Just for laughs!
2016 holiday card
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Cottontailed Friend
October 15, 2016
Quest says, “I’ll peek first.”
Then we will peek together.
Then Aspen can peek while I tell Mom what is on the other side of the fence.
“Do you think Mom will let us keep him?”
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Let the Games Begin
August 7, 2016
Uncategorized dog agility, Miniature Pinscher puppies Leave a comment
Miniature Pinschers are well-known for their high energy, perpetually-in-motion personalities, and my girls are no exception. When my crew was about six months old I realized that I needed to find activities that cater to their active lifestyle. Paging through a dog catalog, I spotted an agility starter kit that included a tunnel, bar jump, and some weave poles. It looked interesting and fun so I ordered it. Maybe it would provide an outlet for my girls’ boundless energy.
Since it was summertime I was home every day and the girls and I would spend most of our time in the backyard. As soon as the agility set arrived I wasted no time setting up the equipment. No coaxing or training was needed for the tunnel. What puppy doesn’t love running through a tunnel?
Aspen & Malibu
It was no surprise that the girls were good at clearing the bar jump that came with the set. Min Pins are natural jumpers and have the ability to leap incredibly high. Being careful and using good judgement when encouraging my girls to jump over the bar, I kept it very close to the ground. After all, they were still puppies.
The weave poles were the only part of the set that I would need to teach. There are various ways to teach weave poles, but I was new to this sport and not familiar with any specific techniques. I used my own approach, one I call the Cheerio method. I taught my girls how to weave by luring them in and out of the poles with Cheerios. The girls picked up this new skill quickly and before long they were weaving through the six poles without needing the lure of Cheerios.
The following spring I was curious to see if there were any agility classes nearby. The closest facility was about forty-five minutes away. I wished it were closer, but decided to register for a beginner class anyway. Which Min Pin would be enrolled? Quest was too reactive to be in a class setting with other dogs and Aspen had recently experienced a health issue, so Malibu was the lucky dog.
I was excited to attend the first class and hoped that Malibu would not be reactive towards the other dogs. There were about five dogs in the class, including Malibu. The instructor began class with some targeting and focusing activities. I wanted to begin working on the agility equipment, but realized that I needed to be patient.
For the most part, Malibu was fine with the other dogs which was a huge relief. As long as I kept some distance between her and the other dogs, she did not seem to be stressed by the environment. I was disappointed when our time was up and looked forward to the next class.
That first class was the beginning of Malibu’s agility “career”. We have had ups and downs and made lifelong friendships with other agility enthusiasts that we have met along the way.
Malibu and her best agility buddy, Charlie
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Rule Breaker
July 26, 2016
Uncategorized Miniature Pinschers, multiple dog household Leave a comment
There are those that follow rules and those who break them. Malibu seems to be saying, “I’m next, Quest. Get on line behind me!”
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Back to the Drawing Board
April 9, 2016
Uncategorized Animal communicator, Canine anxiety, Clomicalm, Dr. Karen Overall, Gabapentin, hyper-reactive Miniature Pinscher, Lydia Hiby, milk thistle, valerian Leave a comment
Quest
A few months ago I consulted with Lydia Hiby, an animal communicator, with the hopes of getting some long-awaited answers about Quest’s hyper-reactive behavior. Unfortunately, I am no closer to understanding Quest than I was before. I had truly hoped that Ms. Hiby would provide me with significant information, the missing puzzle piece, that would shed light on Quest’s behavior, but that did not happen.
Ms. Hiby’s recommendation of herbal remedies for Quest’s issues was something that I had not anticipated, but worthy of consideration. I had some knowledge of valerian from my ongoing research about canine anxiety, but was unfamiliar with milk thistle. I wasted no time investigating that particular herb.
According to the Whole Dog Journal, milk thistle is “best reserved as a treatment for existing liver disease, rather than being used by itself in a healthy dog.” The article goes on to state that long-term ingestion of very high doses will eventually suppress liver function. Well, that is problematic. First, I do not believe that Quest has liver disease. Although Ms. Hiby felt that Quest’s liver is “out of balance”, that does not mean that Quest has anything physically wrong with her liver. With no symptoms, I cannot bring myself to schedule a veterinarian appointment for Quest and ask the doctor to check Quest’s liver based on an animal communicator’s intuition. Maybe I am more of a skeptic than I thought. Secondly, if I decided to have an open mind and give the milk thistle a try, without a veterinarian on board I would have no way of knowing the proper dosage to give a 6 lb. dog. Milk thistle was officially off the table.
As for the valerian, I wanted to check with Quest’s veterinary behaviorist, Dr. Overall, and get her opinion. Since Quest was currently taking Gabapentin I knew that care must be used when combining herbal treatments with prescription medications. Dr. Overall informed me that she used to recommend valerian for anxious dogs years ago before today’s commonly used drugs were affordable, but she never saw the effect that is observed with pharmaceuticals. She added that a drawback to using herbal remedies, like valerian, is that we don’t know how much of the main ingredient is in any of these compounds. So, valerian was off the table, too.
Although I did not feel that it was safe to follow Lydia’s advice about the homeopathic remedies, my conversation with her did prompt me to seek a change in Quest’s current medication. After consulting with Dr. Overall, Quest was weaned off of the Gabapentin and began Clomicalm(clomipramine). Clomicalm, like many pet medications, was adapted from a human drug. It is categorized as an SSRI(selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), and similar to the human anti-depressant, Prozac.
Quest was on the Clomicalm for a couple of months and exhibited the same level of anxiety that has always been present. Dr. Overall recommended increasing the dosage, but there was a conflict. Quest was due for a dental cleaning which required anesthesia. Quest’s regular veterinarian was not comfortable performing the procedure while Quest was taking Clomicalm, even though Dr. Overall gave her approval. With safety being my top concern, I weaned Quest off of the Clomicalm so that she could have the dental cleaning.
Quest has been drug free for over three months now. I decided to take a “wait and see” approach before beginning the Clomicalm again with the recommended dosage increase if needed, or asking about trying a different drug. Lately, I have heard Quest gritting her teeth, a sound I have not heard in a while, and have also noticed a bit more nibbling on her front legs. Sigh.
It would be so much easier to make a decision if Quest could speak. I would ask her, “How is your anxiety?” “Was it better when you were taking medication?” “Which medication helped you the most?” “Please tell me what I should do.” Since Quest is unable to answer those questions it is up to me, and me alone, to decide how to proceed.
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