Sam's itchings cleared in less than a week. yay! the pill and gel combo probably helped, as well as avoiding any more shampooings. i cut a little more of his thick fluffy fur though, and i'm glad i didn't have to do more. shaved furmonster just isn't right!
i had to skip the vet followup appointment on account of my own health, and since Sam was clearly on the mend, didn't bother to reschedule. i hope the vet can live with the hanging plotline...
Friday, 19 November 2010
Wednesday, 10 November 2010
oh noes!
Sam has been spectacularly good lately, so providing no amusing anecdotes for my blog. another plausible explanation is that we've gotten so used to his antics we hardly remark upon them anymore.
well, this week marks the end of that. something is being naughty, but we can't really blame Sam. he has a skin problem. i took him to the vet because i thought he'd injured himself on barbed wire, or something like that. when he shaved off some of Sam's thick, fluffy fur, we realised he had little sores all over his shoulder (after i'd taken him home, i found more all over his back). he suggested flea allergy, but the husband and i are discussing alternative possibilities: the ripe cow muck he rolled in last week? the sweet-smelling shampoo the dog walker used to get it off him? (that didn't quite work, quite the way. we got perfume mixed with barn smell instead).
currently, i'm feeding Sam delicious meals mixed with foul-tasting pills -- i know they must be bad because Sam, who gobbles up his deworming tablets, carefully licks bits of these pills clean. and putting special vet-prescribed cream on his poor, spotted skin. our poor, mangy-looking dog is getting a royal treatment, and quite enjoying it.
well, this week marks the end of that. something is being naughty, but we can't really blame Sam. he has a skin problem. i took him to the vet because i thought he'd injured himself on barbed wire, or something like that. when he shaved off some of Sam's thick, fluffy fur, we realised he had little sores all over his shoulder (after i'd taken him home, i found more all over his back). he suggested flea allergy, but the husband and i are discussing alternative possibilities: the ripe cow muck he rolled in last week? the sweet-smelling shampoo the dog walker used to get it off him? (that didn't quite work, quite the way. we got perfume mixed with barn smell instead).
currently, i'm feeding Sam delicious meals mixed with foul-tasting pills -- i know they must be bad because Sam, who gobbles up his deworming tablets, carefully licks bits of these pills clean. and putting special vet-prescribed cream on his poor, spotted skin. our poor, mangy-looking dog is getting a royal treatment, and quite enjoying it.
Monday, 16 August 2010
snoozies
that's what holidays are for, aren't they? Sam found a perfect spot. in the holiday home, the garden was built in two levels. the lawn was on the upper level, which meant Sam could lie down comfortably and still survey everything. he never let down his guard! not once! well, maybe once.
Sunday, 15 August 2010
dog-friendly holiday homes
this is the first thing i'll be looking for from now on: whether a place for rent welcomes pets or not. our grat experience with Direct Whitby Accommodation was something we'd like to repeat. the cottage we rented from them was so friendly the welcome pack included dog biscuits and fresh water. in contrast, i've seen cottages where they offer contact with animals, but people's own pets. for shame! i could never leave Sam behind just so i could cavort around with some real huskies.
the only problem with our dog-friendly accommodation was that we had to vacuum the dog hairs before we left. okay, this wasn't a very big problem, although it did refresh our satisfaction with living in a non-carpeted house back home. it also brought home an understanding of why some dogs go mad around vacuum cleaners. the one we have at home is really rather silent and nice, and Sam hardly reacts to it, apart from inhaling its interesting smells. the cottage one was big, loud and blaring, and caused everyone to become quite skittish.
Sam on vacation.
the only problem with our dog-friendly accommodation was that we had to vacuum the dog hairs before we left. okay, this wasn't a very big problem, although it did refresh our satisfaction with living in a non-carpeted house back home. it also brought home an understanding of why some dogs go mad around vacuum cleaners. the one we have at home is really rather silent and nice, and Sam hardly reacts to it, apart from inhaling its interesting smells. the cottage one was big, loud and blaring, and caused everyone to become quite skittish.
Sam on vacation.
Thursday, 5 August 2010
virgin voyage
Sam has gone through a lot of firsts lately, thanks to joining us on vacation (that was also a first). most importantly, perhaps: his first journey aboard public transport. he'd been on a bus before, but only for a few stops. the journey now in question would last for about two and a half hours.
we had two options: bus or train. we thought he'd be less upset by motor movements on the train, but that journey did involve a change and a forty-minute wait at an unknown railway station. if it was going to be big and busy, that would be a very long wait. so we went for the direct bus, and comically, had to wait for an hour at the bus stop because it was delayed.
while waiting, we overheard some old ladies talking (loudly) about how the bus driver would surely not let us on with that big beast, when there was bound to be a lot of children on board. with time (it was a long wait), they changed their tune and were full of praise for how calm Sam was, and when the bus finally did arrive, one of them attempted to help us by "directing" him onto the bus.
we had feared crowds (unknown to us, we'd booked our cottage for the start of the school holidays), but fortunately, there were a lot of empty places. they only happened to be upstairs. we climbed up to the deck without problems (down was a different story), and found ample space at the back. Sam used all the legroom to sprawl in. on the entire ride, he got a little anxious and curious about what was outside the windows a few times, but apart from that was a big, furry angel.
the problems only began after we'd alighted from the bus and had to find our way through crowds of people to a cottage we only knew from maps. i committed assault on a man by smashing Sam into him, all in an attempt to get him out of the way of an alsatian (remember those?) that looked suspiciously out of control. after that, i kept him (Sam, that is) on a short and tight leash, and avoided further mishaps... but feared how we'd get anywhere in that town.
fortunately, we found the cottage where a bowl of water and some dog biscuits were waiting for us. also some human bisucits, which we ate gratefully.
we had two options: bus or train. we thought he'd be less upset by motor movements on the train, but that journey did involve a change and a forty-minute wait at an unknown railway station. if it was going to be big and busy, that would be a very long wait. so we went for the direct bus, and comically, had to wait for an hour at the bus stop because it was delayed.
while waiting, we overheard some old ladies talking (loudly) about how the bus driver would surely not let us on with that big beast, when there was bound to be a lot of children on board. with time (it was a long wait), they changed their tune and were full of praise for how calm Sam was, and when the bus finally did arrive, one of them attempted to help us by "directing" him onto the bus.
we had feared crowds (unknown to us, we'd booked our cottage for the start of the school holidays), but fortunately, there were a lot of empty places. they only happened to be upstairs. we climbed up to the deck without problems (down was a different story), and found ample space at the back. Sam used all the legroom to sprawl in. on the entire ride, he got a little anxious and curious about what was outside the windows a few times, but apart from that was a big, furry angel.
the problems only began after we'd alighted from the bus and had to find our way through crowds of people to a cottage we only knew from maps. i committed assault on a man by smashing Sam into him, all in an attempt to get him out of the way of an alsatian (remember those?) that looked suspiciously out of control. after that, i kept him (Sam, that is) on a short and tight leash, and avoided further mishaps... but feared how we'd get anywhere in that town.
fortunately, we found the cottage where a bowl of water and some dog biscuits were waiting for us. also some human bisucits, which we ate gratefully.
Thursday, 15 July 2010
every. time.
i give Sam yummy stick of chewing. he chews the chew with deep concentration as i prepare for bed, dress down, tuck under...
...and then he races down the stairs, and back up again, and comes to the bedroom door, whimpering in a pityful way.
"what do you want, lummox?" i ask, affectionately. not that i need to. it's clear what he wants.
i get up, trudge down the stairs, and open the door into the rainy garden, which Sam enters like a bullet. the garden he'd shown no interest in in the many hours before bedtime. i watch him disappear into the darkness, and settle down to wait.
why do i fall for it every time? he surely doesn't need to "do" anything out there, all he wants to do is play in the rain with all his chew stick energy, and perhaps "reward" me with some rainswept evening entertainment.
but i'd bet that if i one night decided to ignore his request, he'd have an accident some way or another. because that's just the kind of dog he is.
...and then he races down the stairs, and back up again, and comes to the bedroom door, whimpering in a pityful way.
"what do you want, lummox?" i ask, affectionately. not that i need to. it's clear what he wants.
i get up, trudge down the stairs, and open the door into the rainy garden, which Sam enters like a bullet. the garden he'd shown no interest in in the many hours before bedtime. i watch him disappear into the darkness, and settle down to wait.
why do i fall for it every time? he surely doesn't need to "do" anything out there, all he wants to do is play in the rain with all his chew stick energy, and perhaps "reward" me with some rainswept evening entertainment.
but i'd bet that if i one night decided to ignore his request, he'd have an accident some way or another. because that's just the kind of dog he is.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
cheerleading
i've heard about dogs that get nervous if you stare at their food, or won't eat if there's anyone around. because i used to think Sam was a nervous dog -- hah! -- i would often serve his food in a different room, then leave to give him some privacy.
well, now he's on a complete dry food diet and the last thing anyone should do is leave the room. in fact, there are days when he won't eat unless he's accompanied by at least one human who patiently listens to his crunching. usually it's my daughter, who fortunately likes perching on the stairs or whatever, observing him. then she'll fill his bowl with toys and try serving it to him as a dessert.
well, now he's on a complete dry food diet and the last thing anyone should do is leave the room. in fact, there are days when he won't eat unless he's accompanied by at least one human who patiently listens to his crunching. usually it's my daughter, who fortunately likes perching on the stairs or whatever, observing him. then she'll fill his bowl with toys and try serving it to him as a dessert.
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