With Experience Comes Calm December 21, 2008

Jasmine woke up early this morning–and of course, she woke us up with her tag-jingling, ear-flapping body shake.  However, instead of the usual next step–jumping up on the side of the bed to signal that she wanted to come up, she trotted out the bedroom door and down the hall.

I jumped out of bed, threw on a robe and immediately took her outside.  Experience told me that she was doing this because she HAD to go and there was no waiting.  And I was right.  Jasmine had a mild case of indigestion and loose stool.

This is the third time this has happened.  The first was bad–whipworm.  The second was nothing–just a bit of indigestion (and a $200 vet bill to prove it).  This time, well, let’s just say that we’re doing what we need to (bland diet of rice, cottage cheese, a tiny bit of wet food for flavor and some water) and watching her closely to ensure that she doesn’t get worse.  If she gets worse or  if she doesn’t get better in a few days, we’ll have her checked out, but the experiences I’ve had with her make me less inclined to panic and more inclined to just deal with her issues calmly.

Well, I guess that’s relative.  She leapt out of Hubby’s lap the other day and landed on her face.  Panic is a light term for how I reacted.  Of course, she got up, shook it off and feigned ignorance that she did a face plant in front of me (looking very silly in the process).  She looked at me like I was the one who embarrassed herself.

Dachshunds. *snort*

False Alarm–Thank Goodness November 18, 2008

Sunday morning, Jasmine didn’t eat her breakfast.  Later, she had the beginnings of some tummy problems.  They persisted yesterday to the extent that she soiled the house a couple of times–she obviously couldn’t control it (thank goodness for OxyClean, Nature’s Miracle and Febreeze!).  I was concerned that her whipworms hadn’t been irradicated, and I was not about to let it get as bad as it was last time.

I called the vet and got an appointment for late afternoon.  Jasmine wasn’t acting lethargic or vomiting, but I wanted her checked out nonetheless.  She also had developed a second abscess–this time on the bottom of her left paw–and I felt that it would be best to have her checked out.  Maybe she knew she was going because she gave me another “sample” to take with me.  Yuck.

We got to the vet, and she really freaked out when we were walking in.  The golden retriever in the waiting room must have spooked her because she became a bucking bronco, trying to get away from the office.  I dragged her in and got her situated on my lap.  She calmed down a bit but was still shivering.

The vet I had been seeing, Dr. Kirsten Krick at West Valley Pet Clinc, went on maternity leave and never came back.  So for the past few months, I’ve been seeing the lead vet at the clinic–Dr. Timothy Govers.  I really liked Dr. Krick–she was very kind and gentle.  Dr. Govers is very nice and he obviously knows his stuff.  His exams are very thorough as well.  Every time I bring Jasmine in, regardless of the cause, he gives her a full exam.  I like that.

Dr. Govers spent lots of time examining Jasmine, asked lots of questions, and finally drew some blood and took her sample for evaluation.  He also told me that we were doing the right thing with her abscesses.  The interdigital cysts were probably chronic, and she would take care of them.  If they became infected, we should bring her in; otherwise, they would probably recur over her lifetime.

The doctor then gave us some mild antibiotics for the diarrhea, gave her a nail trim (at my request) and sent us on our way.  The antibiotics have worked to ease her distres and she’s now doing better.  Dr. Govers also called to follow up this morning to check on her and to let us know that her tests came back from the lab–her bloodwork was excellent, and she is negative for all types of parasites.

So, her tummy ache was just that–a tummy ache.  No whipworm.  No horrible disease.  She’s fine.  And while I feel a bit silly and overprotective (and a couple hundred dollars poorer), I’m glad that I’m now SURE that she’s fine.  She’ll have cottage cheese and rice for a few days until all is back to normal.  False alarm.

Good For Jasmine, Good For Me October 15, 2008

Jasmine doesn’t like walkies.  She gets very hyper-sensitive.  She jumps at fast movement (oh, those EVIL tumbling leaves jumping out at her to bite her), slinks her shoulders and tucks her head down, peeks around every hedge and tree to make sure nothing is threatening is there…oh poor ‘Fraidy Dog!  Jasmine would rather be smack dab in the middle of one of her fluffy pillows than doing something as frightening and taxing like exercising!

Truth be told, if it wasn’t for my concern for Jasmine’s health and well being, I’d be smack dab in the middle of one of my fluffy cushions rather than walking her around the neighborhood.  It’s simple–we both don’t like walks. I hate exercising.  I always have, with the exception of some cardio/aerobic/dance classes that are more fun than exercise.  Otherwise, I find exercising tremendously tedious, boring and a pain in the rear (literally and figuratively).  I’d rather be a couch potato.  So would Jasmine.

When I got Jasmine, I knew that the responsibilities would make me do things I don’t like to do.  I walk Jasmine to help socialize her and because she needs the exercise to stay healthy.  That it benefits MY health is a bonus.  That we both DON’T like it…well, I know that it’s my responsibility as a dog owner to do whatever I can to give her a healthy, happy life.  So, daily walks are going to be in the cards for a long, long time.

I DO like walks when my husband is along with us.  He and I get to spend time together, stroll, enjoy the day and talk.  It’s a nice way to just be together without the hustle and bustle of daily life. 

Reverse Sneezing September 28, 2008

We were out for our daily walk yesterday evening when we encountered a little cock-a-poo-ish dog and its owner.  The dog was doing this wheezing gulping thing that was SO familiar–Jasmine does this every so often.  It’s almost like she has the dry heaves but she also gulps for air.  I thought it was something serious, but as I described it to the vet, he didn’t think it was anything to concerned about.

The owner just said, “Don’t worry, it’s just reverse sneezing.”  The owner did something I didn’t think of–he took a video tape of the incidents and took it into the vet (symptoms mysteriously disappear when you take a dog into the vet).  The vet took a look and told him that it was nothing to be concerned about–reverse sneezing.

I looked it up on the Internet.  While it sounds like the dog is going to pass out and die, it’s relatively harmless–and mostly untreatable.  It could be an allergy, an irritant, a result of eating or drinking, driven by overexcitement…anything.  So Jasmine’s wheezing and gulping, while loud and disconcerting especially in the middle of the night, isn’t dangerous.

Strangely, she often stops this if I take notice and pet her on the head.  Attention ploy?  Probably not.  Distraction cure?  Maybe!

Weighty Thoughts September 6, 2008

Jasmine lost some weight when we were away.  She’s now about 10.5 pounds–just right for her.  She was over 11 pounds when we last took her to the vet.  Even with the long walks, she was getting a little pudgy.  It’s hard to regulate food and treats for a low-energy dog.  Since we’ve been back, I’ve been cutting back a little on her meals to compensate for the treats she’s been getting during the day.

While I was out buying her California Natural pet food, I found that the manufacturer (Natura) makes a treat called Health Bars.  Made from a similar formula as their Innova dog food, it’s a balance of good, healthy ingredients and crunchy texture.  I like the fact that it’s focused on providing balanced nutrition rather than just acting as a method to reward and/or clean teeth.  So, we’ve been using these treats as part of her daily nutrition as well as a reward.  However, that means that her meal volume has to be reduced.

The best way to figure out how much food a dog needs every day is based upon a simple calorie calculation.  Just like humans, dogs need a certain amount of calories to maintain, lose or gain weight.  This number is based upon factors such as life stage, age, activity and environment.  I found a decent Metabolic Energy Requirement calculator on the My Cocker Spaniel site.  Natura Pet (the dog food manufacturer) also has calculators for feeding as well.  But remember that the amount of food is based upon the total caloric requirements (Metabolic Engery Requirements).  Using that base figure, calculate how much food you need to feed after factoring in the treats you feed your dog every day.

At 10.5 pounds and sedentary, Jasmine needs about 341 calories a day. Jasmine gets 1 Tablespoon of California Natural Chicken and Rice canned food and 1/4 cup of  California Natural Chicken and Rice Adult Dry food plus 1/4 cup of water.  While the canned food has about 13.5 ounces of food by weight, by volume, we get about 18 servings, which is equivalent to about 30 calories per serving. The dry kibble has about 511 calories per cup. Given these figures, Jasmine gets about 158 calories per meal.  She’s getting two meals per day so she’s getting about 316 calories a day in meals–just about what she needs.

However, treats need to be factored in.  The small Health Bars have about 50 calories each.  Milk-Bone biscuits have 20 to 30 calories each (depending on size and flavor).  Dingo Mini Bones are less than 1/2 ounce each and probably have about the same amount of calories as other typical treats (they don’t include caloric information, so I’m just assuming 50 calories each).  So, one Dingo bone and a Health Bar could mean up to an extra 100 calories a day–almost 1/3 more than her metabolic needs!  No wonder Jasmine has been gaining weight!

Given what I’ve learned about Jasmine’s caloric needs, if we cut down her kibble to 1/8 cup in the evening and still give her treats, we’ll be just right.  It may seem hard to gauge, but until I started doing the math, it was just a “guess.”  By calculating her energy requirements and figuring out how much I’m feeding her, I have a precise method to determine how much to adjust her food on a day-to-day basis to ensure her health.

Jasmine has become much more food-oriented and is always up for a treat–unlike when she first came to us and didn’t like anything but soft food and treats.  Treats are a way to train and reward, but let’s face it–it’s just plain fun to give her treats.  These tools will help me keep her slim, trim and healthy.  I guess my good habits have rubbed off on how I treat her.  I’ve gone from a size 10 or 12 to a size 2 or 4 over the last year in a similar matter.   Jasmine has had everything to do with that–the daily walks have done both of us good!

Back to Square One–YAY! August 2, 2008

Jasmine’s tummy is finally back to normal, and as of this morning, I’ve started to introduce her normal food into her diet.  She hasn’t exactly been enthusiastic about the rice and cottage cheese diet…nor would I if I had to eat it!  I added just a 1/2 teaspoon of canned food and a couple of tablespoons of kibble to her bowl this morning, and she scarfed it up in no time!   She licked the bowl clean, licked her lips and wagged her tail with pleasure.

I think we’re over the worm hump and getting back to normal.  She has another course of the de-worming medication in two weeks to ensure that any eggs/larvae in her system are also eradicated.  I have a feeling she might need it…given that I saw her trying to eat cat poop last night. Ew.  Love that “Leave It!” command.

Now I question whether the change in food exacerbated the worms, or it was coincidental that the change in food and the worm issue cropped at the same time.  I have purchased some California Natural food (simple chicken and rice formula–not a lot to upset a tummy) for now, but the kibble is a bit large for a dog her size.  I’m going to do more dog food research and figure out what is best for the pup in the long term.

Is This Our Dog? July 31, 2008

Jasmine is definitely on the road to recovery.  She’s eating and her diarrhea is gone.  More importantly, she has had more zip and pep in the last day or so than she has had the entire time we’ve had her.  When I took her out the first thing this morning, she got ultra-curious in the back yard.  She sniffed the entire thing like she had never been there before.  She noticed a squirrel and got very interested.  She saw something under the hedge and tried to track it (probably a bug).  She entirely forgot why we were out there.

Jasmine has also been signficantly more playful since she’s been mending from the Whipworms.  The screaming monkey toy has been a great deal of fun, but she has also been initiating play much more frequently and wagging her little tail quite a bit.  I wonder if the parasites have been with her the entire time, and her normal, low-energy, mellow personality has been a symptom rather than her true self.  I’m enjoying the revved-up Jasmine, and I hope this happier, attention-seeking little imp is finally coming out of her shell.

By the way, any typos in this entry is directly attributable to Jasmine jumping up on my lap desk and pushing the mouse around.

48 Hours Later July 30, 2008

Tug a Monkey

Originally uploaded by mwdonnelly

Well, it’s been 48 hours since Jasmine started treatment for the Whipworms. She’s making good progress, but she did get up in the middle of the night last night to go, and she had another bout of diarrhea this morning. I called the vet and he wants me to stay the course and see if she improves…I’m hoping for the best.

I did notice, however, that Jasmine is improving on other fronts. Her energy level and playfulness are significantly better. I gave Jasmine a bath this morning, and afterwards, she jumped around the house and began playing with her Screaming Monkey. She also ran around the house a few times and has generally been a happy, bouncy, Tigger-like dog this morning.

The Screaming Monkey is her favorite toy these days. I was cleaning the other day and I dropped the monkey on the floor. Jasmine came running to check out the screaming, and immediately picked up the monkey and ran away. She now loves to chew on it. I thought I’d share a little of her play with you.

(Keep your volume down on your PC…the screaming is LOUD!)

Recipe for a Good Tummy July 11, 2008

Well, the vet called to tell me that the blood work came back on Jasmine, and she’s healthy and normal.  That’s a relief!  I told him about the blood in her stool last night, and he said that wasn’t unusual given her situation.  I’m to continue the white rice and cottage cheese diet until she’s completely normal, and then I can slowly introduce the new food to her.

If Eukanuba had not changed their canned pet food formula, I probably would have kept her on their food to keep from disrupting her digestive system.  But now that I’ve been forced to make changes, I’m going to feed Jasmine the EVO.  Better nutrition, better ingredients and no grain fillers make it a good choice.  However, I’m fuzzy on the “science” of dog nutrition.  The argument is that dogs, in the wild, eat a diet mostly of protein, and that whole foods are better than processed junk and fillers.  I’ll buy that–to an extent.  The Dog Food Analysis site has an explanation of how they rate the foods…but where’s the science behind these ratings?  There is a regulatory agency, the AAFCO, that oversees the feed manufacturers to ensure that a) the ingredients and guaranteed analysis of the food on the label is correct and b) the ingredients provide whole and proper nutrition for the animal in question.

What it boils down to is what do you believe?  I think either of the foods are sufficient to ensure proper nutrition for Jasmine.  The marketing hype for both is substantial.  EVO claims better nutrition due to higher levels of protein, no grain fillers, etc.  Eukanuba claims better joint health for Dachshunds because of the inclusion of Glucosamine and Chondroitin (ala ground up bones and cartilage).  Reading packaging, EVO seems more wholesome and does have a guaranteed analysis that is much more skewed towards protein.  But is this necessarily better?  I don’t know.  What is the optimal amount of protein for a dog?  Has anyone proven this?  I guess it just makes ME feel better to give Jasmine food that has better ingredients–more whole foods, less “by-products.”  She seems to like the way it tastes.  And hopefully, when her tummy settles down, she’ll be on the way to optimal health.

Some Facts for Comparison

EVO Small Bites Ingredients:  Turkey, chicken, turkey meal, chicken meal, potatoes, herring meal, chicken fat, natural flavors, egg, apples, tomatoes, potassium chloride, carrots, vitamins, garlic, cottage cheese, minerals, alfalfa sprouts, ascorbic acid, dried chicory root, direct-fed microbials, vitamin E supplement, lecithin, rosemary extract.  Protein = “minimum 42%”

From Dog Food Analysis site:

• Rating: Six Stars (highest)
• Recommended: Yes
• Pros: First four ingredients are named meat products, high meat content, grainless, quality ingredients throughout
• Cons: None
• AAFCO Certification: Yes. “Animal feeding tests using AAFCO procedures substantiate that EVO Dog Small Bites Dry Dog Food provides complete and balanced nutrition for all life stages.”

Eukanuba Dachshund Formula Ingredients:  Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Meal, Ground Whole Grain Sorghum, Ground Whole Grain Barley, Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Natural Chicken Flavor, Brewers Rice, Dried Beet Pulp (sugar removed), Dried Egg Product, Fish meal, Brewers Dried Yeast, Potassium Chloride, Fish Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of Vitamin E), Salt, Vitamins (Vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid, Beta-Carotene, Vitamin A Acetate, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Niacin, Riboflavin Supplement (source of Vitamin B2), Inositol, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Folic Acid), Flax Meal, Sodium Hexametaphosphate, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, Minerals, Dried Chicken Cartilage, DL-Methionine, L-Carnitine, Rosemary Extract.  Protein = “not less than 25%”

From Dog Food Analysis site:

• Rating: One Star (lowest)
• Recommended: No
• Pros: First ingredient is a named meat product
• Cons: Insufficient meat content, byproducts, low quality grain, controversial filler
• AAFCO Certification: Unknown.

Tummy Problems Continue July 10, 2008

Just when I thought things were getting better…

Jasmine was recovering from her tummy problems, or so I thought.  But I was wrong.  Yesterday, when I was on the phone, Jasmine pooped in the house.  Luckily, it was on the slate floor in the front entryway because she was obviously having stomach problems again.  I cleaned everything up, disinfected and used some enzyme cleaner to neutralize the odor.  I thought it was a one-time occurrance.  I was wrong.

Last night, I took her out before bedtime–as usual.  Around 1:30 a.m., I heard Jasmine trotting down the hallway to our bedroom.  She has never climbed out of bed at night, so I was suspicious.  So I got out of bed to check.  Sure enough, she had pooped again in the entryway.  This time, the results were worse.  I cleaned everything up and made sure that Jasmine was settled in for the night.

She’s been on a mix of the new and old food for over a week now, and I would have thought that her stomach would have begun to settle.  However, there’s a chance that something else is going on.  It’s off to the vet today to both have her checked out and to get her shots.

Update: We went to the vet today and got some bloodwork done, a sample turned in and some medication to prevent inflamation and infection.  We’ll know more tomorrow, but the vet suspects that Jasmine is having issues with the food change.  She’s now on a bland diet (rice and low-fat cottage cheese) until she gets back to normal.  However, Jasmine’s stressing and straining to go has become worse, and she’s now bleeding a bit when she goes.  Poor baby!  I’m so worried, but the vet doesn’t seem to think it’s serious.  Keep your fingers crossed.  I feel so bad for Jasmine!