Unfettered

Tags

allergies, cone of pride and triumph, cone of shame, dog parks, ibizan hound

It was a lovely day at our favorite off-leash dog park. Before, Bowdu was allowed to have some cone-free time at the off-leash park, because he was usually too excited about running around to chew his feet. However, even the great outdoors isn’t enough to distract him anymore, so his cone stays on. He doesn’t seem to mind too much, but I am getting a little tired of having to explain to strangers. I keep it short by saying it’s for his allergies, though that’s not entirely the case. When well-meaning strangers hear ‘allergies,’ they inevitably start offering a ton of suggestions that I’ve already tried before. It almost makes me want to just refer people to this blog.

At least there’s a small crowd of regulars, so once I’ve explained it to them, I usually don’t have to repeat myself.

One dog we always seem to bump into is this most intriguing creature:

I haven’t had a chance to ask her (?) owners what she is. An Ibizan Hound, I think? Whatever she is, she makes Bowpi display her B-ridge…

… before engaging in pursuit!

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Inventory of despair

Tags

allergies, aloe vera, anxiety, cone of pride and triumph, cone of shame, cortisones, drugs, fish oil, flaxseed oil, foot licking, furminator, lidocaine, neosporin, skin, sulfodene, yucca, zoom groom

The fur on Bowdu’s body is looking great. Black skin on pits slowly fading and receding.

However, there has been a renewed bout of foot-licking and chewing, in spite of the cone.

I swear, it’s not from lack of effort.

Here’s another tally of everything we’ve tried:

• Baby wipes (after dusty dog park excursions)
• Fish oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Yucca extract (just received this in the mail, started using it yesterday)
• Sulfodene (not used often, because he reacts strongly to the smell, though he might be more tolerant with counterconditioning)
• Septiderm Skin Care Bath (haven’t used this in a while; see my review)
• Allercaine lidocaine spray
• Biocaine lidocaine topical
• Excel hydrocortisone lotion (not using this very much lately, trying to stay away from cortisone products)
• A spray bottle of hydrocortisone liquid, forgot what brand (put it in another bottle because the original pump broke; also not using this very much, mainly because it feels greasy)
• Spray bottle of lavendar oil diluted in water (as a natural flea repellent)
• Neosporin wound cleaner for kids (foams instantly, supposedly doesn’t sting)
• Benadryl allergy tablets
• Zoom Groom (to promote circulation of natural skin oils and help him remove the loose fur that he can’t groom himself
• Furminator (used less often than the Zoom Groom these days)
• Aloe vera spray (applied mainly to his tummy and his pits)
• Lots of drugs (five pharmacy vials are in this photo, though not all are visible)
• Nolvasan Otic ear cleanser (to help maintain gunk-free ears since he’s not able to clean or aerate them in the cone)
• HomeoPet anxiety relief drops (administered in an attempt to keep him calm while topicals are applied and at night, so he’s perhaps less inclined to gnaw on his feet while the humans are trying to fall asleep)
• Not pictured: giant bag of Epsom salt for foot soaks
• Not pictured: bags and bags of highest quality raw food and fish-based kibble
• Not pictured, but always on: Kong XL cone
• Not pictured: Advantage flea killer, to drive away any remaining itch factors
• Not pictured: can filled with pennies which I rattle mainly when he goes for his feet before and after meals, during which we remove his cone (the Doggy Daddy refuses to participate in this activity and has pleaded with me not to do it in the early morning or late evenings, which is when he gets most obsessed with licking)
• Not pictured: more stuff which is yet to come…

I think we have the largest size cone on him already. If we were to make the cone any bigger, he’d be unable to drink. No need to suggest a donut collar — it’s already on the list of things to try, though I am doubtful.

I’m losing sleep over this, especially as he gets into these awful, lip-smacking licking sessions early in the morning, before breakfast. I snap awake when I hear him grunting with effort as he forces access to those back paws, or nyup-nyup-nyupping against the plastic cone, obsessively licking that screen in place of the front paws he can’t quite reach.

Some days I get more upset about the seemingly incurable nature of this condition. This is one of those days.

Cone of Pride! and Triumph! Version 2.0

Tags

allergies, cone of pride and triumph, cone of shame, foot licking, grooming, kong, kong e-collar, pet store a

Six weeks or so after the first Cone of Pride! and Triumph!, we finally have to admit that deterring Bowdu from chewing his footsies is turning into a longer term challenge than anticipated, so I got him something that’s hopefully a little more comfortable.

This the KONG E-Collar, XL size (for neck sizes 14″ – 21″), priced at $19.99 from our favorite Pet Store A (where my cumulative discount kicked in, so they actually knocked $10 off everything I bought that day). Shiba Inu are hardly “extra large” dogs, but this was the only size where the depth of the cone (at least 20 cm) was sufficient to keep his muzzle from touching his feet. KONG’s size specs only mention the circumference of the cone, so this is something to keep in mind if you’re purchasing the item online, or without fitting.

Bowpi photobomb!

Set on the smallest sizing, the cone hangs loosely on Bowdu’s neck, but it doesn’t seem in danger of coming off. We did not attach it to a collar. If he learned to be really sneaky — like wedging himself under a chair and then backing out, for instance — it could be removed. But since he’s had some time to acclimate to life in a cone, this isn’t an upsetting change. The KONG E-collar seems slightly heavier than the old cone, even after cutting off the excess that we don’t need. However, the padded rims and see-through plastic really do seem more comfortable all around (for me too, when he charges against my legs!). Not so sure about the hard plastic clips used to hold the cone into shape. I’ve left them alone for now, but I may cover them with Band-aids or something if they prove to be an irritant.

I just hope it isn’t magnifying the intensity of the sun and creating some kind of greenhouse effect around his head… Not that it ever really gets too hot hereabouts. Bowdu is always free to come in when he wants. He does find the cone an inconvenience at the water dish, so he hasn’t been drinking as much as I’d like. Lately, I’ve been compensating for that by sharing watermelon with him, which he loves. At any rate, we trust that he knows how to self-regulate when it comes to basic physical needs like thirst, being too hot/cold, etc.

Unfortunately, he can’t do anything to help himself when he feels dirty. Bowpi is free to lick whatever she pleases, but Bowdu hasn’t been able to groom himself for weeks. This must be doing more to strip him of his Shiba pride than the funny cone itself.

(Bow)Dues paid

Tags

canine hypothyroidism, cone of pride and triumph, cone of shame, health tests, vet

Here’s a summary of today:

• Exam / Consultation fee — $62.50
• Skin scraping (result: no mites) — $46.50
• Nursing/injections (quantity 2) — $34.50
• Dexmedetomid 0.5 mg/cc (doggy sedative) — $27.10
• Injectable Butorphanol (painkiller) — $23.62
• Senior Comprehensive bloodwork (SA090, includes Superchem, CBC, and T4, FT4 [ED] thyroid tests) — $230.85
• Enrofloxacin 68 mg (antibiotics, quantity 20) — $67.50
• Biohazard waste management — $4.99
• Nail trimming included — $0.00

TOTAL DUE: $497.56
TOTAL PAID: $497.56

We get our test results on Saturday. We’ll talk about details later.

Vintage Basenji videos

Tags

basenji, british pathe, cone of pride and triumph, cone of shame, olivia burn, puppies, veronica tudor-williams

The film geek in me is absolutely swooning over the British Pathe online archive. Here are just two of the wonderful vintage clips you’ll find in their collection:

BASENJIS DOGS (29 September 1938)
Featuring Olivia Burn and a SWARM OF BASENJI PUPPIES. I am most impressed by feeding time, in which a meaty leg bone of some sort is dangled over a pack of raptor-like pups who leap up and nip all in a frenzy. Why bother with kibble when there’s that kind of fun to be had?!

BASENJIS Video Newsreel Film (22 February 1954)
Featuring Veronica Tudor-Williams and PILES OF WRINKLE-BROWED CUTIES. My favorite part is when she scoops a handful of squirming puppies into her arms, deposits them onto her living room couch, and doesn’t so much as flinch when they immediately start attacking the throw pillows.

Lots of other interesting dog-related videos in the archives, including promos from the Canine Defence League (UK, since 1891!), various dog shows, and Parisian canine fashion boutiques. One click is enough to start you on a trail of discovery. For example, I feel a little less guilty about keeping Bowdu in his plastic Cone of Shame Pride, knowing that they used to do it like this…

Witness for the Furmination

Tags

cone of pride and triumph, cone of shame, furminator, grooming

Look ma, no cone!

Tags

allergies, cone of pride and triumph, cone of shame, dog parks, foot licking

Photo taken 20 July 2010

The cone was something we picked up for Bowdu last Thursday, because his allergies are out of control. Rather, his instinct is to licklicklicklick his itchy feet, the only way he knows to help himself. And when there’s nothing better to focus on, he’ll return to his feet… especially that back right one, which must’ve gotten particularly tasty with the subsequent infection.

The vet didn’t stipulate how long we should keep the cone on him, but I don’t feel comfortable letting him go free until 1) his infected foot is completely healed, 2) the allergens dissipate (whenever THAT will be, since we don’t even know what they are!), and 3) his tongue stays in his mouth except at mealtime, drinktime, and panting time. He still gets drawn into licking sessions at night and in the early morning. Either I’m a very light sleeper or I have highly tuned ‘maternal’ audition — even the sound of him licking his lips will wake me up. And that’s what he does every morning, right about the time before we all get up and feed him. Nyam nyam nyam… If he could reach his feet, that’d be his pre-breakfast appetizer, I know. So the cone stays on until the habit dies.

He does get some freedom out on walks, including dog park excursions. Happiness is a great distraction from allergies, and there’s absolutely no temptation to lick his feet when we’re all moving along.