More Details About The Diagnosis

Posted on July 18, 2008
Filed Under Care, Things That Make Me Want To Cry | Leave a Comment

apparently there is sclerotic bone on the MCP and a step (where the coronoid process is higher than normal). the doctor recommended rest, low impact exercise (swimming), keeping giving him the glucosamine chondroitin i currently have him on and to keep him slim. i asked about flax seed oils and he said it sounded OK. im thinking i might give him coconut oil too because it has been shown to reduce inflammation. infact i am thinking about changing his entire diet to a raw only diet. ive heard that in general they are very good for dogs but know nothing about how it might affect his FCP. this is the raw diet i will be feeding him

Weve Been Dealt A Devastating Blow

Posted on July 17, 2008
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weve been dealt a devastating blow. quote from the note the doctor says “his elbow films are suggestive of some mild elbow dysplasia.” personally i wouldnt call limping after a 15 minute walk “mild,” the doctor didnt have time to talk with me about the diagnosis and a treatment plan because he had to head into surgery but from what i could get out of the nurse the type of dysplasia was FCP (fragmented medial coronoid process). i spent a good hour in the car crying yesterday.

Going To See The Specialist

Posted on July 15, 2008
Filed Under Care, Clubs And Organizations, Things That Make Me Want To Cry, Todays Mood | Leave a Comment

tomorrow i take liame in to be evaluated by a specialist about his leg. he is still limping on despite large bouts of rest and crating. it seems to act up after exercise and when first rising. he will limp for a few seconds and then be back to his old puppy self jumping at jasper, play bowing and leaping down the stairs. his foot turns out like a duck, which i hear isnt a good sign. i was going to go back to my vet to get evaluated and then go to a specialist but decided to head straight for the specialist. i didnt want to have to put liame out for 2 sets of xrays because my normal vet didnt get the right angle needed or have to put him out for xrays at the normal vet and then mris at the specialist. since i am not dealing with insurance i might as well go right to the head honcho who can tell me what is going on immediately. i hear the service dog club i am interested in joining wont certify dogs with hip or elbow problems. man, thats going to really suck if i cant get the paperwork to certify my little guy. i want liame to be official with real licensed paperwork. ive sort of been having anxiety attacks over this entire situation (money for the surgery, not getting official paperwork and the possibility i wont get 10 good years out of this guy). im trying to tell myself that its all going to work out OK, but each time i see him set down with his paw turned out i get another reminder about the reality of the situation i am about to get myself into. im in love with this guy and i hope they can do something for him.

Dont Take Your Service Dog In Training To The Dog Park!

Posted on July 7, 2008
Filed Under Care, Firsts, Jasper, Mistakes, Tips and Tricks | Leave a Comment

i took liame and jasper to the dog park on friday. i made the tactical decision to go to westcrest insead of the unfenced doggie heaven known as marymoore since it was liames first time at a dog park and i wasent 100% positive he would return when called. normally i would not take liame to a dog park because he is training for service work but this was a exception to the rule because i had to make sure he got plenty of exercise and was calm for the night of the 4th. the ONLY reason why i felt it was OK for me to take him was that i am learning doggie body language through classes and reading, i knew what path to take him down so that his contact with other dogs was minimal and knew that the dog park would be relatively empty at the time i went.

if you are trying to train your dog to be a service dog, DO NOT TAKE YOUR DOG TO THE DOG PARK! unlike in a structured puppy play class there is no one there to supervise the interactions your dog has with others. you dont want to ruin your dog for the rest of his or her life by one single dog fight. i have heard of several different guide dogs being taken out of service because they got attacked by another dog at some point in their career and were now too afraid of other dogs to do their jobs properly. none of the guide dog/service dog schools allow you to take their puppys to dog parks for this exact reason. social interaction is crucial for a puppy, but unsupervised social interaction has the possibility of ruining your dog for the rest of its life. all of the problem dogs in the puppy classes i attended were dogs that went to doggie daycares and dog parks. no one wants to go to a dog park more than me but i cant risk my future for a couple of minutes of doggie playtime pleasure. to highlight this point even further, jasper almost got into a fight that day at the park.

Firecracker, Firecracker, Boom, Boom, Boom!

Posted on July 3, 2008
Filed Under Care, Jasper, Mistakes, Tips and Tricks | Leave a Comment

since getting jasper, any holiday (or the days proceeding and after) where firecrakers might be enjoyed, i am no longer a willing participant. my days and nights are spent in sleeplessness, dealing with an uncontrollable panic that not even 10mg of vallium can deal with. jasper is completely terrified of firecrackers. last night a thunder and lightening storm rolled into town. about 2 am in the morning jasper started freaking out. i had given him melatonin around 6 pm not expecting there to be an issue late into the evening but it turns out i need to start watching the weather reports, apparently washington state can have thunderstorms just like the midwest. i had to end up giving jasper a vallium to get him to settle down. liame on the other hand didnt seem phased at all by the noise – thank god. i hope that in the next couple of days i am able to keep jasper from freaking out infront of liame. i dont want liame to learn that firecrackers are something to fear. my dream is to one day be able to go see the 4th of july fireworks display from the space needle. my strategies for dealing with keeping jasper calm are the following:
make as much noise as possible (fan, tv, radio)
exercise, exercise, exercise
give melatonin at least half an hour prior to the first signs of firecrackers
get a prescription for a powerful sedative from your vet at least a week before the start of the festivities and make sure you have at least several days worth of the medication

Snip Snip

Posted on April 19, 2008
Filed Under Care, Firsts, Major Steps | Leave a Comment

Yesterday Liame got neutered.  Now hopefully he will stop humping his brother and the other puppies in puppy classes.  Although he seemed to be in a bit of pain, today he seems back to his old puppy self.  Darn, I was secretly hoping for at least another couple days of quiet.

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