The anti-SAD dog
3 Comments Published by Gussie on Sunday, October 25, 2009 at 10/25/2009 10:32:00 AM.
The PDSA has a survey for pet owners about whether pets' moods and behaviour change in the winter months.
The survey makes some assumptions from the outset – that pets are less inclined to go out in the winter, that they eat more, that they are afraid of the dark.
Jake has never enjoyed being prised out of his nice warm bed on a dark morning. But once he’s yawned his way down the stairs (we live on 1st & 2nd floors) and has sniffed the air from the porch, he’s quite happy to trot out, even into the rain (and he hates getting wet). He's not bothered about night walks - they've always been a part of his life with us. It helps that Little Lord Fauntledog has all the gear.
But slowness in getting out of bed is about it in terms of a negative reaction to the winter months. Jake seems to do the opposite to what the PDSA is expecting. Jake is less happy in the summer. In warmer weather he is less active, less enthusiastic on walks and at agility, and grumpier with other dogs. Observation tells us he’s worse on days when pollen is high. On warmer days his black coat feels hot to the touch, and we have to plan to cool him down and avoid being out for too long in hot parts of the day. It struck me as I completed the survey that we should make him a dark den as a bolthole for the summer months (in Edinburgh in mid June it can be light between 4am and 11pm). I wonder if he misses sleeping in the dark – he does pull cushions and toys over his eyes to sleep.
Over the last few weeks, as is the case every autumn, Jake has a new spring in his step, is much more lively on his walks and noticeably more chilled around other dogs. He was almost puppy-cheerful in the woods yesterday.
Bring on the frosty mornings, that always makes him really perky.
He is an anti-SAD dog.
Puppy trafficking in the UK
2 Comments Published by Gussie on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 2/17/2009 06:48:00 PM.
There's a new BBC documentary in the Rogue Traders series in which undercover RSPCA officers investigate the puppy trafficking trade in Britain*. Probably upsetting to watch, but it's always best to KNOW about these things. The programme is on:
19 Feb, BBC One, 8.30pm (England & Wales)
25 Feb, BBC One Scotland, 7.30 (in Scotland, obviously!)
And if you're in the UK, you can use the BBC iplayer to watch it for a week after the England/Wales transmission. If you're outside the UK, there's more information on this RSPCA video.
* I expect the investigation concentrates on England and Wales as the RSPCA serves England and Wales. North of the border we're served by the SSPCA, Scotland's excellent animal welfare charity. That said, I don't doubt for a minute that this nasty business is rife in all parts of the UK, and you have to hope that the two welfare organisations are working together to battle it.
Labels: Health
Ole green eyes
4 Comments Published by Gussie on Tuesday, December 02, 2008 at 12/02/2008 08:23:00 PM.
On Monday evening I noticed Jake's left eye was looking puffy - and he had a big white blob of stuff leaking out. We cleaned it up, did the old tea bag trick, but as he was still looking a bit puffy-eyed this afternoon I took him to the vet. Scott checked there were no scratches or worse on the cornea with green eye drops some ophthalmic light beam. As Jake's reaction to any eye or ear irritation is to try to wipe his head against my trousers there was a brief Benny Hill-style chase round the consulting room. Long story short - no damage to his cornea. Just some anti-inflammatory eye drops (oh joy) for the next few days.
Those green drops to reveal any cornea injury? They turned Jake's saliva green. Most entertaining on the bus home. (Look at the Halloween Hound, kids...)
We're expecting the brave little soldier will make a full recovery.
Those green drops to reveal any cornea injury? They turned Jake's saliva green. Most entertaining on the bus home. (Look at the Halloween Hound, kids...)
We're expecting the brave little soldier will make a full recovery.
Labels: Health
And now we must turn again to the topic of Jake’s “trousers.” No, I didn’t know that euphemism for his backside either, and I was flummoxed at his bronze good citizen class when I was prompted by a very respectable lady to make sure I brush his “trousers.” (As if I wouldn’t!) If that respectable lady is reading this post, she may wish to avert her eyes now.
Every few months, Jake needs his least favourite medical procedure – to get his anal glands emptied. We know the signs oh so well. I won’t dwell. Sometimes this indignity happens at the vet, sometimes at Glamour Pooch along with claw trims and a shampoo & set. Er, bath. I know hardier souls than us do this procedure themselves but after reading on Lurcherlink about a poor soul who accidentally sprayed her glasses in the process I thought no, PAY someone, preferably someone who does this day in, day out. I don’t have to sterilise my specs, Jake gets the evacuation done neatly and quickly. Win-win.
I had a long chat with the vet about why Jake is prone to this. He (the vet) was happy with the balance of Jake’s diet and my daily poo patrol confirms this. But after reading Lurcherlink, we might try sprinkling a little bran on his meals too.
We also found that Jake has lost another kilo – now we must try to stop my aunt putting it back onto his hips over Christmas…
Every few months, Jake needs his least favourite medical procedure – to get his anal glands emptied. We know the signs oh so well. I won’t dwell. Sometimes this indignity happens at the vet, sometimes at Glamour Pooch along with claw trims and a shampoo & set. Er, bath. I know hardier souls than us do this procedure themselves but after reading on Lurcherlink about a poor soul who accidentally sprayed her glasses in the process I thought no, PAY someone, preferably someone who does this day in, day out. I don’t have to sterilise my specs, Jake gets the evacuation done neatly and quickly. Win-win.
I had a long chat with the vet about why Jake is prone to this. He (the vet) was happy with the balance of Jake’s diet and my daily poo patrol confirms this. But after reading Lurcherlink, we might try sprinkling a little bran on his meals too.
We also found that Jake has lost another kilo – now we must try to stop my aunt putting it back onto his hips over Christmas…
Labels: Health
Jake had been going so unacceptably (uncharacteristically) radge at any dog that sniffed his bum that we were seriously talking about calling our favourite behaviourist for some advice. But before we did that, we took him to the vet for a checkup. Le pauvre chien! 'Twas his anal glands again. After this was sorted, Jakey is much more chilled about eager noses in his nether regions. And no need to call in the dog-shrink, either.
Labels: Health
Clearly Jake is eating better than Sandy. Seriously, we've been tweaking his diet to rebalance it after reading an article in Dogs Today about making sure your natural-fed dog gets a properly balanced diet. Jake was still on a variation of the vet's original exclusion diet from when his food allergies were diagnosed, and though he was looking pretty well on it we decided to make some changes. He's still getting either turkey or pork for one of his two daily meals, still mostly having tatties as his carbohydrate, but instead of random fruit and cooked greens/carrots on an as-and-when basis, we're moving towards 33% meat, 33% cooked tatties and 33% cooked mixed veg. So it's proper-like.
Sandy, the bowl stand has room for two bowls...
Sandy, the bowl stand has room for two bowls...
I ate lunch at my desk and while I was at it, called “Glamour pooch” and booked an unsuspecting Jakey in for the full works. His pre-Christmas treat. (Or ours.)
Then back to work, tra-la-la. A new colleague came in and asked a Serious Professional Question. After earnest debate in the office, I showed him some info on my PC. And when he left, I looked down to see a scrap of paper by my keyboard on which I’d written in very clear handwriting:
“£18-28. Bath, nails, ears, anal glands. 1-1.5 hours.”
I felt like running downstairs and screaming – it’s for my dog! not me!
Then back to work, tra-la-la. A new colleague came in and asked a Serious Professional Question. After earnest debate in the office, I showed him some info on my PC. And when he left, I looked down to see a scrap of paper by my keyboard on which I’d written in very clear handwriting:
“£18-28. Bath, nails, ears, anal glands. 1-1.5 hours.”
I felt like running downstairs and screaming – it’s for my dog! not me!
Poor old Jakey turned inside out from both ends last week. Poor wee soul. Actually we’d done quite well (quoth the vet) – it’s been 18 months since his last bad bout of gastroenteritis. Then it hit with a vengeance. Probable cause: lapping from a still puddle in Selkirk. It’s quite put me off my Gregg’s steak bakes.
Very rapid improvement with a) the vet’s jag-in-the-bum b) canine Imodium equivalent and c) a course of antibiotics. Jakey’s back to rights! It’s a happy day when poo looks like poo.
Very rapid improvement with a) the vet’s jag-in-the-bum b) canine Imodium equivalent and c) a course of antibiotics. Jakey’s back to rights! It’s a happy day when poo looks like poo.
Labels: Health
>> FFWD Jakey >>
These drugs make some dogs hyper, said the vet when he handed over J's medication for his allergic bronchitis. Blimey. I'll say. It's like having him on fast forward - or speed.
These drugs make some dogs hyper, said the vet when he handed over J's medication for his allergic bronchitis. Blimey. I'll say. It's like having him on fast forward - or speed.
Labels: Health
Week Two of the stovies exclusion diet. Jake of course is entranced by his new diet of pork and potatoes - how much nicer than anything else! How will he cope when he is moved onto other food?
Gussie went to Costco today for industrial quantities of pork and potatoes, earning a hero's welcome from Jake. And now back to the peeling...
Gussie went to Costco today for industrial quantities of pork and potatoes, earning a hero's welcome from Jake. And now back to the peeling...
Labels: Health
