Comfort dogs

NatsFan

Too funny about Coco's self service.  Two dogs we had years ago, Boomer the cockerpoo and my soulmate Gypsy, managed to open the refrigerator one time while we were at work.  We had a dishtowel looped through the handle, and we think Boomer must have pulled it and somehow grabbed both ends, opening the door.  However it happened, they had a feast.  We had just gone grocery shopping, so the fridge was pretty full.  They devoured a couple of pounds of ground beef, a half pound of cheddar cheese, and half a dark fruit-type cake a friend had made, some leftover meat scraps, some bread, and a few other things.  They did not like the blueberry yogurt - that was opened up on the living room rug and left there.  These were not large dogs - Boomer weighed about 25 pounds and Gypsy weighed less than 20 - but they pretty much cleaned out the refrigerator.  Amazingly enough, they did not get sick, but both their bellies were totally distended and they groaned a lot that night.  There was a golf ball size piece of the cheddar left - Gypsy was so full that she couldn't eat it, but she didn't want Boomer to get it, so she carried it around all night, hiding it in corners so he wouldn't find it.  As you all say, it was so funny to come home to it was hard to be mad.   

IngridJ

Ha ha Mary, now you've given me a laugh, just before going to sleep here...That is hilarious.. I love the fact that Gypsy kept moving the cheese (wasn't that a book a few years back??) so Boomer couldn't get it...

Very funny... What a pair... Can see it....:))

Spookiesmom

Oh that's too funny'!!!!! I have a min poodle, Kris. I think he could be a counter surfer, he just doesn't know it yet. Good!

gonegirl

Natsfan, too funny.  I actually can't leave anything out. All food has to go into cupboards high up or the refrigerator.

My dogs love eating cotton balls or cotton swabs from the bathroom waste can. I have to put the waste can on the toilet.  Ocassionaly I'll forget and leave it down. One time Sidney, the airedale mix, got a cotton swab from the bathroom and was walking into the bathroom to enjoy her treat in private, while I was walking out of the bedroom.  When she saw me, she simply and calming spit the swab out, as if to say, "Alright, you got me. You'll take it away anyway, so there, I spit it out."  I just had to laugh. She is a smart, smart dog.

planetbananas

Star, my little 13 year old Boston is in the vet hospital. She had a seizure and never recovered. They are loading her with phenobarbitol to get to a therapeutic dose. Vet suspects metastatic cancer

We will find out more tomorrow. Last night and today have been so hard to watch her suffer. All good thoughts appreciated, this happened 2 days after I found out my tumor markers doubled and I have to wait 5 weeks for a PET scan. Jellybean (dog in avatar) is pulling double duty tonight in terms of comfort. She won't leave my side, and she is the one who likes her space. Star is my little velcro lapdog.

gonegirl

Planetbanana. I am so, so sorry

IngridJ

Planet, sorry.. Hoping Star is ok...at least the vet will get to the bottom of it... And he will be looked after with right drugs..Thoughts are with you... So hard when they suffer because they don't know what is going on...:( Is hard and horrible to see.. Had scare with coco last year, she had a seizure also.. Two nights in animal hospital w suspected snail bait poisoning although we never really knew. .. She came good, hope Star does too..

Glad Jellybean is on hand for comfort role. !!!!

Hugs...

Mardibra

Planet - I'm so sorry to hear that. Trixie sends you and Star virtual cuddles.

sciencegal

Planetbananas I am so incredibly sorry to hear about Star. I sure hope it is not cancer.
There are many other reasons for animals to have seizures. I had a Kitty, Frank, who had them once in awhile throughout his life and we never figured out why, but he would recover fully after about 24 hours. My options were to let this happen once or twice a year, and he could live an otherwise happy healthy life, or keep him on the phenobarb each day. We tried the latter for awhile and he was not the super happy inquisitive cat that he had been, so we stopped the meds. He lived to almost 20 years old!



SO, I sure hope it is a similar non-cancer cause for Star and that a recovery can happen. my fingers are crossed.



I am sorry also about your tumor markers. Dang. That is a long time for a pet scan. Can you offer to have them call you in case of a cancellation in their schedule, or go there and wait in case they have an opening? Too long to not know what is going on.



My heart is with you.

Hugs

sciencegal

Mary, just read back to your story about the fridgeraider team- hilarious!



I will be SURE to never leave a dish towel through the fridge handle, thanks for your story about that.

I can picture the resulting chaos that you found.



Thanks for the morning laugh!!!



Jan

planetbananas

Thank you so much everyone, it is so nice to know I can post here and get so much support.



Unfortunately Star passed away at 4:30 this morning. She had had another seizure and was responding to the meds when her heart stopped. CPR was unsuccessful and the vet thought it was a blood clot due to the way she passed. We were able to go say goodbye and hold her for the last time.



Re:tumor markers. Because my kidney function declined the last time I was in the hospital, onc wants to make sure another few weeks of healing go by so we don't get any false alarms. He said there is a possibility that the markers are up from that and the infection. Until I hear otherwise I just keep telling myself that's what it is.....I have read the markers can be unreliable so I have decided to call them mindf**k markers.



Anyway, thank you sweet people, I am off to hug Jellybean ♡

sciencegal

Oh no I am SOOOO sorry about Star. Jellybean must be suffering too. BIG hugs to both of you.



And yes kidney function can mess things up. Please drink plenty of fluids, remember to take care of yourself as well while you are grieving.



I am so sorry.

gonegirl

I am so sorry for your loss

IngridJ

Sorry for your loss also. (

Spookiesmom

So sorry to learn of your loss.

planetbananas

Thank you all so much.....these are special boards. ♥

farmerlucy

Planetbananas - So sorry for the loss of your precious baby.

Mardibra

Planet...so sorry for the loss of your fur baby

planetbananas

Thank you so much ♡

planetbananas

Ok, let's lighten up the thread. What is the cutest thing your dog does?



When I take Jellybean for a walk, if she passes by a healthy, lush lawn she throws herself on her back and wiggles furiously from side to side, and her mouth goes into a 'smile'. We call it 'doing the happy dog'

farmerlucy

My Olivia can dance for treats. Actually we were in the Obediance I program, and we were supposed to have a grand finale trick from each dog. I noticed that Olivia naturally spun around when she was excited. I gave the behavior a command and a hand signal, and now she does it all the time. "Dance" spins around on her hind legs . . . "Dance" spins around on her hind legs. She's a keeper!

IngridJ

The cutest thing Coco does is give us hugs. She puts both paws around the neck of the hugee, bad to encourage jumping up but I'm afraid that's what happens..

"Give me a hug sis" the kids say, and sure enough....

planetbananas

Dancing and hugging, how awesome!! :-)

Mardibra

Trixie let's me hold her like a baby and rock her. All the while she is licking my chin. So cute.

NatsFan

Planet - I'm so sorry for your loss.  We lost one on Friday - our beloved 19 year old Chihuahua, Molly, died.  She was actually in reasonably good health for her age, eating and drinking and still mostly housebroken.  But on Friday we came home and it was apparent that something serious had happened, like a heart attack or stroke.  We held her and comforted her, but we soon realized that it was time.  We took her in and stayed with her right to the end.  She went down easily, so we knew she was ready.  She was a good girl and we miss her very much.

Now we only have one dog in the house - the first time in 30 years that we've had so few furkids.  The remaining dog, Mikey, is a 9 year old Min Pin with enough energy for 2 or three dogs, so he'll keep us busy. 

We brought Molly's body home and curled her in her bed and put her in the living room for Mikey to see.  We started doing that years ago so that the remaining animals can see and sniff the deceased one and understand what happened.  And they do have some comprehension of death.  We've seen them searching the house for the missing animal until they can see the body for themselves.  Once they see the body of the missing one, they are sad, but the searching behavior stops, so we know they understand the finality of it all.   

The cutest thing Molly did?  Her dinner dance - play bowing, spinning, barking, and generally pulling out all the adorable stops.  We always said that she must be secretly attending Cute School when we were at work, as she certainly had perfected Advanced Cute! 

planetbananas

I am so sorry Natsfan, even though I rescued many dogs it really doesn't get easier. Your idea of bringing her home and putting her in the bed is such a good one, Jellybean definitely spent quite some time searching and I've seen it before with my other dogs. I also only have one dog now and it is the first time in years that we have only had one. We usually have 3 at any given time.



Advanced cute, I love it!



Mardibra, that is so adorable!

sciencegal

Oh Mary I am so sorry. What a great life she had- nineteen wow. isnt that almost 140 in "people years"? I know it does not make it any easier at all. I had a big giant kitty, Frankie, who lived to nineteen. Just wow. Good for her. and what a wonderful life she had to have you as a mom!



Great stories on the "cute" factor everyone. When I leave for the AM to work I give mine a "going away biscuit" to carry upstairs and watch my car pull out (then they thunder down to beg daddy for breakfast). Lewie is super-smart, more poodly than ToTo, and he will dance in circles for his biscuit.



But for Toto, who I have to admit is more cute than smart, the command "dance" means walk to their dog couch in the living room, sit down cutely, and sloooooooooowly reach up for the biscuit, being sure to keep his front paws on the ground the whole time. I have been trying for a year to convince him to do what his buddy Lewie does, but eventually i DO have to drive to work, so his pathetic "dancing" gets rewarded.



It is kind of like a slow "yoga dance" I guess! or ballet since he WILL deign to go up to his tiptoes.

gonegirl

So last night had to take my pit bull Butch to the vet for eye trouble. His second eyelid was closing. Vet said his eye was shrunken and looked like Horner syndrome, which could mean cancer. I don't know about you all, but I don't want anyone else in my life having cancer. Ugh. Vet gave me an NSAID and antibiotics and he looks a bit better this morning. Hoping that it resolves (Vet said many cases do).

One part of me thinks his passing might be a blessing in disguise (I can't find anyone who will solidly agree to take care of him if I die before he does).  But last night I figured out that it would really upset me to see Butch go. It's a conundrum. He's my boy and I don't want to see him cut adrift if I die before him. Oy.  Poor baby. I hope he's ok.

My will is set up so that when I pass, each dog has a god parent who will care for them, but Butch's god parent told me he couldn't take Butch until his own dogs pass. We'll figure it out. Meanwhile, I hope Butch makes a speedy recovery.

bobogirl

Gritgirl, I sure hope Butch is feeling better!  Tell me an update.  I bet he is the sweetest.

Natsfan and Planet bananas, I have been moving house for three days -- just got into the new house -- and I am so very sorry to hear of the passing of your sweet fur children.  Bobo is sending you the biggest kisses.  I am thinking of the three of you guys, and sending you love.

That is an excellent idea about curling your baby up in the bed for the others.  I'm going to do that from now on.  XXXX

planetbananas

Gritgirl, I hope Butch will be ok. I know what you mean about not wanting anyone else to have cancer. My heart goes out to you over the 'conundrum'.



Thank you, bobogirl ♡