Black & White Sunday: Hot Dog!

Read all about why I am one hot dog on my walk with Golden Woofs, Sugar the Golden Retriever on my last post "Keeping Fit in Hot Weather."

Love, Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

Keeping Fit in Hot Weather

Welcome to FitDog Friday! The Lady I rescued decided it was time for us to participate in the FitDog Friday blog hop for a few reasons. The first, I am getting a bit chubby, maybe from me taking more than a week's rest due to an injury (Week's Rest) or my afternoon walks becoming almost nonexistent. Which is why the Lady needs to participate also.

My friend Sugar the Golden Retriever, over at Golden Woofs, and I finally planned a walk day in Glenview, a suburb north of us. The Lady wanted to do this because she is totally bored with our morning walks and thinks we need more adventures. Luckily, we picked a day when our stormy weather took a break, but not the heat. We were meeting at a beautiful new development called Gallery Park, on the former site of Glenview Naval Air Station, something the Lady still has not gotten over. By new, we mean little trees and little shade.

There's a beautiful lake surrounded by a path. We took a moment to pause for pictures on the bridge over it. But by now we are already very hot. We started early, 10 a.m., but not a cloud in the sky, a black dog, and little shade, we had to take precautions. First, mom made sure we found the water right away.

Photo courtesy of Golden Woofs

The Lady always carries a collapsible water bowl with her and I readily shared it with Sugar. Then I managed to find something smelly to roll in and look silly in front of her. Once we drank some water I really enjoyed our walk. There were lots of great new smells and I kept going despite the sun beating down on me. We stopped again for water and shade but after that our walkers needed relief. We visited a very nice bookstore that is dog friendly. There we were able to cool our body temperatures down and rest for the walk back.

Photo courtesy of Golden Woofs,
Sugar the Golden Retriever

This walk could have been very dangerous for Sugar and I but because precautions were taken we were fine. Its important to recognize signs of heatstroke is us dogs. Luckily for us our conditions never worsened beyond the first symptom.

As the Lady and I turned into our neighborhood the first thing we noticed were the huge old trees and how shady and cool everything was. When I got home I got a Frosty Paws frozen treat to help cool me down the rest of the way.

Thank you to Sugar and her mom for their hospitality in Glenview!

Love, Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

Wordless Wednesday: Moving!

B&W Sunday: Summertime

Well, summer is here and its hot! I know that the Lady I rescued is thinking about getting out my pool, or worse yet, taking me to the beach again. Just in case I may like the water now. Which I know she wishes I did, so she is reminiscing about two summers ago when as a young one I was more adventurous!

Lately she has begun to ask herself, how can our blog be the adventures of a Doxie mix rescue when we don't go on any adventures? 

Love, Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

Hospital Visiting Hours with our Pets

Last night the Lady I rescued and I were watching our local evening news. I had to take a second look, what, a dog walking down a hospital aisle? What, a dog in his owner's hospital room getting cuddles? It seems that so-called educated healthcare professionals have finally realized that having patients' pets visit them in the hospital helps them recuperate! Yes! Rush University Medical Center adopted a new policy that allows cats and dogs to visit certain patients.

Well, not to be out done, we then watched our favorite Brian Williams on NBC Nightly News, hospital visits by pets is becoming a national epidemic! Faithful Friends at the University of Maryland Medical Center have adopted a similar policy. Pet-friendly hospital visits come with strict grooming, behavior, and medical screening. We are of course familiar with therapy dogs visiting hospitals but that is just not the same as having your own pet visit, right?

This is of course great news to hear, especially with looming health injuries over the Lady, causing her concern that if she had an extended hospital stay, she would want me to visit her. If this is the case, then knowing if your dog can visit you in the hospital while you are recuperating could influence your decision on choosing a hospital. Which makes you wonder if hospitals are smarter than you think when it comes to beating the competition.

Speaking seriously, understanding that us dogs are a member of the family, it is important to consider us when making those difficult decisions about what happens to us if we were to lose you, or vice versa.

Three years ago the Lady lost a dear aunt. Her beloved dog, Katy preceded her death. When the family knew it was Katy's time she was taken to the aunt's beside in the nursing home so that she could say goodbye. Needless to say, not a dry eye in the room. And even more touching, and understandable, at the aunt's funeral, her daughter and granddaughter made sure that Katy's ashes were placed with her.

It is so important to make wishes like these known to your family or have them put in a will. We're family too.

Love, Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

Wordless Wednesday: Stubborn

Strangers and Noises

I am not a happy dog this morning. The strangers are back in our house and they are making lots of noises again. They have been here since last Wednesday, it started with the two guys in the front making tons of noises, then, horrors, now two are in the kitchen where noises are coming from.

She's not listening to me & I am trying to warn her!

I have been barking non-stop since Wednesday, except for Sunday when we didn't have any strangers or noises, so this is my Monday Mischief. I bark, and bark, and bark, and nothing works! I am so frustrated! Why is no one taking me seriously? I'll be out in MY backyard and they just walk right through MY gate and into MY back door! I even go after them barking, I have to protect the Lady that I rescued, and they just ignore me! Sometimes they even try to pet me!

Surveying the damage after the first day.

Thursday morning they came back!

Well, sometimes I do get used to the strangers, they aren't bad all the time, but its the noises that are the worst. Every bump, bang, whatever, I start to bark. The worst day was Friday with dad home. At least I thought he was home. But he went out the door to the kitchen where the strangers and noises were and was gone a long time! I was so worried that they were hurting him! I guarded the door until he came home safely!

To make me feel better, my family went to dinner and I got to go! It helped me to recover from all of the stress from the week!

By Saturday I was getting lots more used to the strangers! Look at how brave I am, I just run right by them to mom!

But after a nice quiet day on Sunday, I am very unhappy that they are all back. I have been barking pretty much non-stop all morning. The Lady I rescued it not very happy with me. Especially after I have been quiet for awhile and just jump up and bark real loud. What? 

Love, Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

Don't forget! July 1st DollytheDoxie.com!

B&W Sunday: We're Moving!

Finally! The Lady I rescued and I are moving our blog from Blogspot to Wordpress! Please, please, please, follow us at DollytheDoxie.com effective July 1st! You can start following us now but we will still be under construction so please be patient!

Love Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

Pees: Happy Father's Day!!

B&W Sunday: Gentle Leader

I am on the mend and finally back to taking walks! That's the good news! Bad news is that the Lady I rescued thinks we both have the patience to learn how to walk with a Gentle Leader. My vet recommended this after she tattled on me about how bad I pull on the leash. Stay tuned!

Love Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

Wordless Wednesday: The Vet

Week's Rest

First, the Lady I rescued and I would like to thank all of our readers for their kinds words and great advice on my last post The Vet. It was last Thursday evening that the Lady and my dad rushed me to the vet when my condition worsened on my right front leg. First, the Lady was very confused how come the injury returned after such a long time, over a month, which caused her to think it could have been something else. Like when she stepped on me (accidentally)! Or when dad heard me fall out of bed. But those all happened after I had started to limp again earlier in the week.

Dad carried me into the vet and kept me in his arms the whole time we waited. It was nice but I was still scared and shaking some. The vet examined me and a nice assistant lady I hadn't met before helped. The vet asked to see me walk and this time he could see how lame I had become, so he was very concerned about my condition. Scary words were mentioned, as a Doxie the scariest of them all, disc disease, or a neck injury. The tests he did for those came back negative but it is still something to consider. The Lady then told him about how much I pulled when I walked, so much so that I wear a pinch collar. I can't wear a halter because I am impossible to walk wearing one. The vet suggested the Gentle Leader which mom had seen before and is not a fan of at all!

Walk, please?

The treatment the vet gave us was Tramadol for the pain, and Predisone. I have had trouble taking the steroid before so mom knows to give me Pepcid first. The vet said it was a low dose so shouldn't be an issue. Then the worst news of all, complete rest for a whole week! No walks, no running, jumping, nothing! And I have to be carried up and down the stairs to go potty because we live on the second floor! The worst part will be when the meds start to mask the pain. Then I will want to get active but not be healed. Well that is where we are at now. After four days of meds I am walking almost normal and seem to feel great! But I am bored! This morning I kept giving the Lady the "look" hoping for the "walk" word. No luck. I keep squeeking my favorite ball, no luck. I roll it under the furniture and whine for them to get it, which they do, but then they won't chase me, or throw it! What is wrong with me? With them? I don't understand and I am so unhappy right now.

I'm bored and unhappy!

The Lady is just giving me the steroid medication now. She decided to stop the Tramadol since I don't seem to be in any pain. My week of "rest" ends on Friday. Once the meds end and I start to get active again we are going to have to watch closely for any signs of limping. IF my limping comes back, mom wants to first go back to the vet for more xrays. One of our readers suggestions was to have several different views taken. The vet did take two but we want to make sure that all possible views were done. As the doctor suggested a cat scan if I don't improve we want to make sure that its necessary first.

When the doctor mentioned a possible neck injury the Lady got a major case of the guilts. This is because she knows how bad I pull on the leash, when not wearing my pinch collar. At BlogPaws she didn't want me to wear the pinch collar, so I did a lot of pulling and straining there. She is very concerned she hurt me. Despite her misgivings about the Gentle Leader she did buy one for me. As soon as I am allowed to go on walks we are going to start training with that. We shall see, hmm?

Love, Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox

B&W Sunday: The Vet

Vet. The most hated word by all pets. As a young pup I considered going to the vet a social visit. All the ladies oohed and ahhh'd over me. I got treats and gave kisses in return. Until over a month ago.

It all started one morning at my park. The Lady I rescued had let me off leash but it was one of those perfect mornings after a busy day before at the park. Lots of garbage especially around the bleachers, left from teenagers after school. There's a Little Cesaer's across from the southwest corner, where there are bleachers to a softball diamond. My favorite garbage finding area for pizza, garlic bread, and the coveted chicken wings with salsa. This morning was no different, with my nose in high gear, I began to cover every inch searching for any crumbs. But the Lady would have none of that and being the well-behaved dog I am, I came to her, sat down, and let her put my leash back on.

We walked for awhile with some other pack friends, Zoe and Ed. Thinking it was safe to let me off leash again, the Lady unhooked me. After a few steps she turned around and I was gone. Running back to the bleachers. I know she can't run but she always follows me, this is our game. Eventually she caught up with me as I feverishly scrambled up and down the ancient stone steps. By the time she yelled at me to come I was on the top row of the bleachers, at least five feet up. "Dolly, get down now!" Well I did. Without hesitating I leap from the top row and landed on all fours, sort of. My front legs buckled under me. She screamed. There were other dog walkers that witnessed my heroic leap. She ran over to me, got the leash on, and frantically made sure I was okay. But I wasn't. As we began to walk I limped badly right away. We got back to the others who were in shock to find out what the scream was about. It wasn't long before everyone knew about my death-defying leap. 

Well, we eventually made it home. I limped pretty badly most of the way and the Lady carried me when she could. Later that morning, we were there. The Vet. The story she gave the doctor, and later to dad, was I jumped off a wall a few feet high. Unfortunately, the doctor then wasn't sure I was that badly injured. But x-rays were taken luckily showing nothing broken. Diagnosed as a soft-tissue injury, we were sent home with anti-inflammatories and limited to leash walks. The only concern being that soft-tissue injuries are tricky and are known to reoccur. 

In a few days I was fine and the Lady started to take me to the park again, always on leash. I finished my meds before BlogPaws and the injury soon became forgotten about. Until this week. The Lady thought she noticed me limping on the way home from the park on Tuesday. Wednesday she couldn't figure out why I didn't want to go outside or for a walk. Thursday, the limping was very noticeable on an attempted walk. She called the vet and got another dose of anti-inflammatories, thinking as a soft-tissue injury its common for these to reoccur. But I was extremely lame and noticeably in pain. By the time dad came home that evening I couldn't put any weight at all on my front right leg. A decision was quickly made, back to the Vet.

Stay tuned. Love Dolly the Doxie (mix)

xoxox