|
16191. arkymalarky - 8/14/2005 3:49:03 PM My summer routine: up around 8:30 or so, mosey around, have a dish of ice cream and water for breakfast on the patio, take the golf cart around the trail, head to the house as it warms up, get on the computer, turn on the tv, piddle around the house and cover a project or two (today it's getting this room in order--finally--after switching from upstairs to downstairs), grab something to eat from the kitchen when ever I get hungry, have a glass of wine and an evening golf cart ride, hot bath, and bed.
It all ends tomorrow. But it will stay the weekend routine as long as weather permits. Then I (FINALLY!!!) start graduate school this spring--just one class--then I'm picking up 12 hours through an ESL program this summer, with plans to be done by the summer of '07. 16192. Magoseph - 8/14/2005 4:13:44 PM I listened to your radio appearance this morning, Arky, and I agree with Wonkers that you did very well. Now, tell me, are planning to teach ESL in your school?
16193. arkymalarky - 8/14/2005 5:44:17 PM Thanks Mags!
No, but this certifies me to work with ESL students (not confined to Spanish-speaking) in the school to help them and their families function well in the system. I will likely be retiring from teaching in four years or so, and I need to get my masters before then, for financial reasons. This program is perfect, because I can work with ESL students and curriculum part time, if I choose, after I retire, which will be a better workload than teaching classes, so I'll have more time to work on the political side of education. 16194. Magoseph - 8/15/2005 1:45:52 PM Hello, everyone. Butch is shaking his head all of sudden from side to side and we are worried. Does anyone know what this behavior could mean? 16195. Macnas - 8/15/2005 2:41:09 PM Sounds like some canker Mago. 16196. Macnas - 8/15/2005 2:56:42 PM I should expand a bit more on that. It's very likely an ear infection, maybe some flea/mite at the root cause. It annoys the dog a lot, but does not seem to cause a lot of pain.
In any case, treat it early with some ear drops (there is a wide variey of them) which you can get OTC in your petcare store or vetinarys. If left untreated it can cause an evil smelling discharge and lead to further complications.
But it's easily treated if seen to early. Note, some dogs just seem prone to it, no matter what you do. Make sure you have mite and flea preparations to hand, tablet form is good. Consult a vet before you decide which type to give him, as some breeds do not react well to some flea/mite meds.
Have Butch wear a flea collar if he doesnt already have one. 16197. wonkers2 - 8/15/2005 3:31:50 PM It probably means that he's tired of Gaines Dog Meal and wants a fillet mignon for a change! 16198. thoughtful - 8/15/2005 3:37:50 PM we use frontline on the cas in the warm months and though i did find a deer tick on him this a.m., it's the first I've found this year. and we haven't ever had a flea problem with him. Though the recommend using it once a month, I always push it to 6 weeks without any noticeable difference.
shaking head is usually an ear problem. mites make a darkish color discharge. a vet can diagnose and recommend treatment. 16199. thoughtful - 8/15/2005 3:40:29 PM Arky,
piddle around the house...
Hahahah! If you've got a problem, perhaps you should wear depends!
I cracked up when I saw that...reminded me of my maternal grandmother who always asked me as a child if I had to go make a piddle. Put such a picture in my mind! 16200. Magoseph - 8/15/2005 3:52:07 PM Thank you, Mac, for the information. The vet office gave us an appointment for tomorrow morning. Aside from the head tremors, Butch seems to be fine. He has a flea collar and twice got the medicine we given at the shelter for heartworms. He is very frisky and eats well. Flexy tells me now that yesterday, he took him in the woods, and Butch foraged for the first time in new areas. I take him in the woods, but stay on the paths.
The vet saw him when we first had him, so we have to wait until she comes back. Besides, I’m afraid to look into his ear, for fear of hurting him and being hurt if he decides to bite me out of fear, one never knows. I want to see first how the vet handles him in a matter like this one.
16201. Magoseph - 8/15/2005 4:02:16 PM Gaines Dog Meal? He gets Pedigree, Won, but I still don't know if that is better than any other brand. My step-daughter gave us a fifty-pound bag of dry food and forty-eight cans of ground beef. I have to ask Arky what she feeds Mazie. 16202. Ms. No - 8/15/2005 4:50:16 PM My folks fed their dogs Pedigree for years only switching out to a higher grade, more specialized food when the dogs got up in their later years. It seemed to work fine for them
I used to feed Billie Pedigree but she developed a sensitivity to it so now I'm feeding her a comparable brand with fish oils in it that agrees with her system much better. I have a feeling it's got less corn in it as well. I've heard about the evils of corn-based dog kibble, and while it makes sense to some degree I'm always a bit skeptical about any insistence that only the highest grade dog foods should ever be considered. I mean, dogs aren't dropping dead right and left because they eat Purina, you know?
Puppies and older dogs have special needs, but I figure if the dog will eat it and maintain his health then you're doing fine.
16203. thoughtful - 8/15/2005 5:02:19 PM Just because a pet food is expensive doesn't mean it's good. We bought the $$$iams for cas for many years and it led him to bladder blockages, so now we have to buy him special cat food available only through vets that costs mega bucks. Only reason why we do is it's a lot cheaper than the vet bills to get a catheter inserted in the cat.
Damned if we do, and damned if we don't. 16204. thoughtful - 8/15/2005 5:04:33 PM and i'm convinced that there's a lot of hocus pocus in pet care going on. I'm hearing more and more about chronic pet illnesses that we never experienced growing up...things like bladder problems, kidney problems, thyroid problems...i'm wondering if some of it isn't related to some of the long-acting vaccines we're required to give the animals or other animal meds. Who knows? 16205. Macnas - 8/15/2005 5:14:10 PM I change the diet according to what I want the dog(s) to do. During hunting season, some raw meat, and carbs of one sort or another, with some dry mix. Off season, mainly dry mix with vegetables and some milk. I know others frown on that, but the dog likes it and is never ill other than injurys she may pick up while out and about.
We had dogs when I was very young that were general farm mutts. Cowdogs you might call them. The diet was whatever was leftover from the family meals. They lived up to 18 or so, so I reckon expensive food is a bit of a waste of cash myself. 16206. Magoseph - 8/15/2005 5:32:45 PM The diet was whatever was leftover from the family meals.
It was for us too, Mac. After reading about what you feed your dog, I think that I may share some of my food with Butch. 16207. PelleNilsson - 8/15/2005 5:32:49 PM We had a dog when we lived in Yemen. When we got it somebody asked me what we planned to feed it. "Household leftovers", I said. "You're a crazy man, Pelle", he replied, "you can't bring up a dog on empty bottles". 16208. Magoseph - 8/15/2005 5:42:31 PM Ms. No, this weekend, I wanted to delete a post in which I had misspelled Arky’s dog name. Well, I couldn’t get in the thread’s menu. I sent an email requesting my password, but so far, no answer. I can’t believe that I forgot it, but it seems that I did. I wonder, when you can, if you’d look into this, please 16209. judithathome - 8/15/2005 5:52:39 PM Klaus was raised on Science diet dry food but since he's gotten older, we changed to Science Diet canned, which he tired of and eventually refused to eat. Now we're giving him a mix of IAMS canned and Science Diet dry...a mix called Nature's Best, which he loves.
We give him a tablet every month called Sentinel, which is a combined heartworn/flea preventitive. He has had no fleas whatsoever for since he's been on it...years now.
Magos, all you need to do is flop Butch's ear back while petting his head...ear mites are too small to see with the naked eye but there might be some brownish residue that is easily seen...it's dryed blood from the mites. The vet will explain and probably give you some drops that will take care of it in a few days. The drops will feel good to Butch's ears, too.
Dogs get these types of things all the time. 16210. Ms. No - 8/15/2005 6:04:22 PM Sorry Mags, I was out of town over the weekend. I'll reset your password and send it to your email. Gimme a few minutes.
|
