Blood and mucus

I called Mark today as Flash has had tiny amounts of blood and mucus in his poos for the last few days. Mark says that it is a side effect of the antibiotics (which I suspected). I will give Flash some probiotics over the next couple of days (got to pick some up today from Boots or Holland & Barrat) and if it doesn't improve, Flash will have to go onto different antibiotics.

Follow up with Flash

Mark thinks (and I agree) that the swelling of the bone has gone down slightly. So Flash will remain on the antibiotics and we will see Mark again in two weeks time.

Nail bed infection

Flash and I went to see Mark today. And Flash has a nail bed infection caused by the damaged dew claw a few weeks ago. He is now on antibiotics, though Mark said that it will take a good while to heal up. We need to go back next Wednesday for a check up.

I asked Mark whether there was any link to his vegan diet that would make him more prone to infections and whether there was anything I could supplement him with. Mark said that this is not the case, particularly as Flash is sound and healthy otherwise.

Dewclaw

A few days ago, Flash suddenly yelped when he played with Jesse and then limped for a minute or two, then was fine again.

The same happened again a couple of days ago. I got a bit worried then, because it happening twice seems a bit more than just a simple accident. I checked the leg over, but couldn't see or feel anything.

This morning, he was playing with a toy and yet again yelped. This time, I immediately thought I'll take him to the vet to get him checked out properly. I then looked at his leg again... and noticed this time that the tissue around the dewclaw was very swollen and tender.

I think that this is the dewclaw that Flash ripped a few weeks ago, I wonder whether an abscess developped because of that. I will call the vet today for an appointment so it can be checked out properly.

Happy 4th Gotcha Day

I can't believe that it is already 4 years since we adopted Flash! He has made such a journey from a worried doglet to the confident chap he is these days! He has made a lot of my hair go grey, but I wouldn't want to be without him!

Yet again, thanks Kaye, for letting us adopt this beautiful, beautiful boy!

They really hurt my back

On Saturday morning, I went out for a walk before classes. As usual I had Dylan, Flash and Jesse with me. All was fine until we were on our way home, when an ex-client came up the stairs with her dalmation. All my dogs went balistic. I calmed them down immediately and made them all sit, which they did nicely! I then had a chat with the lady (who ironically said that my training was extremely helpful for her).

Just as we finished and I turned round, another guy came up the stairs with a GSD and a ball... and mine went balistic AGAIN! I pulled them back, twice... then went home! (Not in a very good mood).

Throughout the day, my back got worse and worse, until by the evening, every move hurt. Things improved a little on Sunday, but my lower back/bum are still very painful, so I didn't go to agility yesterday!

I can't believe this has happened. Last week really wasn't much fun with this lot!

I have now started taking them out at 5.15 in the morning, mainly to avoid that little dog. The park was nice and empty. And it also gave me the opportunity to walk Troy as well before going to work as he hasn't been out since Friday... (Cornel is hardly walking him at all now, maybe once a week... and he hasn't walked him at all since Thursday, 11th June...).

New dog in park and new bad habit

Being summer and it being light in the early mornings, there are sometimes new dogs in the park that we haven't seen before. One of them is a small terrier, that from a distance looks like a little fox... and I think that's what the dogs think too!

Anyway, yesterday, I was walking across the field in the country park when suddenly this little dog appeared on the field not far from us walking towards us. Dylan and Flash took off to say hello to him, but he got frightened and started to run... with Dylan and Flash in hot pursuit. In his fear, the other dog squealed... He wasn't hurt as my boys are of course muzzled all the time when off lead, but it was still scary for him.

Shortly after that, we came across Monzi, which is a friend's dobermann. He is very timid and frightened of my dogs, and I therefore normally put mine on lead as soon as I spot him. This time however Flash was quicker than I was (Dylan I did manage to grab) and Flash was his usual bully with him. Again, he couldn't hurt Monzi as he is muzzled, but still... It wasn't nice! And I felt like a really bad dog owner (and certainly a useless dog trainer) after yesterday's walk.

So this morning, when I went out, I was super careful, looked around me all the time, called the dogs back before going around corners just to make sure that nothing like yesterday could happen. When we were on the straight path from the field towards the pond, everything was clear and I let Dylan and Flash go. I then had to pick up a poo that Dylan did... and when I looked up, I saw the little dog from yesterday again, and so did Dylan and Flash. They took off at top speed (something they never do with other dogs, only foxes or rabbits etc.), realised shortly before they got to the dog that it was a dog and not a fox, but by that time, the little dog had started to run again - and of course that kept Dylan and Flash going.

Yet again, I appologised to the owner who was of course not amused at all (though didn't say anything other than "It's all right"...).

I then continued on my walk, called Dylan and Flash back on the path that joined the main path again and led them out on lead! Luckily so... as there was that little dog again. Jesse went after him to say hello, but of course the little dog was running again not knowing what Jesse was going to do (and Jesse genuinely only wanted to say hello, he doesn't chase dogs). But Dylan and Flash didn't bat an eyelid and the little dog went past ok. At the same time, the doby Monzi was also approaching and luckily, Dylan and Flash still on lead and Jesse with me!

So that second part of the walk was ok. But I now will have to be so much more careful in the mornings knowing that this little dog is about and will have to get Dylan and Flash back on lead a lot more often than before! I will of course also start working on the recall a bit more again! It isn't acceptable for them to take off after a dog like that! But... roll on, winter... when there is no-one else in the park other than a handful of people/dogs that I know!