Neuter Recovery

While at the Ontario SPCA before I picked up Washburn they told me that most dogs will be a little lethargic after the surgery and some dogs don't change at all and behave as though nothing has happened. Wash is definitely the latter. He has so much energy and just wants to run around. He has no interest in sleeping most of the day, which he should do.

During his recovery Wash has to take it slow. No running, no jumping, limited use of stairs and minimal exercise. It's very difficult for him. He's resulted to chasing his tail because he's been cooped up so long, and it's day 6 of 10-14 of his recovery. 

Yesterday while unsure of how to release pent up energy Wash ran headfirst into  a bookshelf. It really wasn't that hard, or bad but the angle was such that he snapped a large portion of his e-collar. 

This week, as long as his incision site keeps healing properly, Wash will be able to start longer walks. Wednesday he should be able to go back to socializing with other dogs (at day 10 of recovery) but I have to keep an eye out to make sure the other dogs don`t lick his wound and either agravate it, or infect it. 

He will be returning to his training on Friday, and Sunday he`s back to normal! (as long as his recovery is consistent)

Wash is doing well despite the cone!

So close, but not quite right...

closer...

It took him a long time, but he finally figured out how to chew on the stick

-Brandolyn

Neutering

Today Wash had an appointment with the Ontario SPCA to have him neutered. Everything went really well, he's home now and resting but I thought I could walk my readers through the whole process.

When I was first talking about getting a dog I went to many different Vets to price out Shots, Check ups and especially the Neutering. The cheapest cost I had found for Neutering was $350. Ouch.

Then I had a friend mention that the SPCA does Spays and Neuters for much cheaper (they also do vaccines and micro chips). For a dog Wash's size the SPCA was going to charge $105. HUGE SAVINGS.

I called the SPCA to set up a date, and normally there is a 2-3 month waiting list for neuters and spays. During the booking phone call they asked for Wash's medical history, his Vet's information (so they could get a copy of the shots he'd received) and they had me pay over the phone. It was very convenient and fast. They even went through the procedure and post operation care. It was great!

The day before there was a little bit of prep before hand: Wash wasn't allowed to eat anything from 6:00 pm the night before the surgery (since he was going under general anaesthetic, food makes it very dangerous because he could vomit and choke on the vomit). He couldn't eat ANYTHING! No bugs, no sticks, no treats, no grass... quite the challenge whenever I took him for a pee walk.

In the car at the SPCA waiting for the doors to open. (He has no idea what's about to happen)

Today at 8:00 am it started with registration, and unfortunately throughout everything they told me and prepared me for, they didn't tell me that the dogs were required to stay in our cars until we had finished registration and it would be a good idea to have 2 people at the start of the day, 1- to stay in the car with the dog, the other to register the dog.)

I was so much more nervous about leaving Wash in the car than I was about the surgery. Even with the windows open, it was so hot!

Unbelievably this sign was right beside me in the registration line up.

Wash was ok, but yeeesh it made me nervous! He was in the car for a little over 20 minutes... faaaar too long. 

Then he got his coloured collar with his name- kind of like a wristband at a concert or theme park and I had to leave him and pick him up at 4:00 pm. 

When I got to the SPCA a little before 4 I could hear Wash's lamenting cries. He didn't sound like he was in pain, he sounded lonely. It was the same cry he does when I leave the house. I knew he was ok when I could hear him from outside the building. If he was sick or sore, he would have been silent. 

He's now at home, in his e-collar and resting. 

The SPCA suggested lots of rest, and recovery time from 7-14 days. 

-No running

-Lots of rest

-No big walks

-Keep the collar on to discourage biting and licking of his surgery site

-Keep him isolated from other dogs to discourage rough housing, or the other dog licking the surgery site

-Avoid stairs. If stairs are unavoidable pick up the dog. If the dog is too big to be carried up or down stairs take them by the collar and slowly lead them step by step up or down the stairs to avoid pulling the stitches

I was given 2 days worth of pain medication for Wash. 2 syringes of medication to be spread over his food, or given orally at breakfast for the next 2 days, as well as some reading about the surgery and what to expect, and what to look for as "bad signs". For example: Swelling is expected, oozing is not and must be treated by a Veterinarian. 

Curled up at my side getting love and affection.

Wash will have a very boring next 2 weeks, but by the end of it he'll be fit to prance and run around to his hearts' content. I'll take him to many dog parks to make up for the slow, boring recovery weeks. 

If I've missed any steps, or if you have any questions please ask!!!

-Brandolyn and Washburn

Also: For those who love other fuzzy creatures: This is Steve. He wanted to come home with me.

It took every ounce of my willpower not to take him home!

Happy Canada Day!

Wash and I were away with the family for the Holiday weekend, but Wash was showing his patriotic side and I had to share!

More New Friends!

Wash keeps meeting more and more dogs, but recently he met two pups (6 months old each) who were a bit more his speed.

Meet Molly the Pembrooke Welsh Corgi, and Dakota the Malamute Husky Shepherd mix.

The rest of the gang was there too!

 Gromit and Wash ran their hearts out!

 I managed to take this adorable picture of Gromit. 

 Wash being the best buddy for a new friend. He was so calm and friendly with Dakota and made her feel safe when the other dogs were being a little too pushy and noisy. Here he is saying "Why are you lying down? Let's run!" She and Wash got along really well. 

 Tucker with Spencer in the background.

 Snoopy enjoying a rub down at the kids spa.

And Dakota enjoying some love from myself.

Even in the chaos of the new dog I got Wash to come to me (A HUGE accomplishment for us) "Come" with distractions has always been a very difficult thing for Wash and I in our training and one of the kids managed to get it with my camera!

 I called him from a loooooooong way away. 

AND HE CAME TO ME!

-Brandolyn

A Present for Wash

A little while ago the brilliant ZW, surprised Wash and I with a handmade gift for the pooch.

 If you can't tell by the first picture, it's a hand made leather collar cut, stained, fit to his size perfectly and stamped with Wash's signature line from the show Firefly.

 "I am a leaf,"

 "on the wind."

ZW asked for a good picture of Wash and his collar but the pooch was too fluffy to see the collar well, I'll have to get another one now that he's been trimmed up a bit. This was as good as I could get at the time.

THANKS A MILLION ZW!!! We love it and he wears it everyday!!!


-Brandolyn

Wash turns 8 months

Yesterday Washburn turned 8 months old!

We celebrated by having him weighed, shaved and taking him to the dog park to play with his buddies.

Wash is a healthy boy (who got into some poison ivy recently), weighing 52.5 lbs and shaggy as a carpet. So we went for a nice trim. Wash had a romp in the woods recently and didn't like the post-walk brushing I had to do to get out all of the knots in his matted hair. He's been overheating a bit recently so I thought it was about time to cut his hair.

BEFORE- Scruff-burn

AFTER- Washed-burn!!!

Apparently he was very nervous on the grooming table and wasn't very co-operative while having his legs trimmed. Silly boy. The groomers were also very surprised when he started eating the hair they had trimmed off of him. (I guess I had forgotten to tell them he LOVES hair... gross)

And, as if he knew that he had just turned 8 months old he took his first leg-up "Big Dog Pee". 

He's getting to be a big guy. Gentle giant, sweet, loving and incredibly social. 

Advanced training starts in July!!!

-Brandolyn

I can still pick him up at the moment

MS Walk 2013

My team "Brandy's Bandits" walked again this year in my local chapter of the Walk to end Multiple Sclerosis. As usual, there was plaid everywhere, Cowboy hats and bandannas but this year we had our new mascot Washburn!

He looks super cute in the Bandanna and Hat my sister provided him.

This year with close to 30 team members we raised over $2,500!!! This money will not only go towards Research into the Disease, and Research for a Drug but the MS Society uses part of the money raised to support Canadians living with this disease, whether it's in the form of free vitamins, cheaper drug plans, accessible drug plans and home care etc...

There is still time to donated to my team if you feel so inclined!

Visit my team page!

http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/OntarioDivision?px=1228615&pg=personal&fr_id=1906&s_locale=en_CA

In the "Personal Blog" Section I have linked a couple of my short stories that can be found on my other Blog "A Drop of Brandy" about living with Multiple Sclerosis. 

My other Blog (in case you've never visited it) is http://adropofbrandy.blogspot.ca/

Now Wash and I are still recovering from the excitement of the weekend. Time for another siesta. 

A HUGE Thank You to all my friends and family who made it out, who walked, who donated and who supported the cause! I love you all!

-Brandolyn and Washburn

MS WALK

I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at the end of High School. 

Since then I've been jumping drug to drug, diet to diet, trying to get this disease under control. 

Lately my symptoms have been in remission, but I will be participating in my local MS Walk which raises money for Research for a cure AND to support those who are suffering from the disease. This year will be my 7th year Walking with my team Brandy's Bandits. It will also be Wash's first year joining us. 

Wash and I have been training really hard. At the walk there are Lots of people, Lots of dogs and LOTS of distractions, so we`ve been socialising a lot with adults, kids, seniors and other dogs. We`ve also been biking quite a bit to try something new and to keep fit. 

Wash and I are taking it really slowly; he`s still growing so I don`t want to `push him too hard, and I'm tentative on a bike anyway so we're both learning how to ride together safely. So far, it's great and we both love it! 

I'll post a bit about learning to bike with Wash later when I have pictures. 

But if you can, please support myself and Wash in the MS Walk. Click the link to get to my donation page: http://mssoc.convio.net/site/TR/Walk/OntarioDivision?px=1228615&pg=personal&fr_id=1906&s_locale=en_CA

Any and all support (whether it's a donation, nice thoughts or a prayer) is greatly appreciated! 

Thank you all!

-Brandolyn & Washburn

Thanks for all your Love and Support!

Squashburn!

By combining two of my passions; Washburn and Squash, I have created SQUASHBURN!

He's the world's cutest Squash playing dog. 

Ok, so he can't play and is not allowed on the courts, but he looks ready to play! 

It took about 2 minutes before he would stop tossing the glasses off of his head, but I'm impressed he let me do this. Good Boy Wash!

-Brandolyn

Baffled

OK, I am stumped, and looking for advice from other pet owners.

Wash got a new toy today. A well built, plush toy with squeakers (no stuffing). It's a great toy, and he loves it BUT every time he plays with it he whines like a baby.

My first reaction was "Well shoot, he must have an issue with his teeth. There goes all my $$." But he still chews on his chew bones, he plays tug of war with his rope, I checked out his teeth and mouth, no issue, no sensitivity.

Next I thought "Well, maybe he's constipated and it's uncomfortable to play." I touched his belly and felt no swelling, no bloating, and he had no sensitivity. Also, his next bowel movement was regular and right on schedule.

Now I'm completely stumped. I've done a complete tour of his body. He seems fine. When he plays with his other toys, he's silent. When he sees this one, he whines. He LOVES it and waves it around, chomps on it, drags it  across the apartment, but he whines the whole time.

Any idea why?

-Brandolyn

More dogs!

Today there were more of Wash's buddies at the Dog Park and I'm going to show off these pretty things. Sadie and Spencer were there too but they didn't come by for a picture.

Here are some familiar faces, and some new ones.

Dali the Shepherd cross with Gromit frolicking in  the background

A dopey looking Washburn

Snoopy the Basset hound giving Dali a sniff

Tucker the big Golden Retriever

And last to arrive at the park was Tag, I think he's a Shelti mix

One of the girls was missing; Abby the Chocolate Lab, but most of the other dogs were present which gave Wash a lot of dogs to choose from. He went dog to dog bothering and playing like the silly pup he is. Gromit and Tag are still his best buddies. And believe it or not, Washburn is as tall as Tucker the full grown Retriever, and Wash isn't even done growing.

Tucker saying a nice "Glad you could make it buddy!" to Tag

Wash avoided me when I had the camera out, so I don't have any more new pictures of him, but his friends list keeps growing!

-Brandolyn

Washburn Update:

-6.5 months
-50lbs
-all of his adult teeth
-he's still not sexually mature, so he's not ready to be neutered yet
-he's stopped crying when I leave
-He's in Intermediate Training Puppy classes
-He's big, he's fast and he's STRONG. I'm really glad I started training him when he was really little
-easily distracted by birds and squirrels

Next up:
-learning to walk/run beside a bicycle... Cross your fingers that we don't end up with any broken bones! Any tips and tricks from Pet owners about learning to bike with your dog?

Another friend!

Introducing.... Gromit!

Washburn and Gromit playing tag

Gromit is another of the "blondes" I mentioned in one of my previous posts. Wash has several doggy friends, but there is an abundance of white/ golden dogs in my neighbourhood. Gromit is a beautiful mix, he's a rescue so his parentage is uncertain, but my guess is Corgi mixed with an Eskimo dog. He's energetic, friendly and FAST! Almost every picture I took, I only caught his back end as he whipped by. 

Like many of the dogs in my neighbourhood, Gromit is a rescue. Actually 6 of the 9 dogs Wash sees on a regular basis are rescues, and they wonderful dogs! And we have a new puppy on the block, a little brown Australian Sheppard named Thor. Only 9 weeks old and already a handful :P  

(I'll snag a picture when I can).

Washburn is obsessed with Gromit :) loves him to bits!

Happy Wednesday!

-Brandolyn and Washburn

How I feed Washburn

In an attempt to train my dog that he only eats what I give him (not scraps that fall to the floor), Wash has to sit, and watch as I prepare his food at every meal. He watches me get his food ready, I put it down and he has to wait for me to give him a signal before he can go eat it.

He is very patient, and now will not eat without the signal. Good boy! But lately I've been pushing how long he has to wait. He doesn't move, he doesn't twitch but this is what has started happening. The longer he waits, the more he drools. Look closely.... ewwwwwwww. 

He's cute, but gross. I guess I won't make him wait so long anymore.

The reason I started this way of feeding has 2 reasons: 

1- avoids food aggression: He has to be in a calm, relaxed state before he eats, and he eats when I say so, not when he does.

2- avoids mooching/ food stealing: All food is mine. He can only have what I give him. 

Simple enough.

It works wonderfully for Washburn. Sometimes I take the food away for a moment during the meal to make sure he isn't possessive, or I'll touch him while he eats, or even put my hand in the food bowl. I am very confident that Washburn will be fine, BUT these are all risky, many dogs are territorial about their food, so be careful, start slow, start small. 

:) 

Any questions? 

-Brandolyn and the Drooly Dog

Play time!

There's an unwritten rule in my neighbourhood that everyday at the same time,that there will be at least 1 dog at the dog park and anyone else who has a dog who would like to play is welcome to come and join!

Whenever I get home from work in time, Wash and I walk over and I let him play with whoever shows up that day. Today there were only 3 other dogs, instead of our usual 9; all the other owners thought it might be too muddy.

Wash had a great time, as usual, and I get some social time with my neighbours.

I keep meaning to get pictures of the other dogs, but I always forget my phone, or forget to take pictures. Today, I remembered I had my phone, but only after one of the dogs had already left.

I introduce to you 3 of our 5 blondes:

Washburn

Sadie the Labrador Retriever

Spencer the Jack Russel/ Miniature Poodle cross!

They had a great time today! Look at these sillies!

Caption contest! 
What do you suppose they are saying?

-Brandolyn

More updates to come. (Lots of pictures on my phone!)

Getting to be a big puppy

I was just gushing over Washburn today and realized I haven't posted many pictures of him lately. He may not be all grown up yet, but he's getting there. Today at the dog park I noticed he's nearly as tall as the female chocolate lab who visits everyday. When did he get so big? *I'll try to remember to take pics at the dog park tomorrow*

He's not even 6 months old yet and still squats to pee! But I guess I should have seen this coming. He has all of his adult teeth now (I keep forgetting to post the comparison picture of the puppy teeth vs the adult teeth) and is nearly 50 lbs. He doesn't have accidents inside the house anymore, and walks into his crate at the end of the day to let me know it's bed time.

Either way, his training is going really well. He ran to me today when I called him at the dog park (granted most of the dogs had left at this point, but still an improvement) he understands: sit, down, leave it, go get it, relax, enough, let's go, inside, up and drop it (sometimes).

We've started doing agility training around school playgrounds. Last week was March Break so Washburn and I would walk school to school and plat around the jungle gyms and get him used to paying attention to me at new places.

My Boo and his chew bone! Couldn't you just squish him?!?

 More updates soon about: Neutering, Intermediate Training, grooming and more!

-Brandolyn