rotten_two

sending lots of pawsitive thoughts for pretty girl zoe!

which reminds me there is a cairn in my basic class. her name is cosby -- which totally confuses me because i would think that's a male name. we have a cockapoo named colby who is also female -- more name/gender confusion haha. the cairn is by far the most outgoing in that class -- she is a pill and i use her most often in my demos. i also have a swissie show dog in there -- he is very laid back and once he lays down he is not interested in getting up (probably because his mom feeds him before class -- ugh!). esslover: your problem is not really carson! the springer in class is a tad bit rude but i am not sure if all brain cells are working :)

this is horrible news! i am so sorry! do let us know if you need anything!

you know i love me some rotties but for straight cuteness i think dandie dinmont terriers are up there (with the fru fru show clip that is).

nothing big just wanted to tell you that this session in the puppy 2 class that i teach i have a cute little boston named stella! she had the cutest little rainbow colored handmade sweater on the other night. she is a riot and her dad doesn't really care if she sits or not he makes jokes the entire time haha. she is in a class full of big dogs -- we have a berner, a berner/huskyX, springer, an oodle of some sort, & a bc. i have no doubt stella will keep them all in line :D we also have a corgi (her name escapes me right now) in basic class. i don't know that we've had a corgi in class before so that is kinda cool. that class is totally wild. 3 labX (one lab/border collie X) and a corgi! should be an interesting session!

deeply saddened by your news! you will be in our thoughts!

anyone remember flash -- the basset -- from the dukes of hazzard? or how about fred from smokey and the bandit?

very sorry to hear this news! our thoughts are with you DAL.

good news for all! we will keep boonie in our thoughts as he goes thru his treatment! please keep us informed.

positive thoughts from the east coast -- hope the vet visit goes well!

whew! <wipes sweat from brow> i thought drjeff was bout to tell ya to put nuskin on it! i agree with everyone else -- just keep an eye on it and don't let her lick excessively. hopefully it will heal with no problems :)

thanks DO! yes she is young and otherwise sound so i hope the meds clear it right up.

she was 3 on christmas day!

we got her to the vet and she did an exam of ears, mouth, rest of lymph system, etc. she did find left scapular node a bit enlarged too. so it's the two in neck and one in shoulder. left side seems to be bigger but nothing in her hind parts. no ear infections or salivary causes present. she gave doxycycline for 2 weeks to see if it is just some secondary type infection. gaia has taken meds for 5 days with really no change. her energy is good, she is eating well and basically seems her old self. maybe meds just need a little longer to work. if not better when finish meds then we have to do biopsy! please keep sending pawsitive thoughts our way!

c'mon boonie boy get better! you guys will be in our thoughts and prayers, dal.

cousins aspen and gaia send their regards for a speedy recovery. yes it does seem as if the proverbial poo hits the fan [img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/10/10_2_12.gif[/img] near the holidays! gaia's lymph nodes are swollen so we had an unscheduled vet visit this weekend too. i do hope boonie will feel better soon!

thanks kat! i guess it could also be an ear infection but her ears smell fine and don't look dirty. i think i will take a peek at her teeth/gums when i go home at lunchtime. my poor girl!

ok i am trying not to panic but the lymph nodes in gaia's neck are swollen. i have called my vet and there are zero openings for the next 3 days, but i am on the cancellation list so if anything opens up i get it. this morning i was petting gaia and i felt these lumps. so i went over and felt the same place on aspen and his are waaaay smaller. her right side is about the size of a golf ball and the left is maybe half that. now i have done some research this morning and i have found that sometimes allergies can be the culprit. gaia is plagued with chronic allergies and i have had to increase her dosage to manage her itchiness lately. she takes hydroxyzine and it seems to do the trick. i check my dogs for lumps bumps and abnormalities everyday so i know they were not this bad yesterday. today it is very obvious. any thoughts on what else it could be? (and please let's not mention the c-word because then i will freak out). i assume the vet will examine and maybe aspirate the node to check the fluid. i don't feel other lymph nodes or masses on her. i do hope it will be allergy related. [img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/23/23_29_107v.gif[/img]

oh matty so sorry to hear this news! unfortunately i don't really have any good advice for the diet. i just wanted you to know we have paws crossed that your pup will come thru okay. our thoughts and prayers are with you. [img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/17/17_1_10.gif[/img]

pat mc will do phone consultations so that might be an option if she is too far from you? you will find lots of her books on the site too. cautious canine & fiesty fido are 2 little booklets that are pretty inexpensive and worth the read.

obviously we can't even begin to hatch a behavior modification plan over the internet because we don't see first hand what is going on. i do wonder if your dog has a specified job? heelers are bred to herd and protect cattle and the cattleman. often if dogs that need a job don't have a job they will create one (herding ppl or other animals, guarding people, etc). have you thought of trying agility or herding type trials (maybe privately until he is better around people)? it is necessary to keep a dog socialized to animals, humans, etc if you expect them to behave in an enviornment that contains these factors. your dog has not been around people in some time and has probably "forgotten" how to behave in a situation with other people. if you truly want to help your dog it is gonna take a time committment and lots of patience. you essentially need to re-socialize your dog (slowly) to people. all sorts of people -- fat, short, tall, skinny, hats, mustaches, sunglasses, etc. has your dog done any obedience training? do you have a good solid sit stay? have you used a clicker? see, tons of questions need to be answered. too many to type even. you might be best suited finding a good animal behaviorist in your area. let's see you are in wisconsin? pat mcconnell is in black earth wisconsin and i would argue she is one of the best. i dunno how close that is to you. her is her web link [url]www.dogsbestfriendtraining.com[/url] good luck!

freak is right! what kind of pathetic loser has to make up stories and use other peoples' fotos! i am continuously disturbed by the crazies in this world. sorry kat!

big burfday hugs from east coast cousins! [img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/13/13_10_10.gif[/img]

hey HF : the alligator [img]http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/16/16_5_28.gif[/img] death roll is a pretty natural response to the snout collar from what i have seen. when i first started training aspen for the snout collar he would fall down as if he couldn't possibly walk with this thing on his face. DP: good work with halti = treats -- that is exactly how you should introduce this product. if i may make a suggestion -- on leash walking and the halti -- put the halti on and give treats but hook the leash to his regular collar for the first few days of walking -- this way he gets more used to walking with it on his face but there is no pressure yet. praise treat praise when he is not fussing with it. when he is fussing give him something to do other than flop about ( like sit, down, shake) -- take his mind off his face and praise/treat. hopefully in a few days he will be ok to hook the halti because now halti = treats and a walk. keep up the good work!

gaia is sometimes a typical big sister and decides she is in no mood to share with aspen. she will collect the toys that are out and take them all to her crate and chew them. since their crates are sacred she knows aspen is not allowed to bother her in there. pretty sneaky.