Dog + Stomache Shaped Hairball = Surgery

Were you aware that dogs can get hairballs? Me neither, until very recently. I also did not know that hair could accumulate over time, in your dogs stomach, until it was dense and the size of a stomach. That is, until it decides to go elsewhere. In this case, traveling down to my dog's intestines.

Course this all started on a Saturday (when else really would something like this start). Well, I mean, unknowing to us this it started long ago, but the dangerous movement of "the hairball" moved into his intestines quite recently. I guess it's lease was up, and it needed roomier accommodations than my poor guy's stomach. Course what happened, was it got lodged there preventing nutrients from entering his body. The little things like water...never mind food.

There was poop and pee, which made us think it was a stomach virus not a blockage. It never ever occurred to us that something could have built up over time and moved. We are the kind of owners who are diligent about our dogs avoiding eating stuff they shouldn't eat. Our red boys are kept busy and active most of the day, which makes boredom behaviors less likely for them. I had not thought they licked excessively unless it was allergy season. I would not have known to be very concerned if they were to pick up lint or something on the floor, which they do not do often, but I don't rush to stop it if it has occurred. I had assumed things like this, if they are small in nature, most likely pass with everything else out of the intestinal track. Apparently, this is not always true!!! It caused quite an emergency situation that brought us to the Port City Veterinary Referral Hospital.

The vets could actually feel the blockage, below his ribs. So next was the xray to try and determine what it was. Other than a C shaped mass, that did not provide us with any clues. Asked to guess, I picked either my husbands socks (as he leaves them on the bedroom floor for me to pick up) or "something dead" that my dog may have snatched in the woods and gobbled before I noticed anything. I guess something dead would have been closer to the hairball that was removed (pictured at the top).

So last weekend, this was our excitement. These sort of things never happen on weekdays when your vet is available and open. It would have never occurred to us that something was lying in wait within our dog to move and block off his ability to absorb water and food. I am hoping now that I have lived the full scope of medical pet emergencies that I can experience. Somehow, I don't thinks so though.

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More Pickles to Day 5

Pickles clearly loves people, and being around people. Of that, there can be no question. He gets a bit separation anxiety which can be told by the mistreatment of his crate, and how he will dig in to bark if he can't see you for like a second (never mind minutes and hours). He's busy being trained that when he is quiet and calm, then he will see me at his crate door. Bossing me to come and get him pronto, does not get him anywhere (except early in the morning, as I want to make sure he doesn't need to go).

Pickles has had good night sleeps since the first night. He had been quiet in his crate until yesterday, when a friend came over with their five dogs who will be staying with us in April. Hearing the new dogs and people outside gave him ideas. Unfortunately, I hadn't left him in one of the stronger crates, so he did manage to bend a wire until I could get up to him, when I realized what he was most likely up to. No harm done, I was more mad at myself for forgetting the owners warning about this. There are two crates that we have, where he has been excited, but unable to get anywhere with them. It would be nice to extinct this sort of behavior while he is here. Once he manages to get a little success though, then he thinks he will be able to duplicate it, and a bit of a tantrum happens:)

I have discovered that while other dogs may be Pickles second choice, and perhaps he may be guarding his humans from his canine companion (haven't met Sadie yet, or fully seen Pickle so I am on the fence about this), he does not seem to have anything against dogs per say. He also hasn't broken out into full play mode with or without dogs present. So his enthusiasm for dogs could be greater than or less than what I am seeing. I have seen that he is interested, and will go to them for comfort AND take comfort from them. The last two days, he has been allowed around dogs without my hand welded to the other end of the leash. A lot of time is being spent allowing him to come out, and training time is separate and at the end of the day so I can learn more about him when he doesn't feel my gaze upon him every minute. He is supervised every minute, but I try to pretend I am not paying attention to everything he does as much as is possible and keep everyone (including him) safe. Luckily, I have had very friendly and sweet dogs over, who are used to the "behaviorally challenged" and giving space when needed. It seems that Pickles is feeling safer and safer in this environment.

As I will expect to continue at home, Pickles is not allowed on the furniture with or without me OR with or without other dogs. It is so important that until he gets these relationship and pack issues worked out, that he isn't given the opinion that he has the same status or privileges as others who are abiding by the rules (basically no biting or attacking). He is allowed on dog beds. He has begun going out in the pen with others to go to the bathroom (without me holding a leash).

For the quieter dogs like Pickles (ones who tend to hold a lot in without a lot of show); I go slow and am not very cocky of the fact that he hasn't blown up at anyone. I have noticed that if he does the little lip curl, which I have seen three times since he has been here directed at another), it has been on face to face greetings or meetings. It's possible that this is a result of the injuries he has sustained (and which seem to be healing up nicely) on his muzzle. In other words, he might always be expecting another dog to make a move on his face. Or it could have been that I was there, and he decided the other dog shouldn't come near me. In any case, I move correct the situation quickly when he does this, and he hasn't protested. I am beginning my mental inventory on things that look like triggers. As I have said though, he has been a pretty good boy. This could be the fact that I am with him every second observing him, and he is figuring me out. Or it could just be that he is very mailable to a different way of being. I suspect some of that will be answered when Sadie comes on the last week. Also we will get some idea of what Sadie is all about.

Pickle has been working a lot on walking nicely with me, which we are now transitioning into a heel. Also on sit during distractions and things that make him uncomfortable, however not out in public just yet. That will commence in a couple of days though, on week 2. Most likely tomorrow we will go on a group walk in the woods, but Pickles will be on a leash attached to me. It will be interesting if this makes any spirit of playing with other canines creep out of him.

Pickle Dog-Days 1 to 2

Who said there are no such thing as dog training emergencies? Pickles owners had enough time to fill out the client interview form before needing to get him here immediately after a dog fight with his older sister, Sadie. This had been escalating recently, and the last four days involved incidents. The fourth day resulting in some really ugly bites on Pickles muzzle, neck, and inside his mouth.

It has appeared to his family to be him starting the altercation (and sounds like Sadie finishes it, typical girl). Since Wednesday, I have been training and gleaning as much information as I can from Pickles reactions and behavior.

The thing to remember after an incident like this, is that the dogs are a bit shell shocked that come here. So you don't get to know the true dog at first, though you can start to get some information about the dogs.

Pickles has presented to be a fearful dog around other dogs (at least in this environment, though the owner reports that Pickles has positive interactions with dogs off leash on walks). Body language isn't always the entire story, but that combined with reactions and other things the dog displays can tell you a lot. Pickles tail remained mainly tucked in between his legs on Wednesday and Thursday when around other dogs. He also froze a lot. When he was in the pen, and he saw the other dogs outside, he ran to the door and pressed himself against it. He has growled worriedly at dogs, but has not made a forward movement toward a dog. The dogs here that I have exposed him to are dogs that are trained to obey commands, and are dogs that I know will back off when they sense a dog is scared of them.

The dogs here have shown much sympathy for him when he is in the crate, however, they are wary of him when he is out of the crate (or had been the first two days). Pickles body language has been clear to me, and apparently to the dogs here to be saying stay away. Last night and today however, he has shown friendly interest. I keep all interactions with other dogs brief, and not during exciting periods where everyone is playing. I have Pickles walk with me when I go to let the other dogs out, so he can observe them discretely as they walk by and ignore him.

His training has begun with the "let's go" command, and the sit on the dog (long down but not a formal down, a leadership exercise) while around the other dogs while everyone is relaxing. By starting on a relationship that shows him that he can trust me to keep him safe, he is starting to relax among the other dogs. My husband even commented that he did not have the "low down" look today.

He does get a bit panicky when led towards new things at first. Overall, he seems mostly afraid, and willing to please. He seems interested in other dogs, but is not yet in a condition to mingle with them on his own.