Repurposing the guest bedroom. Best seat in the house on a cold but sunny winter morning.
Showing posts with label Azza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Azza. Show all posts
Sunday, February 21, 2021
Sunday, April 12, 2020
Azza Goes To The Vet!
Azza has always been a bit of a problem when it's time to go to the vet. She has to be muzzled, and I restrain her for procedures rather than risking her biting a vet tech. To my knowledge, she hasn't had her temperature taken in years. We have managed to get blood from her though. And vaccinations are routine. I always take treats, but with variable success. Sometimes she is just too stressed to take treats, other times she hoovers them up.
Azza has a protein allergy that cropped up in 2014 or so. I've tried numerous select protein and hydrolyzed diets, but the only one that keeps her gut calm is Royal Canin's Ultamino. Made from chicken and duck feathers, it is the only allergy diet that doesn't contain any protein sourced from animal flesh. It is freaking expensive, too.
I recently learned about Royal Canin's hydrolyzed diet made from soy protein. It is a lot less expensive than Ultamino. A test with a small bag and a few kibbles of SP mixed with her Ultamina seemed to suggest that she tolerated it well, and found it tasty. So I ended up mixing one bag of Ultamino and one bag of the SP diet for a 50/50 mixture.
This was in December. In January, I noticed that she was licking and scratching her inguinal area (the patch of skin between legs and torso that you see when a dog rolls onto its back) until the entire area was red and even bloody, that her inguinal lymph nodes were enlarged, and, more alarming to me, that the caudal-most glands in her mammary chain were enlarged, firm, and sort of lumpy (these would be located on either side of midline in the inguinal area).
Keep in mind that at my job, I see the worst cases of disease in all species. My mind always goes to the absolute worst diagnosis for every case. Fortunately, I've been able to train myself most of the time to take a step back and come up with a more workable differential list. But not this time. This was a problem in my own dog. And I had only one differential: cancer. Lymphoma, mast cell, mammary gland. It was all bad.
I monitored the lumps for a few weeks, and Azza's scratching intensified. I finally made an appointment at my vet. This was back in February before the pandemic was in full swing.
In the exam room at the clinic, I muzzled Azza, and amazingly managed to get her onto her back so Dr. Craig could do a quick physical exam. We got her back on her feet and removed the muzzle. She drifted over to sit next to the vet tech, who I had already schooled in how to behave around Azza. While the tech was petting Azza's head, Dr. Craig said, I see this kind of thing all the time. Like, 15 times a week. I think it's just atopy, basically seasonal allergies.
Whew. Big sigh of relief. Of course, atopy makes more sense than cancer. This is her first spring here, and literally every tree is spewing pollen.
But we couldn't for sure rule out the diet change as a possible contributor. So he recommended I stop feeding the soy diet, and start her on a short course of Apoquel. Apoquel was a real game-changer in vet med when it was introduced. It provides targeted immune suppression that isn't as harsh as giving immune-suppressive doses of steroids. Dogs taking Apoquel typically don't have the excess drinking, urination, and panting that are common side effects of immune-suppressive prednisone.
That weekend, I spent two hours sorting nearly 30 lbs of kibble into piles of SP and Ultamino. The kibbles are roughly the same disc shape but slightly different colors. It was incredibly tedious. I bagged up the SP and gradually mixed it in with the terriers' kibble.
Azza began to improve immediately. I finished the Apoquel, waited a few days, and she blew up again with scratching. So it probably wasn't the soy protein at all, but it was good to eliminate that as a variable. Azza is back on a longer course of Apoquel. Once the heavy pollen season is past us, she may be able to stop taking it until next spring.
Oh, and did you catch that little detail about our vet visit? That Azza let the tech pet her on the head? That was a miracle that I never expected to see. I will never be able to fully let my guard down when I take her to the vet, but this is a big step forward for her. And it also tells me that I chose the right vet for my pets!
Azza has a protein allergy that cropped up in 2014 or so. I've tried numerous select protein and hydrolyzed diets, but the only one that keeps her gut calm is Royal Canin's Ultamino. Made from chicken and duck feathers, it is the only allergy diet that doesn't contain any protein sourced from animal flesh. It is freaking expensive, too.
I recently learned about Royal Canin's hydrolyzed diet made from soy protein. It is a lot less expensive than Ultamino. A test with a small bag and a few kibbles of SP mixed with her Ultamina seemed to suggest that she tolerated it well, and found it tasty. So I ended up mixing one bag of Ultamino and one bag of the SP diet for a 50/50 mixture.
This was in December. In January, I noticed that she was licking and scratching her inguinal area (the patch of skin between legs and torso that you see when a dog rolls onto its back) until the entire area was red and even bloody, that her inguinal lymph nodes were enlarged, and, more alarming to me, that the caudal-most glands in her mammary chain were enlarged, firm, and sort of lumpy (these would be located on either side of midline in the inguinal area).
Keep in mind that at my job, I see the worst cases of disease in all species. My mind always goes to the absolute worst diagnosis for every case. Fortunately, I've been able to train myself most of the time to take a step back and come up with a more workable differential list. But not this time. This was a problem in my own dog. And I had only one differential: cancer. Lymphoma, mast cell, mammary gland. It was all bad.
I monitored the lumps for a few weeks, and Azza's scratching intensified. I finally made an appointment at my vet. This was back in February before the pandemic was in full swing.
In the exam room at the clinic, I muzzled Azza, and amazingly managed to get her onto her back so Dr. Craig could do a quick physical exam. We got her back on her feet and removed the muzzle. She drifted over to sit next to the vet tech, who I had already schooled in how to behave around Azza. While the tech was petting Azza's head, Dr. Craig said, I see this kind of thing all the time. Like, 15 times a week. I think it's just atopy, basically seasonal allergies.
Whew. Big sigh of relief. Of course, atopy makes more sense than cancer. This is her first spring here, and literally every tree is spewing pollen.
But we couldn't for sure rule out the diet change as a possible contributor. So he recommended I stop feeding the soy diet, and start her on a short course of Apoquel. Apoquel was a real game-changer in vet med when it was introduced. It provides targeted immune suppression that isn't as harsh as giving immune-suppressive doses of steroids. Dogs taking Apoquel typically don't have the excess drinking, urination, and panting that are common side effects of immune-suppressive prednisone.
That weekend, I spent two hours sorting nearly 30 lbs of kibble into piles of SP and Ultamino. The kibbles are roughly the same disc shape but slightly different colors. It was incredibly tedious. I bagged up the SP and gradually mixed it in with the terriers' kibble.
Azza began to improve immediately. I finished the Apoquel, waited a few days, and she blew up again with scratching. So it probably wasn't the soy protein at all, but it was good to eliminate that as a variable. Azza is back on a longer course of Apoquel. Once the heavy pollen season is past us, she may be able to stop taking it until next spring.
Oh, and did you catch that little detail about our vet visit? That Azza let the tech pet her on the head? That was a miracle that I never expected to see. I will never be able to fully let my guard down when I take her to the vet, but this is a big step forward for her. And it also tells me that I chose the right vet for my pets!
Friday, July 05, 2019
Soaking Up the Sun
Here are the dogs in the trash-strewn, tick-infested, mosquito habitat of the backyard. Happy as clams.
Mimi laid down first. Archie stood next to her for a while surveying his domain then stretched out. Azza did a quick perimeter check then joined them. It's really sweet how they like to be together.
They all got a very good brush-down before I let them back in the house.
Mimi laid down first. Archie stood next to her for a while surveying his domain then stretched out. Azza did a quick perimeter check then joined them. It's really sweet how they like to be together.
They all got a very good brush-down before I let them back in the house.
Monday, July 01, 2019
Getting Old
I've been keeping this blog for over 10 years now, and I could swear I've written a post with this same title. (I in fact did, in December 2011, about Harry.)
I was watching Mimi sleeping the other morning, and I started thinking about all of the places that she has lived: two different houses in Texas, Saudi Arabia, Oregon, and now a new house here in Arkansas. She dipped her toes in the Pacific Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. She has traveled a lot in her long life (2 months shy of 14 years old).
Old age is not a disease. But it certainly comes with relatively inevitable physical and mental changes. Mimi has lenticular sclerosis, a very common thing in older dogs (and people) in which proteins start depositing in the lenses of the eyes. Not cataracts, not associated with disease. Just age. She needs help navigating her world, which unfortunately at the moment changes daily, when light levels are low or there are poor lighting contrasts at doors and stairs. She is also nearly deaf. This is a bit of a blessing--Mimi is so high strung in general that not being able to hear things like neighbor dogs barking or thunder is better for her.
Sadly, Mimi is also starting to lose the thread of things now and then. She is a bit slower to wake up. She can get confused in chaotic settings, made worse because she can't hear verbal cues or reassurances. She is not experiencing dementia but I can see subtle signs of decline.
I also noticed just the other morning that the top of Azza's head and ears are starting to go white. She turned 7 years old in December 2018. She's not even close to being classified as "senior" but she's a larger dog and I'm not surprised to see signs of aging showing up now.
Our companion pets are with us for such a short time. It makes me sad to see them age. Older, maybe a little bit wiser, my dogs (and the Beast cat) have been through so much with me, and I'm grateful that they seem to be willing to keep on going, to see what the next adventure might be.
I was watching Mimi sleeping the other morning, and I started thinking about all of the places that she has lived: two different houses in Texas, Saudi Arabia, Oregon, and now a new house here in Arkansas. She dipped her toes in the Pacific Ocean and the Arabian Gulf. She has traveled a lot in her long life (2 months shy of 14 years old).
Old age is not a disease. But it certainly comes with relatively inevitable physical and mental changes. Mimi has lenticular sclerosis, a very common thing in older dogs (and people) in which proteins start depositing in the lenses of the eyes. Not cataracts, not associated with disease. Just age. She needs help navigating her world, which unfortunately at the moment changes daily, when light levels are low or there are poor lighting contrasts at doors and stairs. She is also nearly deaf. This is a bit of a blessing--Mimi is so high strung in general that not being able to hear things like neighbor dogs barking or thunder is better for her.
Sadly, Mimi is also starting to lose the thread of things now and then. She is a bit slower to wake up. She can get confused in chaotic settings, made worse because she can't hear verbal cues or reassurances. She is not experiencing dementia but I can see subtle signs of decline.
I also noticed just the other morning that the top of Azza's head and ears are starting to go white. She turned 7 years old in December 2018. She's not even close to being classified as "senior" but she's a larger dog and I'm not surprised to see signs of aging showing up now.
Our companion pets are with us for such a short time. It makes me sad to see them age. Older, maybe a little bit wiser, my dogs (and the Beast cat) have been through so much with me, and I'm grateful that they seem to be willing to keep on going, to see what the next adventure might be.
Sunday, August 19, 2018
CircusK9 Update, Long Overdue
During September, I will be traveling for two back-to-back, poultry-related preceptorships. I hope to be able to write more about them later, but for now, I wanted to put up a brief post about the dogs. I've been so focused on vet school recently that I haven't written much about the general mental and physical state of the pack.
In the past couple of months, I've interviewed 8 or 9 people to see how they would work out for pet-sitting. And as I introduce the dogs to these new people, I am reminded of origin stories that I have sort of forgotten, that have become buried in my other quotidian concerns.
Azza will be 8 years old at the end of this year (she was born near the end of December, 2010). Azza still acts like a puppy for the most part: playful and joyful. In large part, I credit this to the fact that she lives with fox terriers. She is so much more resilient at facing the random events that life throws at her. Not quite a normal dog, but I worry about her much less than I used to.
Mimi is rounding the corner on 13 years, and has lost most of her upper teeth, yet will play fetch with a tennis ball until she drops. She is going deaf, and has started vocalizing nearly continuously, a sort of low moaning sound. Her Parkinsonian-like tremors have become quite extreme, present even when she is at rest, and often while she is sleeping (they only disappear when she is in REM sleep). Despite my advanced training, I can't explain what is wrong with her. She is not ataxic, she knows exactly where her body is in space, she has no muscle weakness, and she has no pain from this disease. She does have two lumps that I plan to have my vet poke (technically, collect a fine-needle aspirate from them). I am fairly sure they are lipomas, but it is better to be sure. They have nothing at all to do with her tremors.
From the day that I brought Archie home, Azza has been convinced that I did so for her. Whenever I go looking for them inside or outside the house, I invariably find them together, touching paws or laying side by side. They are true partners in crime, always looking for trouble.
Archie is a spoiled little monster, and I love every second of it. It was a bittersweet email that I got from AKC telling me he was ranked the #11 smooth fox terrier in AKC agility this year. He doesn't even have a single double-Q to his name! And this entire year will be a holiday from both training and trialing. A fourth-year vet student has some downtime, but not that much. It was clear from our last few trials that he needed a bit more maturing, so this "gap year" may not be the worst thing that could happen to his agility career. I am focusing instead on building my relationship with him. I must admit that I ignored some basic training in favor of driving him forward in agility. Time for re-collection.
In the past couple of months, I've interviewed 8 or 9 people to see how they would work out for pet-sitting. And as I introduce the dogs to these new people, I am reminded of origin stories that I have sort of forgotten, that have become buried in my other quotidian concerns.
Azza will be 8 years old at the end of this year (she was born near the end of December, 2010). Azza still acts like a puppy for the most part: playful and joyful. In large part, I credit this to the fact that she lives with fox terriers. She is so much more resilient at facing the random events that life throws at her. Not quite a normal dog, but I worry about her much less than I used to.
Mimi is rounding the corner on 13 years, and has lost most of her upper teeth, yet will play fetch with a tennis ball until she drops. She is going deaf, and has started vocalizing nearly continuously, a sort of low moaning sound. Her Parkinsonian-like tremors have become quite extreme, present even when she is at rest, and often while she is sleeping (they only disappear when she is in REM sleep). Despite my advanced training, I can't explain what is wrong with her. She is not ataxic, she knows exactly where her body is in space, she has no muscle weakness, and she has no pain from this disease. She does have two lumps that I plan to have my vet poke (technically, collect a fine-needle aspirate from them). I am fairly sure they are lipomas, but it is better to be sure. They have nothing at all to do with her tremors.
From the day that I brought Archie home, Azza has been convinced that I did so for her. Whenever I go looking for them inside or outside the house, I invariably find them together, touching paws or laying side by side. They are true partners in crime, always looking for trouble.
Archie is a spoiled little monster, and I love every second of it. It was a bittersweet email that I got from AKC telling me he was ranked the #11 smooth fox terrier in AKC agility this year. He doesn't even have a single double-Q to his name! And this entire year will be a holiday from both training and trialing. A fourth-year vet student has some downtime, but not that much. It was clear from our last few trials that he needed a bit more maturing, so this "gap year" may not be the worst thing that could happen to his agility career. I am focusing instead on building my relationship with him. I must admit that I ignored some basic training in favor of driving him forward in agility. Time for re-collection.
Sunday, July 01, 2018
A Lighter Note
Just look at this ridiculous dog.
I know that dropping to the ground and showing the belly is a submissive posture for dogs, and that's certainly part of why Azza does it, but she also loves belly rubs and has learned that this behavior can also serve as an invitation for that.
Archie in a second-floor windowsill. He knows there are many bunnies lurking in the garden below so he is taking advantage of his expanded view of the landscape.
I know that dropping to the ground and showing the belly is a submissive posture for dogs, and that's certainly part of why Azza does it, but she also loves belly rubs and has learned that this behavior can also serve as an invitation for that.
Tuesday, August 15, 2017
Azza, My Delicate Little Flower
At the end of the spring term, Azza and I were bouncing back and forth between her regular vet and the emergency vet clinic. It was an expensive round of visits. I've always been worried about how to handle Azza if she got sick. Well, I got a chance to find out.
She doesn't allow many people to touch her even when they are here in the house and she's seen them several times. There are some visitors that she quite likes but she is selective. Even though I muzzle her before we enter an exam room, it takes a vet with a calm and sure hand to even get close enough to listen to her heart and lungs, or dog forbid, touch her as part of a physical exam. Forget about that rectal temperature business. Not happening. So when she began to vomit blood and pass fresh blood and mucus instead of stool, my first thought was how to manage the inevitable vet clinic visits. It really helps that I have continued to introduce her to new things (agility trials, for example, which she only views from afar but that is quite enough for her) and to new people. During our various vet visits, it was of course necessary to draw blood for testing, and she would have to be touched by at least one other person besides me. I would muzzle her and hold her, instructing techs that they had one shot so bring all the tubes they think they might need. On one visit to the emergency clinic, the tech brought in five vacuum tubes of various sorts. I laughed and said, she'll be light headed after you pull that much blood out of her (not really, but it's a good vet med joke).
Her symptoms were frustratingly non-specific: episodic inappetance, vomiting, and bloody stool every few months over a period of a couple of years that suddenly and dramatically increased in frequency and severity. I acted so quickly when things got bad that she wasn't even dehydrated yet. Coming up with a definitive diagnosis was difficult. Lots of things had to be considered and ruled out: pancreatitis (she did in fact have acute pancreatitis but it was secondary to the real problem), Addison's or hypoadrenocorticism, parasites, ingested toxins, even salmon poisoning (which isn't from the salmon but from the Neorickettsia bacteria that lives in flukes that infect the liver of the salmon), and so forth.
We eventually came up with a presumptive diagnosis: IBD, irritable bowel disease caused by food allergy and an out-of-control auto-immune response. It's presumptive because a definitive diagnosis would have required a biopsy of her colon. I did not want to subject her to that procedure. Somehow, even though her symptoms were pretty severe, we managed to give her temporary relief without ever hospitalizing her.
This IBD is particularly pernicious because her own immune system is attacking the digestive epithelial cells that line her gut. Fortunately, medical diets for our companion animals have become quite sophisticated, and it turns out that we were able to resolve her problems by switching her to a hydrolyzed protein diet. Although Hill's makes one called z/d, and the terriers are thriving on Hill's Ideal Balance kibble, I chose to feed Azza Royal Canin's Ultamino. Proteins in the hydrolyzed diets, usually chicken, are broken down from very long chains of amino acids into small groups of a few or even just singlet amino acids. That's what happens in your gut when you eat chicken: your pancreas releases proteases that break the chains into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually breaking them down into individual amino acids which pass into your gut epithelial cells. Azza's body doesn't have to do that now. Her gut doesn't even register these little bitty groups of amino acids as "chicken" so she can eat protein without triggering an auto-immune response.
Her improvement upon switching to Ultamino was amazing. We had her on quite a few drugs to calm her gut down but those were all finishing up just as I started her on the new diet. She loves the taste of the kibble and eats it with gusto. Her symptoms resolved in just a few days. She's been through most of a 25-pound bag now and I was relieved that she was doing so well.
She was doing well until I gave her a new flea treatment last night. See, fleas are becoming resistant to fipronil, the active ingredient of Frontline. I've used Frontline for years but I knew that I was rolling the dice since fipronil-resistant fleas were becoming more widely reported in Oregon. And sure enough, those little fuckers showed up in my back yard. So after doing some research, I decided to switch the dogs to Nexgard. It uses a different chemical to kill the fleas (afoxolaner), and it is an oral medication (Frontline is a topical).
I gave each dog a Nexgard chewable last night after dinner. Within one hour, Azza was scratching her belly, neck, and head incessantly, chewing on her skin on her legs, and had a head tilt and was shaking her head constantly. Her neck, chest, belly, and inside her ears were bright, inflamed red. I managed to get her to her regular vet this morning (saving the emergency clinic visit fee) just as her scratching began to break her skin. She got a diphenhydramine shot (you know it as Benadryl) plus some prednisone. Since she'd never had antihistamines before, I was curious to see how she would react. It will either makes dogs sleepy or it will make them hyper (same for people too). Turns out it makes her sleepy. I'm now giving her diphenhydramine orally every 8 hours. Combined with the prednisone, her symptoms have become greatly reduced. Not gone, she is still scratching and licking but it's not as frantic, and her skin is not so red (ah, the immune-suppressing magic of corticosteroids). Her head tilt and head shaking seems to be gone. If I can keep her quiet, she sleeps.
So what caused this allergic reaction? It could have been the beef flavoring since we know she has problems with proteins, it could have been the coloring agents, it could have been the medication itself. All I know is that I am switching back to a topical flea treatment (I'm looking into Activyl, which has a completely different chemical that disrupts the life cycle of the fleas; fipronil and afoxolaner are flea neurotoxins). Nothing more by mouth for this delicate little flower!
She doesn't allow many people to touch her even when they are here in the house and she's seen them several times. There are some visitors that she quite likes but she is selective. Even though I muzzle her before we enter an exam room, it takes a vet with a calm and sure hand to even get close enough to listen to her heart and lungs, or dog forbid, touch her as part of a physical exam. Forget about that rectal temperature business. Not happening. So when she began to vomit blood and pass fresh blood and mucus instead of stool, my first thought was how to manage the inevitable vet clinic visits. It really helps that I have continued to introduce her to new things (agility trials, for example, which she only views from afar but that is quite enough for her) and to new people. During our various vet visits, it was of course necessary to draw blood for testing, and she would have to be touched by at least one other person besides me. I would muzzle her and hold her, instructing techs that they had one shot so bring all the tubes they think they might need. On one visit to the emergency clinic, the tech brought in five vacuum tubes of various sorts. I laughed and said, she'll be light headed after you pull that much blood out of her (not really, but it's a good vet med joke).
Her symptoms were frustratingly non-specific: episodic inappetance, vomiting, and bloody stool every few months over a period of a couple of years that suddenly and dramatically increased in frequency and severity. I acted so quickly when things got bad that she wasn't even dehydrated yet. Coming up with a definitive diagnosis was difficult. Lots of things had to be considered and ruled out: pancreatitis (she did in fact have acute pancreatitis but it was secondary to the real problem), Addison's or hypoadrenocorticism, parasites, ingested toxins, even salmon poisoning (which isn't from the salmon but from the Neorickettsia bacteria that lives in flukes that infect the liver of the salmon), and so forth.
We eventually came up with a presumptive diagnosis: IBD, irritable bowel disease caused by food allergy and an out-of-control auto-immune response. It's presumptive because a definitive diagnosis would have required a biopsy of her colon. I did not want to subject her to that procedure. Somehow, even though her symptoms were pretty severe, we managed to give her temporary relief without ever hospitalizing her.
This IBD is particularly pernicious because her own immune system is attacking the digestive epithelial cells that line her gut. Fortunately, medical diets for our companion animals have become quite sophisticated, and it turns out that we were able to resolve her problems by switching her to a hydrolyzed protein diet. Although Hill's makes one called z/d, and the terriers are thriving on Hill's Ideal Balance kibble, I chose to feed Azza Royal Canin's Ultamino. Proteins in the hydrolyzed diets, usually chicken, are broken down from very long chains of amino acids into small groups of a few or even just singlet amino acids. That's what happens in your gut when you eat chicken: your pancreas releases proteases that break the chains into smaller and smaller pieces, eventually breaking them down into individual amino acids which pass into your gut epithelial cells. Azza's body doesn't have to do that now. Her gut doesn't even register these little bitty groups of amino acids as "chicken" so she can eat protein without triggering an auto-immune response.
Her improvement upon switching to Ultamino was amazing. We had her on quite a few drugs to calm her gut down but those were all finishing up just as I started her on the new diet. She loves the taste of the kibble and eats it with gusto. Her symptoms resolved in just a few days. She's been through most of a 25-pound bag now and I was relieved that she was doing so well.
She was doing well until I gave her a new flea treatment last night. See, fleas are becoming resistant to fipronil, the active ingredient of Frontline. I've used Frontline for years but I knew that I was rolling the dice since fipronil-resistant fleas were becoming more widely reported in Oregon. And sure enough, those little fuckers showed up in my back yard. So after doing some research, I decided to switch the dogs to Nexgard. It uses a different chemical to kill the fleas (afoxolaner), and it is an oral medication (Frontline is a topical).
I gave each dog a Nexgard chewable last night after dinner. Within one hour, Azza was scratching her belly, neck, and head incessantly, chewing on her skin on her legs, and had a head tilt and was shaking her head constantly. Her neck, chest, belly, and inside her ears were bright, inflamed red. I managed to get her to her regular vet this morning (saving the emergency clinic visit fee) just as her scratching began to break her skin. She got a diphenhydramine shot (you know it as Benadryl) plus some prednisone. Since she'd never had antihistamines before, I was curious to see how she would react. It will either makes dogs sleepy or it will make them hyper (same for people too). Turns out it makes her sleepy. I'm now giving her diphenhydramine orally every 8 hours. Combined with the prednisone, her symptoms have become greatly reduced. Not gone, she is still scratching and licking but it's not as frantic, and her skin is not so red (ah, the immune-suppressing magic of corticosteroids). Her head tilt and head shaking seems to be gone. If I can keep her quiet, she sleeps.
So what caused this allergic reaction? It could have been the beef flavoring since we know she has problems with proteins, it could have been the coloring agents, it could have been the medication itself. All I know is that I am switching back to a topical flea treatment (I'm looking into Activyl, which has a completely different chemical that disrupts the life cycle of the fleas; fipronil and afoxolaner are flea neurotoxins). Nothing more by mouth for this delicate little flower!
Wednesday, September 07, 2016
Some CircusK9 Photos
I thought I'd drop in some photos. Never a dull moment at CircusK9.
Archie and Azza are nearly always touching each other. Nap time is no exception. Those extra feet sticking out between them are Azza's hind feet. She folds up like a piece of origami.
I must have muttered something about dinner time. I turned around to find them arrayed like this and was very lucky that I had my iPad handy. I swear this is not staged!
Azza likes to prop herself on toys when she chews on an antler. She will even rearrange toys to make a better platform. This time, since a toy wasn't immediately available, she propped herself up on Archie. Needless to say, this didn't last long. Antler kabuki ensued.
Mimi has healed well from her dental surgery. I couldn't resist taking this photo today. Not an incisor to be seen. I can't decide if this is sad or funny. Bit of both, I suppose.
Archie and Azza are nearly always touching each other. Nap time is no exception. Those extra feet sticking out between them are Azza's hind feet. She folds up like a piece of origami.
I must have muttered something about dinner time. I turned around to find them arrayed like this and was very lucky that I had my iPad handy. I swear this is not staged!
Azza likes to prop herself on toys when she chews on an antler. She will even rearrange toys to make a better platform. This time, since a toy wasn't immediately available, she propped herself up on Archie. Needless to say, this didn't last long. Antler kabuki ensued.
Mimi has healed well from her dental surgery. I couldn't resist taking this photo today. Not an incisor to be seen. I can't decide if this is sad or funny. Bit of both, I suppose.
Saturday, August 06, 2016
Linking to YouTube
I don't spend much time on YouTube. But I think that posting videos there will resolve viewing issues for those of you who use tablets.
I'm starting with two short videos, one of Archie and Azza playing in the backyard, and the second of Archie dragging Beast by his head.
Just for grins, here are two screenshots:
I'm starting with two short videos, one of Archie and Azza playing in the backyard, and the second of Archie dragging Beast by his head.
Just for grins, here are two screenshots:
 |
| Look at that air! |
 |
| An excited terrier puppy and a cat--what could go wrong? |
Monday, August 01, 2016
Archie and Azza
Despite being a 10-month-old smooth fox terrier (two strikes against him), Archie is a joyous, happy little dog. He personifies the CircusK9 motto: live in the moment. For me and Mimi this is mostly aspirational, but Archie truly lives his life in this way.
I am very lucky that he and Azza get along so well. He distracts her from her many worries and fears. She is large enough that he can't do too much damage.
 |
| Archie likes the sprinkler. |
I am very lucky that he and Azza get along so well. He distracts her from her many worries and fears. She is large enough that he can't do too much damage.
 |
| Butter wouldn't melt in their mouths...but don't be fooled! They are regenerating for a new episode of mayhem. |
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
I Don't Understand This
I got a new (cheap) bit of carpet to put in front of my door. The cat in particular loves to lounge on it. I guess he likes the texture. Or the smell. Maybe the color. Who knows? He's a cat. Might as well be a helium-based life-form that lives in gas giant planets like Saturn for all that I understand what motivates him (sorry, my re-reading of the most excellent sci-fi Culture series by Iain M. Banks this summer is taking over my metaphors).
I was working on my summer research project the other day when I looked over to see Archie chilling on the rug. Good, I though, that means he won't be bugging me for a few minutes at least. I worked for a few more minutes, looked over again to see Beast stretched out on top of Archie's paws. Archie didn't even bother to move and the cat was already mostly asleep.
I don't understand the relationship that Azza and Archie have with Beast. They love him. He loves them. The cat ducks in and out of various rooms, runs under the bed, and zooms behind chairs in the living room, leading them on a truly merry chase through the house. The three of them go all out for this game.
You might recall how Azza would drag the cat across the living room by his head, cat screeching the entire way but loving every minute of it.
Imagine my astonishment last week when I walked down the hallway just in time to see Archie dragging the cat across the living room by his head.
It's the cat. That's the only possible explanation. Somehow he has figured out how to get two dogs with extremely different temperaments play the exact same crazy games with him.
What can one do but shrug? They are happy, healthy, and full of play and silliness.
I was working on my summer research project the other day when I looked over to see Archie chilling on the rug. Good, I though, that means he won't be bugging me for a few minutes at least. I worked for a few more minutes, looked over again to see Beast stretched out on top of Archie's paws. Archie didn't even bother to move and the cat was already mostly asleep.
I don't understand the relationship that Azza and Archie have with Beast. They love him. He loves them. The cat ducks in and out of various rooms, runs under the bed, and zooms behind chairs in the living room, leading them on a truly merry chase through the house. The three of them go all out for this game.
You might recall how Azza would drag the cat across the living room by his head, cat screeching the entire way but loving every minute of it.
Imagine my astonishment last week when I walked down the hallway just in time to see Archie dragging the cat across the living room by his head.
It's the cat. That's the only possible explanation. Somehow he has figured out how to get two dogs with extremely different temperaments play the exact same crazy games with him.
What can one do but shrug? They are happy, healthy, and full of play and silliness.
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Request From Reader: More Antler Kabuki
While playing the antler kabuki game, Azza will offer a combination
of submissive/appeasing behaviors (such as licking Archie's face and
rolling over) while she continues to guard her antler with lifted lips and tries to push Archie away with her paws.
Mimi is always looking for openings to get involved, and I don't mean in a good way. Her behavior seems low-key here but she'll pile on top of Azza in a second if she sees an advantage. This is an escalation that usually requires my intervention.
In this video, the kabuki get pretty heated but both dogs back down on their own. This is a perfect example of knowing when to trust your dogs.
Make sure you have the volume turned all the way up for this one to get the full ear-piercing effects of Archie's barks:
I love Azza's expression at the end of this video. It's as if she's saying, see, see what I have to put up with?
Mimi is always looking for openings to get involved, and I don't mean in a good way. Her behavior seems low-key here but she'll pile on top of Azza in a second if she sees an advantage. This is an escalation that usually requires my intervention.
In this video, the kabuki get pretty heated but both dogs back down on their own. This is a perfect example of knowing when to trust your dogs.
Make sure you have the volume turned all the way up for this one to get the full ear-piercing effects of Archie's barks:
I love Azza's expression at the end of this video. It's as if she's saying, see, see what I have to put up with?
Thursday, July 21, 2016
It's A Wrap!
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| Archie and Azza enjoying a sunny morning after weeks of cool, cloudy days. |
I was nervous because Archie and I are the "new team"--all of the other handlers and dogs in this class have been taking classes together and already know each other. But it turns out that the instructor placed us in a perfect class because all of the dogs in it are at almost the same level of performance as Archie.
In our new class, we work sequences of 5 to 10 obstacles arranged to focus on a specific skill. This is always a bit of a leap for dogs learning agility because the rewards are spaced farther apart. In contrast, when rewarding at a skills station like those we worked on in his previous class, Archie would get rewards every few seconds. Consistent with his overall chill attitude, Archie seemed to accept this new arrangement without any hesitation.
However, he did have a "puppy brain" moment on his first run of the morning. He had completed the sequence and I had tossed the bunny fur tug out in front of the last couple of jumps. He grabbed it...and took off running! He jumped over a tunnel, carried his precious up and over the Aframe a couple of time, did a few jumps just because he could then carried it into another tunnel where he settled down in the MIDDLE OF THE TUNNEL with plans to rip the tug open and get to the treats. Oh, such a naughty puppy! I managed to convince him to bring it to me before he emptied the treats into the tunnel.
On his next turn, I took no chances and ran with a traditional bait bag clipped to the waist of my shorts.
The first class did expose an interesting hole in his training: Archie has no wrap command. A dog that knows he will wrap a jump will collect himself as he approaches the jump, take off closer to the jump and land closer to the jump. Agile dogs that get the idea of the wrap can turn as they jump, so that when they land, they are already pointed in another direction. That's been the theme of our training at home this week.
Archie picked up the concept rather quickly (including turning as he jumps) so tomorrow I'll set up some obstacles (as few as three jumps is enough but I'll probably toss in a tunnel and of course weaves) that I can use to work both the wrap and an extended jump.
Friday, July 01, 2016
Antler Kabuki--Variations
Antler kabuki doesn't have to include an antler. As I write this, Archie and Azza are in the backyard performing antler kabuki with a stick. It can be performed with any object of mutual desire, as in the case of the video below, with a plush frog missing stuffing and squeaker.
Azza is making the noises you hear. Archie might let loose with a shrill bark every now and then, but for the most part, antler kabuki is a silent game.
Archie grabs Azza's cheeks so often during this game that she has a permanent welt/bald spot on both sides of her face. I figure that as long as blood isn't drawn, it's not a problem.
I was grooming Archie yesterday and realized that he's not a puppy anymore. He's a big boy, clocking in at nearly 22 lbs of solid muscle. He's a lovely SFT with a cheerful and resilient temperament. I'm lucky to have him, and Azza is lucky to have such a fun playmate.
Azza is making the noises you hear. Archie might let loose with a shrill bark every now and then, but for the most part, antler kabuki is a silent game.
Archie grabs Azza's cheeks so often during this game that she has a permanent welt/bald spot on both sides of her face. I figure that as long as blood isn't drawn, it's not a problem.
I was grooming Archie yesterday and realized that he's not a puppy anymore. He's a big boy, clocking in at nearly 22 lbs of solid muscle. He's a lovely SFT with a cheerful and resilient temperament. I'm lucky to have him, and Azza is lucky to have such a fun playmate.
Friday, June 24, 2016
Agility Games with Archie
I gave Archie a few days off from the weaves, and a full day off from agility training. That doesn't mean we don't do any training--at CircusK9, even play is a training exercise. Archie has finally learned how to retrieve and is starting to become rather enthused about the game. His drop it is getting much better too since he's connected that with the retrieve game.
So how did Archie do on the weaves after his short hiatus? Bloody fantastic! This is what I set up in the yard this morning:
The jumps in the pinwheel at the far end were more widely spaced than he'd seen before, although still not as widely spaced as he might encounter in a novice course. I worked that station for a bit to get him used to that pattern so I didn't have to babysit the middle of it.
Archie likes the tunnel. I initially thought about sending him away from me to the far end of the tunnel but decided to use it to work on our start line stays instead. Tunnel to pinwheel was fast and furious.
And the weaves. I always work both sides, though like most dogs he performs one side better than the other. Today, my goal for him was to practice entering the weaves at speed. Jump to weaves, then pinwheel to weaves--both went pretty well.
But the most exciting thing he did was tunnel to weaves. That's a fast, difficult weave entry. At this stage in his training, I was at the exit of the tunnel. Eventually, he will need to execute this move without my being there, that is, he will need to learn how to read my signals that tell him he will be doing the weaves even before he enters the tunnel.
The dog has to make two 90 degree turns in quick succession and still have enough control to stay in the weaves. Archie nailed the weaves in both directions! I was floored, started capering about and giving him handfuls of treats and telling him what an amazing puppy he is.
Mimi got to run the entire thing as sequences. There are some fun crosses to be done in the middle and some long sends. Even Azza got to do the pinwheel to tunnel sequence. But as I mentioned earlier, I am really trying to keep Archie's training short and focused. He is certainly able to do most of the same sequences as Mimi but I think that, at this stage, he gets much more out of skills work with its shorter bursts of activity and much higher rate of reward. He's coming along nicely. No need to rush.
So how did Archie do on the weaves after his short hiatus? Bloody fantastic! This is what I set up in the yard this morning:
The jumps in the pinwheel at the far end were more widely spaced than he'd seen before, although still not as widely spaced as he might encounter in a novice course. I worked that station for a bit to get him used to that pattern so I didn't have to babysit the middle of it.
Archie likes the tunnel. I initially thought about sending him away from me to the far end of the tunnel but decided to use it to work on our start line stays instead. Tunnel to pinwheel was fast and furious.
And the weaves. I always work both sides, though like most dogs he performs one side better than the other. Today, my goal for him was to practice entering the weaves at speed. Jump to weaves, then pinwheel to weaves--both went pretty well.
But the most exciting thing he did was tunnel to weaves. That's a fast, difficult weave entry. At this stage in his training, I was at the exit of the tunnel. Eventually, he will need to execute this move without my being there, that is, he will need to learn how to read my signals that tell him he will be doing the weaves even before he enters the tunnel.
The dog has to make two 90 degree turns in quick succession and still have enough control to stay in the weaves. Archie nailed the weaves in both directions! I was floored, started capering about and giving him handfuls of treats and telling him what an amazing puppy he is.
Mimi got to run the entire thing as sequences. There are some fun crosses to be done in the middle and some long sends. Even Azza got to do the pinwheel to tunnel sequence. But as I mentioned earlier, I am really trying to keep Archie's training short and focused. He is certainly able to do most of the same sequences as Mimi but I think that, at this stage, he gets much more out of skills work with its shorter bursts of activity and much higher rate of reward. He's coming along nicely. No need to rush.
Saturday, May 28, 2016
CircusK9 Gets A Little Crazy Too
It's sunny this morning for a change, but still rather cool: the perfect combination for the dogs to get frisky.
I can't be arsed to work out what video format works for every browser and device. I uploaded this file in .mov format. I have to use a real computer, not a tablet, to view it. Sorry not sorry.
If you watch this carefully, you'll see that Archie is playing entirely separate games with Azza and Mimi. He's quite a little monkey. I think it is most funny when he runs behind the chairs then suddenly shoots out right in their faces. At the end, you can see him making these hysterical sidehops to avoid nips. I started laughing and almost dropped my phone.
I can't be arsed to work out what video format works for every browser and device. I uploaded this file in .mov format. I have to use a real computer, not a tablet, to view it. Sorry not sorry.
Tuesday, April 05, 2016
The Fox Terrier Boing
Archie's breeder asked me to take some side-view photos of him on a grooming table "stacked up" like he would show in the conformation ring. I conned one of my classmates into coming over during the lunch hour to help me take some pics. (I bought her lunch on the way back to campus.)
As I was getting the table set up, the dogs were running in and out of the house, and the fox terriers were boinging, as fox terriers do when they are excited. Even though she's been here before, my friend apparently never saw them do this.
I suppose to the uninitiated, it does look ridiculous! She promptly took some great photos of them in action.
Not to be outdone, Azza had to show off too. Her boinging lacks form but she gets bonus points for the nose!
Here's one of Archie's "show" photos. After being such a floppy, boneless puppy, he's becoming a solid little dog. He's 15 1/4 inches at the withers and weighs around 18 lbs now. Note Mimi in the lower left!
As I was getting the table set up, the dogs were running in and out of the house, and the fox terriers were boinging, as fox terriers do when they are excited. Even though she's been here before, my friend apparently never saw them do this.
I suppose to the uninitiated, it does look ridiculous! She promptly took some great photos of them in action.
 |
| Boing! Those ears! |
 |
| Boing! Mimi is 10 1/2 years old. |
Here's one of Archie's "show" photos. After being such a floppy, boneless puppy, he's becoming a solid little dog. He's 15 1/4 inches at the withers and weighs around 18 lbs now. Note Mimi in the lower left!
Saturday, April 02, 2016
My Little Helper
I mowed the lawn again this morning for what seems like the 20th time since January. Then I spent some time digging up the most egregious weeds. Archie is a most enthusiastic participant in these activities, following me everywhere and pushing his long nose right into the weed I'm reaching down to grab. He likes to grab clumps of wet grass that fall from the mower and run around the yard with them.
Azza is terrified of the mower so she hides under bushes. Mimi isn't particularly scared of the mower but she doesn't like the loud noise it makes. But Archie, like Harry used to, becomes quite engaged in all of these projects.
The end result of all that running around in freshly mowed, wet grass: green feet!
He's due for a bath so it all works out.
Azza is terrified of the mower so she hides under bushes. Mimi isn't particularly scared of the mower but she doesn't like the loud noise it makes. But Archie, like Harry used to, becomes quite engaged in all of these projects.
The end result of all that running around in freshly mowed, wet grass: green feet!
 |
| What a handsome boy, despite those green feet. |
He's due for a bath so it all works out.
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Joy = Puppy
Like most puppies, Archie assumes that anyone he meets, regardless of species, must be as interested in him as he is in them. That's generally true of the human species: who among us is immune to the cuteness of puppies? Archie is attending puppy class in large part to make sure he isn't an annoying asshole in public.
As I mentioned a post or two ago, the Beast seems to think that whatever Archie wants is just fine by him. But who uses a cat as an arbiter of decency and good behavior? Cats are aliens, have no doubt about this. Mimi, who by necessity inherited the mantle of resident CrankyPants from Harry, has other ideas. She has a remarkable level of tolerance for puppy bumbling but she does have her limits.
Azza has no limits for puppy bumbling. She exploits every excuse to incite the puppy to even greater heights of silliness.
I give you this as evidence: Azza and Archie collapsed together after an excess of exuberant and joyful play...
As I mentioned a post or two ago, the Beast seems to think that whatever Archie wants is just fine by him. But who uses a cat as an arbiter of decency and good behavior? Cats are aliens, have no doubt about this. Mimi, who by necessity inherited the mantle of resident CrankyPants from Harry, has other ideas. She has a remarkable level of tolerance for puppy bumbling but she does have her limits.
Azza has no limits for puppy bumbling. She exploits every excuse to incite the puppy to even greater heights of silliness.
I give you this as evidence: Azza and Archie collapsed together after an excess of exuberant and joyful play...
Monday, March 07, 2016
I Blame The Cat
Archie is growing like a little weed. An athletic, naughty little weed. To keep the naughtiness down to a low roar, he still has to navigate plenty of rules. If he goes outside and has a big, satisfying pee before I get in the shower, I allow him to run around with the other dogs. If he goes outside and farts around, he gets to sit in his crate while I shower. He's a quick learner. Today, he got to run around the house.
They still get into plenty of trouble but at least I know he won't pee on the floor somewhere.
I finished up in the bathroom this morning and went on a hunt for the dogs, only to discover Archie dragging the cat across the living room by his head. Just like Azza.
Good grief.
They still get into plenty of trouble but at least I know he won't pee on the floor somewhere.
I finished up in the bathroom this morning and went on a hunt for the dogs, only to discover Archie dragging the cat across the living room by his head. Just like Azza.
Good grief.
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