We found out on the weekend that the puppies both have pneumonia. Lucy was really ill last Sunday and ended up spending the night at an animal hospital. She's got a pretty bad case but is looking much better and has eaten well since Tuesday. She is on antibiotics and it may be a month or so before she's completely better but we're glad she has more energy and her appetite back.
On Monday we took Drover into the vet to have an x-ray done also since he had been coughing too. He also has pneumonia but it's a much milder case. His only symptoms are coughing and a hacking thing he does but he has plenty of energy and an appetite that is as good as mine. He has trained really well to wait until I tell him to take his food but then scarfs it down within 30 seconds! We then have him wait in the garage until Lucy has finished eating because she gets a little skittish with him trying to get her food. He is very good - he sits patiently on the step in the garage and waits for me to let him back in.
I have an appointment with the vet tomorrow for more x-rays to see how they are looking. I hope they both make a full recovery quickly. Drover eats his pills in his food - he's in such a hurry that he doesn't notice they're there. Lucy, the ladylike eater she is, never eats the pills in her food, even if I put them inside a piece of hot dog she can still get them out. So I have to put hers in the back of her throat, close her mouth, then use a syringe to squirt a little water in her mouth and make her swallow. Dog slobber all over my hands has become a routine thing! M pointed out that it is fitting that Lucy doesn't like taking her medicine since Lucy is her dog and she hates taking medicine too! Maybe I'll try the holding the mouth and syringe trick with M next time too...
Resting peacefully. I love the way they sleep together.
Lesson # 2 - Fix gaps in your fence before you get a dog.
We were planning on waiting until June to get a dog so we hadn't made fixing the gaps in the fence a priority. The fence on the back was put up before the rest of the fencing and it didn't meet in one corner. There was about a 4" gap there that we knew we needed to fix but the dogs didn't seem to be going near there and Josh and I hadn't been able to find the right size post to fix it so we procrastinated. It's funny how some jobs just need the right kind of motivation to get them done.
That motivation came on Tuesday evening. I got home after being out for a few hours to find that a neighbour had our dogs in his yard. There had been soccer games at the park that afternoon and Drover and Lucy must have wanted to join in the excitement. They had a good run around the fields. Luckily several people from our neighbourhood were at the games and a friend of M's recognised the dogs as ours. I am so glad they were kept safe until we got home! I felt like such an irresponsible dog owner! I went to Home Depot that night and got what I needed to fix the gap.
A second problem we weren't even aware of was a gap underneath the fence right next to the house. I discovered this gap one afternoon while speaking to a friend at my front door. Drover, who was in the back yard, came trotting merrily up to me at the front door. I filled that one up with dirt and will get some grass seed for there. Hopefully they won't be diggers!
Lesson # 3 - In a puppy's mind, a dog gate is just a fun obstacle to jump over.
The dogs' bed is in the kitchen. When we go to bed at night we put up a child gate to keep them in there (they are only allowed on the wooden floored kitchen and entryway). They can get over the gate pretty easily, but when the gate is up at night and they are there together they are happy to stay on their beds.
Early last week when Lucy was still resting and couldn't come on our long walks I left her in the kitchen with the gate up. I returned home to find her running around the lounge room and a pile of M's soft toys on the floor that she'd pulled out of the toy bucket. At least she didn't pee inside, though, which is more than I can say for Drover. On the night that Lucy was in hospital he got over the gate. I got up in the morning to find him sitting in M's soft toy bucket which had been left in the lounge room and he'd peed and pooped in the office.
Now I make sure all the bedroom doors are closed at night, just for good measure. We also borrowed Jeni's child gate that we put up above ours to make sure they are really blocked in the kitchen if we need to go out and leave them inside.
We are working at training them to stay on the wood. Lucy is very good with that boundary. Drover stops at the carpet but if I'm out of the room for too long he comes looking for me. It will take lots of reinforcement for that one.
Lesson # 4 - In a puppy's mind, thongs are excellent chew toys.
Josh's thongs were the first victims. They were on the deck outside the back door on the first day the dogs were left out. We got home to find the straps in pieces. Then I forgot to move my thongs from the garage one day when I'd put Drover in there. Fortunately he only got some teeth marks in the sole because those are my favourite shoes!
Lesson # 5 - Be prepared to do a lot more cleaning.
I love having two dogs and I thought about the double poop I'd have to pick up, but I didn't think about the double hair. They make a lot of dog hair between the two of them. I will definitely be sweeping/mopping/vacuuming more often. Sitting at my desk typing this I just noticed a dog hair on my desk calendar. How did a dog hair get in here!
Just so you know, even if I'd thought through the double dog hair before getting them I still would have got both.
Lesson # 6 - You will love them more than you imagined.
I had no idea I would love the dogs this much. I knew I wanted a dog and I'd love him/her, but now that I have them I am already so completely in love with them. Tara, I understand now how you feel about Darwin! I guess having the dogs of my own that I am responsible for and I spend lots of time with has made this bond so strong for me so quickly. They are beautiful little things and I am so happy to have them as a part of our family.
Drover enjoying a belly scratch.
9 comments:
Lovely puppies, Emma. I hope they get completely well soon. I guess I'm getting old - all the things you mention here are reasons why I DON'T want a dog. We'll just enjoy Henry and leave all the mess and hard work for Karen!
Fully agree with everything you're saying! Sounds as though they are on the mend now, thank goodness. They do become such important members of your family so quickly. Henry is 10 months now and STILL making tons of mess and pinching anything to take into the garden to chew on. He's into tea towels or underwear at the moment!
Hmmmm, these dog stories really confirm to me how much I don't want one. But, they are adorable and I'm glad they are getting better. My kids love them and I really think we will need one at some point especially to help Luke overcome his tentative-ness around animals.
Emma, I was tearing up reading your post and thinking about how much I love your dogs, too. The stories are endearing!
Emma, it is like reliving the last few months of having Sydney! No matter how tough they are to care for, you can't help but love them and if you thought you were busy before... They are very cute though. Do you know how big they will get? I wish we had two to keep each other company but Andrew is still adjusting to having one. We will just have to see if we can borrow Darwin again for future holidays!
I'm glad to hear they're getting better and that you're loving them so much. They're lots of work but so worth it. I want another one, two, three...which is probably why Greg isn't eager for us to buy our own home, right now I'm restricted by our rental agreement.
I'm glad they're getting better. I heard most shelter dogs come with some sort of illness - especially puppies. Bristol (Laura's dog) had a respiratory infection - which made them want her more, since their son has CF and they are "attuned" to breathing issues.
Are you not going to crate train them?
We are SO excited for our dog, and everyone's puppy stories are making me EVEN MORE excited. Our new fence is going in in May, (we also won't ever let her be out there without us) and our dog won't shed - so hopefully we'll avoid the issues of hair & escape! (I'm sure there'll be a lot of chewing!) Have you tried bully sticks for that?
Wish you got them when I was there so I could have met them.
Emma, the dogs are really cute and I know how it is when you grow to love them as members of your family. We all loved Anna so much and were devastated when she died. I didn't even want to look at another dog when Tania brought Aussie home. Michael was pleading with me. I was still too upset over Anna and would cry all the time. However, we did keep Aussie and we all loved her so much too. She really did become part of our family. Miss her just talking about her.
However, I personally, feel much like Ruth. Too much work for me to handle. (Maybe one day if I was ever on my own, for the companionship.) In the meantime, I'm happy for the family to enjoy yours and leave you with the work and the cost! And of course, the love, loyalty and companionship.
Mum xx
Seeing my boys play with Lucy and Drover made me wonder if maybe we should get a dog a little sooner than I had planned--maybe next summer. Thanks for this post. It has helped me see a glimpse of the work to come and realize I am not quite ready. I'm glad they are getting better.
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