Oliver's Most Recent Checkup

So lately Oliver has decided that he likes to enjoy the "leftovers" in the yard after he and Romeo have done their hardest work of the day. Kinda gross, I know, but true nonetheless.

Naturally we were first concerned with health issues, such as a nutritional deficiency, or perhaps some other underlying cause. So we asked some friends about this, we checked the internet, and we even called the vet. It turns out that this behavior is pretty common in dogs, even though we have had little previous experience with this, other than Romeo's desire for the occasional, refreshing, winter-time frozen sh-t cycle ... yum!

After several recommendations for methods of changing this behavior, we tried a few alternatives. Except for the hot sauce on the yard nuggets, nothing really seemed to work well, and constantly scouring the yard and applying hot sauce, instead of eliminating the material like we normally do, is a lot of un-fun work.

Realizing, of course, that the behavior was continuing, we got a little more concerned about health issues, and we took him to the vet. More precisely, Ania and I took him to the vet last Friday as part of our father-daughter day off. We were pleased to learn that there were no health concerns to worry about, and we were surprised to learn that Oliver had gained some weight. The fact that he's still pretty skinny added to our concern over health matters, but we can only surmise that he is still growing, and, therefore, even though he put on some weight, it's not that obvious yet. Hopefully he will start to fill in more now that he's a gotten slightly older.

Anyway, the vet thinks he might just have an extremely high metabolism, coupled with a slight case of the crazies. Completely understandable when you stop and think about the fact that he is a Weimaraner (high metabolism) and then add in the treatment he received from his previous, less-than-caring human "friends" (case of the crazies). We are taking the advice of the good Doctor and providing Oliver with more chew toys to keep his attention, and we're adding a little to his daily food intake. We added the chew toys because we remembered that his enjoyment of these nasty little bits of yuck only started after we made sure there was no longer an unlimited supply of plastic items lying around for him to devour.

So, maybe he just needs more toy-type stuff to chew on, some snacks, a little more food, some more attention and exercise, and constant diligence in the area of yard cleanliness.

For now, let's hope for the best in less-smelly and less-gross entertainment and "nutrition" for Oliver! Time to go for a walk now...

Oliver's Getting Better

Oliver seems to like the snow. Check out his video debut.

Ollie's Back

Hooray for Ollie!

Well, it turns out that his sutures can not, at this point, be redone because of a high risk of severe infection. Instead, Beata and I will have to clean and care for the unmentionable area. How lovely.

Anywho, the good Doctor told us that we will have to be more firm with Oliver and keep the leash on him at all times for better control. Probably a good idea.

When we picked him up we were provided with antibiotics, a new space collar/cone thingy, a Dog Whisperer style leash since we forgot to bring ours, and a bill for $4. Are you kidding me? I gave Doctor Smith $5 and asked him to keep the change, which, of course, he refused to do. Instead he gave it to Beata.

But again, Dr. Smith gave good advice. He told me I could now walk Ollie since the stitches could not be torn any more, but we have to keep him from licking that spot, and he has to wear the cone until it's all healed and he doesn't try to lick it any more.

I think we can handle it. He actually went easily into the crate for me (since he had the leash on). I could get to like that sort of cooperation from Oliver. Thanks Ollie.

So, with all that said, I truly hope that everyone has appreciated this update.

And may everyone everywhere have a wonderfully fantastic night.

Mike

Poor Ollie....Back to the Vet

Torn Stitches, Oh No!

Last night Beata noticed that Oliver somehow had managed to tear the fine suturing done by the tremendously qualified Doctor. How? Who knows? He's like magic.

We have done our best to keep him calm, but that's kind of difficult to do with a young Weimaraner who loves to run and play. Of course he's still scared too. In fact, when I'm sitting on the couch and he's lying on the chair next to the couch, all I have to do is stand up, and like a cartoon character, he's gone with only wisps of curled air remaining.

We tried keeping him in the crate more, but his energy level is too high for that. He just tries to get out and probably causes even more stress to the area in question. We try keeping him and Remeo separate so they don't excite each other. I think that, because of the high energy and excitement levels he has, the Doctor may have to give him some medicine to keep him calm while he heals. Otherwise, this same thing might happen again. I don't like the idea of that type of medicine, but it may be necessary for his own benefit.

We'll find out later today. I'm supposed to call in after 4 pm for an update. Hopefully all is well and Ollie will be well. When I get the update, and to keep everyone posted, I'll post it.

Thanks!

Why Me? Then Again, Why Not?

It's All in the Name of Looking Good!

Poor Oliver. Once again something has gone not quite right. He seemed to have a pretty good weekend after his traumatic surgical event (the trauma was really just the type of surgery). He was upbeat, trying to run around a bit, even though he was not supposed to.

We followed orders the best we could, but it's kind of hard to keep a Weimaraner from engaging in any activity whatsoever for two days, let alone two weeks. He's just energetic, what can I tell ya?

Anyway, on Saturday it appeared as though there may be some slight issues with his sutures, so we called the Vet. We were advised to keep him more constrained. We already were walking him in the yard on a leash for him to do his personal business, and we were keeping him in the crate as much as possible without driving him and us insane. We even keep Ollie and Romeo apart so they don't get each other excited and start running around.

Sadly, we were told that he would have to spend even more time in the crate. So, with heavy hearts we decided to try to keep him in there even more. Despite all of it, though, he had additional issues with the sutures. I think he's some kind of magician or something and he's just trying to get the things untied. Anyway, Beata had to take him the Vet today for a look at his unmentionable area. It turns out that he was still causing difficulties for himself, apparently through some sort of contorion exercise in which he actually uses a technique that produces salavic relief for the aformentioned unmentionable area.

So, this is what they did to him...

That's right, they enrolled him in the wildly popular and hugely successful SETI Institute. He's proud to be the only one there to have ever actually found any intelligent life while searching. Turns out it was him.

At least that's what they claim.

Errrrrrr (annoying screeching tires sound), back to reality. Come to find out, this is just so Oliver can hear us better and maybe start responding to our very gentle requests for cooperation with his healing process....you know, things like, "Please don't run Oliver," "Kindly remove your rather large paws from the dinner table, Ollie, so you're not so stretched out and risking tearing your stitches," and, my personal favorite, "Crate Ollie, Crate. It's good for you, and besides, you know you want to."

Alright, let's try this again. Back to reality. Just briefly, though.

He needs to wear this thing all the time for the next week. It's a good think I've been able to convince him that it's okay to eat from my hand (bonding, you know). Otherwise, it would be awfully entertaining to watch him try his best to get to those small crunchy bites. Sadly, he can't fit in the crate now. I'm sure he's disappointed.

It's all for the best, I guess. I just hope he isn't too self-conscious when he's standing out in the middle of the yard squatting for his aeromatic extra curricular activities. It will all be over in a week if everything goes well, and, why shouldn't it?

That's all for now. Remember to check back soon for a nother installment of Oliver's Journal, where you can get all the lates sports, news, and weather.

Good Day, and Good Night!

Home on the Range

Or, Return of the Oliver

Well, this ain't Kansas*, and he surely isn't Toto (a quick play on The Wizard of Oz -- you know, Kansas and all), but we're happy to report that Ollie came back home today. More precisely, Beata and I went to pick him up from Beltway Animal Hospital and bring him back home to glorious Dundalk (Ahhhhh, Sighs, Feelings of Calm and Relaxation, Happiness, Maybe Even Some Fireworks for Excitement). How lucky can a puppy be?

Anyway, his procedure went very well, and he was awake and recovering yesterday afternoon when we called the Vet for an update. We're so happy to have Beltway and the quality doctors and staff at the facility. It's a great feeling to know that we can leave Oliver with them with confidence that, not only will the work be done correctly, he will be treated as if he is one of their family. They care more about the pet care they give than about the dollars they can extract from you, which is not the case everywhere.

We wanted to go to the beach for the weekend, especially since it is our 11th wedding anniversary, but this was a perfect time to get this done, and we're happy to stay home to make sure that Ollie gets the calm, compassionate care he needs this weekend. Plus the PetSmart class was cancelled for Sunday because the instructor had to go out of town for the weekend, so we won't have to miss a session while Oliver recovers.

Maybe he'll even be willing to let me get a little closer to him this weekend since he won't be feeling a hundred percent. It's worth a try anyway. I should note that he did allow me to put his collar on at the Vet and walk him to the car, where Beata was anxiously waiting for him and soon all of his dreams came true. I'm not sure if she wanted us to bond a little or if she just wanted me to take car of the bill. Anyway, when it comes to my interactions with Ollie, I MUST BREAK HIM......I mean, eventually he'll come around :)

I'll try to report on his progress over the next few days as his recovery continues.

On a good note, I was able to spend the last few days prior to this working with him as the instructor advised. He has shown that he is willing, on a sort of "mood" basis, to let me get a little closer to him. He's even been eating his meals directly from my hand without running away after each nibble. Wednesday he let me pet him under his chin while he ate my hand....I mean from my hand.

I'll try to keep everyone posted on that progress as well.

Thanks, and here's to you, and you, and you. And whoever else might be out there in the vast wonderland know as the universe, taking a short break from daily activity to read what I write, right?

-Mike

*Home on the Range is the State Song of Kansas

Poor Oliver, Off to the Vet Today ... Ouch!

Or, It's All for the Better, Believe Me.

Oliver had to go today to have the unthinkable done ... he had to get fixed. As he left this morning with Beata, the heavy hand, I could have sworn I heard him cry out, "But I'm not even broken."

Poor thing. One day he'll understand that it was all for the better and for his own good and the good of all dogs everywhere. Then again, maybe not.

However, since we agreed to have it done when we adopted him, and since there are already so many homeless, abused, and even unwanted dogs (and cats) out there, it is certainly the right thing to do. While I am sure that he would have produced amazing puppies, just as our wonderful Romeo would have, there are enough breeders out there producing amazing dogs already.

Sadly, there are also those "breeders" who use an abusive, factory style to produce dogs they will sell to anyone just to make a few bucks. Which is just one more reason for all of us to have our pet family members spayed or neutered. Read about Puppy Mills here. You can also get other stories and join the fight to Stop Puppy Mills.

There are many other reasons for spaying and neutering pets. Some information can be found on the all-knowing and clearly authoritative Wikipedia. But for laughs you can also check out The Humane Society of the United States, which provides a alternative explanation of the reasoning behind having pets spayed or neutered.

So, when all is said and done, having Oliver neutered is one of the best things we could do for him and the dog population and for our good friends at the DC Area Weimaraner Rescue who are already overwhelmed. While we are confident we could handle additional dogs if Ollie were to do his part in producing more puppies in the world, we would rather adopt again and give a home to an otherwise unwanted animal.

By the way, you can support the DC Area Weimaraner Rescue, by shopping online at DogStuff.com or simply by donating on their website.

Thanks for tuning in. And remember, all dogs deserve to know all the time that they have dignity and that they matter.

See you next time, same bat-time, same bat-channel. Wait a minute...