Four medications …

Ned playing in the snow!

Our 13 year old pointer-collie is now on four medications because he shows signs of pain with his arthritis, muscle loss and failing hips.

He is on Cosequin which I pull apart and mix into his food. He is also on Deramaxx which he takes as a treat. He gets one Tramadol at bedtime which seems to help keep him comfortable through the night.

We are having routine bloodwork done on him. He has one slightly elevated liver value and everything else is normal. I have purchased a liver supplement and we are trying to give it to him once daily. It needs to be given 1 hour before a meal or 2 hours after a meal and I’m struggling to get it in him properly everyday! I am hopeful it will help keep his liver a little safer since he’s taking the nsaid daily. Thankfully, he is on the low end of the dose currently.

It is so difficult to see him age. He’s always been such a happy and playful dog. It is hard to see him have a bad day, struggle to get up and down, fall and to be grumpy!

His love for Nedd …

I see it and experience it everyday. They share a special bond. Nedd accepts me into the pack but think of me as a “buddy” who feeds him and takes him out. He comes to me when he’s sick or doesn’t feel well too.  Nedd kisses me and romps and plays with me.  He cuddles with Marty without kisses and gently plays with Marty.  He will let Marty brush him for a long time and barely lets me brush him for a minute!  Somehow, Marty is still the one who Nedd adores!

My “doggy soul mates” have passed on and I miss them terribly. I love Nedd … but it is obvious he’s Marty’s “doggy soul mate”!

Read this recent blog written by Marty. It is talking about the upcoming Oprah show about puppy mills.  It is also a great dog story.

Nedd is truly Marty’s best friend!:

http://humbleoradio.com/oprah/oprah-is-going-to-the-dogs/

~Trina

Nedd and treating his arthritis

We’ve known for over a year that Nedd has arthritis.  He has had about three “flair ups” where he has began limping and we’ve had to give him Rimadyl for several days at a time.

At this point, we are able to treat his arthritis with Cosequin.  He took a large dose for about a month and now he’s on a maintenance dose of one tablet in the morning and one tablet at night.  He thinks it is a treat so getting it in him twice daily is not a problem.

In the last few months, I have noticed him having more difficulty with stairs.  I have noticed him getting off the bed slower.  I notice him choosing to sleep on his dog bed more and more often instead of climbing into the bed with us which he’s always done!

Nedd has always been the most gentle large dog.  He’s fun, goofy and very playful.  In the last year, there’s been a few occasions, and last night was one of them, where he suddenly becomes grumpy.   He was laying in bed with us and we had been loving on him, massaging him, rubbing his ears and his belly and all the sudden he showed his teeth!  I have no idea what happened.  It was strange.  I am trying to contribute it to possible pain in his neck or back and the fact that his Cosequin was about two hours “late” last night.

He acts perfectly fine today.  He is running, playing, happy and enjoyed his breakfast.  I brushed him thoroughly today trying to see if there was a painful spot but he even enjoyed being brushed!

Nedd vomited piece of dental bone …

In the middle of the night, I heard the sound.  I jumped out of bed and ran toward Nedd.  There he stood with the sad look in his eyes, his belly jerking as he vomited by the door.  There was the normal stuff you see in vomit and there was a piece of a dental chew that he had enjoyed while we watched the American Idol last night.  This piece of the dental chew was about the size of the palm of my hand.

I feel like a terrible pet parent right now.  I didn’t even know he had swallowed it!!!  I buy these particular dental chews at the vet hospital because they are of a good quality and are a food product.  They really do help his teeth.  I’ve purchased these for about 3 years and we’ve never had this problem previously!

I’m a little frightened right now.  This is a treat he really enjoys and he has one about every other day.

He acts perfectly fine now.  I gave him a late breakfast and he’s still doing fine.  I didn’t call the veterinarian … at least not yet.  If he vomits again, I’ll be calling very quickly.  I try not to call over every little thing while at the same time not overlooking a health concern.

~Trina Daniels

How do they steal our hearts?

I’ve never loved a pet like I’ve loved my dogs!  For some reason, DOGS steal my heart.  My own dogs own me and other dogs sure do grab my attention.

I’ve never met a dog I didn’t like.  I don’t believe there’s such a thing as a bad dog.  If the dog is acting up, I believe it is the dogs’ humans who haven’t helped the dog learn!  I’m sure there’s exceptions to this as there is with everything … but typically, there’s no bad dogs!

I’ve seen giant dogs be gently giants.  I’ve seen what some call stubborn dogs listen better than a child.  I’ve seen a PIT BULL be bossed around by my 10# pom!  The PIT BULL would run under the deck when the POM barked.  The PIT BULL would also let my POM hold its leash and lead it around the yard.

I wouldn’t turn my pom loose with just an pit bull … this was a friends dog … and I knew how it was being raised and trained.  I knew it was a gently dog with good manners!

It doesn’t matter what the breed is or even if it is a “mutt”, I love each and every DOG that God created! 

DOGS REIGN!

We’re trained!

Nedd has us well trained!  We are in the midst of the largest snow storm I’ve seen since I was a little kid!  Central Ohio is blanketed with the white stuff and wind!  It’s “technically” not a blizzard because we haven’t had four consecutive hours of wind!

Currently, we have about 14″ of snow and lots of drifts.  Nedd has been out three times today.  He doesn’t go out unless someone goes out with him.  A path was shoveled across the deck for him.  Steps were shoveled and salted for him.  I even bundle up and go outside with him, of course, with camera in hand!  He really has us trained!  He plays a little, runs around for a couple of minutes, does his business and is ready to get back in the warmth of our home!

We dry him off, dry his feet and we don’t force him to spend more time outside than he wants to.  He is a German Shorthair Pointer and Collie special blend.  His time limit seems to be less than 10 minutes at a time.

We especially love enjoying the winter wonderland from the warmth of being inside!

Pet Sitters

It’s always so hard when we have to leave Nedd behind.

We had a wonderful pet sitter for years.  She came to our house.  She would even take our dogs to her home.  She took excellent care of our dogs and we were comfortable leaving them.  Over the years, she has finally quit pet sitting.  I sure do miss the great service she gave and the comfort level I was able to have with her.

I’m thankful that my parents now keep Nedd from time to time.  I know they love him.  I know they take good care of him.  I know he loves them and he enjoys spending time with them.  I am comfortable leaving him and that makes going away easier.  They do spoil him … but that’s what grandparents are supposed to do.

It seems that no matter how much I know he is in good hands, I still miss him and wish we could have taken him along.

Papa & Nedd

~Trina

a great day

Nedd is having a great day. Come to think of it, most of his days are great!

Today, he started off his day as usual with breakfast and playing outside. He spent quiet a bit of time outside sniffing despite the 5 degree temperature.

He played ball, took a nap and just had lunch. This time when we were out, I discovered WHY he was in such a sniffing mood. He is a German Short Hair Pointer and Collie Special Blend … so some sniffing is always expected. This time, he was really being curious about something.

We soon seen a CAT! Nedd thinks they are playmates but most cats usually don’t want to play with him … until they get to know him.

Nedd is napping again while I’m doing laundry. We’ll see what the rest of the day has for Nedd to do and discover.

Traveling with our dog, Nedd

We recently went on a trip to the DC area.

There were many hotels that were welcoming to our 55# dog. We are pleasantly surprised at the number of places in the DC area where we could take our dog!

My hubby is a comedian and we travel a lot. The website: www.DogFriendly.com is a big help as we travel from coast to coast.

~Trina

Thankfully, Nedd used great manners during the entire trip!

Nedd, the 12 year old “puppy”

Our boy, Nedd is “scary smart”! He’s one of a kind, a special blend of a sable and white collie and a black and white German Short Hair Pointer. He’s absolutely beautiful and brilliant.

Nedd has several nicknames including: “Nedd, the atomic party puppy”. At the age of 12, he begins each day with a favorite Kong toy in his mouth. He barks very loudly and still plays very hard.

He has a little bit of arthritis which he takes a daily dose of Cosequin which seems to help keep in under control safely.

We also feed Nedd the best diet we’ve found, Blue Buffalo Senior Lamb & Rice! And, he had the best veterinary care available.

He’s a great buddy, especially to my hubby, Christian Comedian MartyDaniels. Nedd shows us unending loyalty and devotion. He’s truly a best friend.