument.  2 homeless menw ith full carts & big dogs allowed their dogs to start barking at each other.  I had stooped down to comfort my Heart & she jumped into my lap.  Because of my balance issues, it was all that I could do to stand up w/o dropping my precious cargo, but G-d gave me teh grace.  She needed to be held till the cab came, 15 minjutes later.  AND BTW, it ws also Bllue Angels fllight time (Navy jet planes) & that noise didn't help any, although due to fog, the performance was curtailed.

I took her for  a walk to decompress when we got out of the cab at home.  Shedid not elliminate nor has she since then.  She did perform her submissive posture which looks like she is going to pee in my apt hallway near my apt, but did not produce anythign.  I wish that she would wake up so that I could take her out, but I guess that she needs her sleep to process all tht happened to her yesterday.

I also bought her at PFE freeze-dried beef liver, thanks for the suggestion, Karen Teacher!  I also took diced carrots out of the freezer to thaw for her, thanks to all who suggested it. 

Fortunately, teh vet approved of the Whole Foods kibble, & Heart likes it.

I believe that Ana, the Trainer, is coming today.  Then we're going to make a formal schedule, so that we don't have to keep up "the dance of the schedules."

Jillian, thanks for the info re the Lomitrin/Volo.  My vet prescribed daily administration of Mometamax (gentamicin sulfate). 

Love in Him, Deb

I'll confess that I'm envious of Deb's having a dog. I miss my dog, Sam (AKC's The Baronial Black Jack's Spade), He crossed the Rainbow Bridge many years ago. I would love to have another dog, but I respect the vets opinion (the one who wants to come back to life as my cat) that I'm not physically capable of taking care of a dog properly because I can't walk or exercise it.

I sincerely hope that Deb and Heart are a perfect match.

Virginia Needlewoman:

but I respect the vets opinion (the one who wants to come back to life as my cat)