New Little Brother

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Snow

 Well, we had a "light dusting" of snow back in November of 2014.

Early last week, we had a bout of ice and sleet that shut down everything for a day. It had melted away by late last Wednesday afternoon, but then we had snow all day that Friday, resulting in a good 3 inches of cover. It was really neat to let the dogs out periodically and see that their tracks from the  previous potty break had all been filled in and covered.

It was also weird, being that I grew up in the part of the state too far for snow to reach, typically, and have since spent many years even farther south, in warmer, more tropical climates that I really miss. It did snow two times while we were living in Houston, once in January of 2009 when we were in that third floor, one-bedroom apartment. That was fun to watch, but it all melted away by the end of the day. We got a very slight dusting at our house once, in early 2014...

Waking up Saturday to find that the pristine front yard of the previous day was now criss-crossed with rabbit tracks was interesting.

It's the melting that is unpleasant. The slush, the dirtiness, the standing water. We've been "drying out" all week, in the sense that the roads never actually did dry, it took days for the residual ice to melt, and it has been alternately misting, drizzling, raining, sleeting, freezing rain... for days.

And then, this morning, we wake to this- a good 5 inches overnight in what the idiot newscasters are calling a "snowstorm" and "record-breaking", "the most snow we've had in the past five years", and bragging "we nailed it!" (Yes, the whole two times any of them have predicted any accurate weather since we've moved here, both within the past week and both regarding measured amounts of snow and the winter weather that brought it. Too easy, if you ask me, and shut up about it, already).

The dogs found a baby bunny last week. I'd had a feeling that the rabbit that has taken up residence under our shed had had babies. Something about the way Airlie kept obsessively patrolling the perimeter. I guess she finally managed to crawl under it far enough (there's really not enough space for her to fit) to snag one. Probably it had moved away from its safe place on its own. It was big enough to be mobile and have its eyes open. I just happened to walk out the back door and hear a squealing and notice Kansas with something in her jaws. She kept dropping it - it was really struggling, and squalling in terror. By the time I reached them, the poor thing (about as big as my hand) was soaking wet from repeated exposure to the melting sleet and slush. I shoved it back under the shed, hoping the mama was there to groom and warm it. No such luck. Airlie hauled it out again. I put it back a second time, blocked off access, and was just going to leave it at that. I ended up telling DH, so then, of course, he had to go out and do his version of everything I'd already done. It did have a pretty big tear in it's skin- seemed to be superficial, but who knows what injuries it had sustained, due to the dogs. DH, for some dumb reason, decided to wrap it in a towel and THEN stick it back under the shed...

It was dead a few hours later.

*sigh* Animals.

Well, DUH...!

I have been experimenting, and I have decided that most of Airlie's intermittent limping/injury issues are due to the fact that she is in a smaller space and I was not warming her up properly for the amount of jumping she was doing.

I know better. I know you're supposed to warm up your dogs prior to athletic activities.

I just never had to do consciously, actively do so when we were in a bigger yard. She had so much time to run from point A to point B before catching a disc that she naturally got prepared for such things just crossing the yard chasing after the Frisbee.

Here, not nearly enough.

Thus, I've been spending at least 3 minutes throwing nothing but rollers for her to chase before I start throwing any discs into the air for her to jump up and catch.

Problem seems to be solved.

Damn, do I miss our old yard, though...

Injury/Insanity

Well, running ground to a  halt after just one month. Airlie was really enjoying her Tuesday jaunts around the neighborhood. That final week, I had actually worked up to running her twice in one week- Tuesday and Friday.

Unfortunately, she began limping not long after that, and was still limping 3 weeks later. This week, it seems much better, but I am still trying to pinpoint the issue.

Studying videos of limping dogs on YouTube, I suspect elbow dysplasia, but when I read up on that condition the description doesn't fit.

Then I thought, shoulder injury, and this video has some great techniques and helpful tips, so we've been incorporating massage, though I can't find any knots or sensitive places.

Mainly, she needs crate rest, but her mind is just not cut out for crate rest. If not for the limp, I'd say she wasn't even "in pain". She still chases the other dogs around, instigates wrestling matches, brings me her ball to throw -though I have held off on Frisbee for the past two weeks, more due to the weather, than anything.

She just has this odd way of holding her right foreleg out, away from her body, when walking. She tears off running through the yard with no problem, and while she may limp at the beginning of our morning walks, initially, whatever it is seems to work itself out over time.

I honestly don't know if she stepped in a low spot while running one day (the roads are bad- riddled with potholes, cracks and uneven places) or maybe landed wrong catching a Frisbee, or stepped in a low spot in the yard then. Her paw pads are fine and her nails aren't too long- I cut them weekly, they grow so fast!

There's always the possibility she is , once again, imitating Kansas, who limps on the same leg for real reasons- arthritis in her dysplastic hips meaning she bears more weight on that leg, which is now arthritic and tender after several years of such posture.

I can't really think that running just once a week for 4-5 weeks was enough to cause this much of a problem, and I can't understand why it's taken so long to heal.

She's a very physically active dog, and, mentally, she is not great at being still or occupying herself with other tasks. She has really driven me bananas these past 3 weeks, between the "injury", the time change meaning daylight ends at 5:30pm, the lack of Frisbee, ball play and running... Between the first week of Daylight Saving Time, the following week being cold, overcast and rainy/muddy all week, last week's temps being in the 30s each day- even the sunny days, thanks to the cold wind- she is nutty and so am I. I can barely tolerate her constant hovering and neediness. She just doesn't understand that between the weather and the lack of daylight, there's not much playing outside to be done, and resting her leg? Forget about that!

I guess I'll start her on Missing Link, too...

New Town, New Vet, Past Due

Airlie's vet visit last Friday went fine. She was almost 6 weeks past due for her annual vaccines, so we had to go with the 1-year shots, rather than the 3-year ones. She didn't enjoy being there, but she never does. Still, she was good. She weighed in at 48.4 lbs. The staff was friendly, the facility was clean, service was quick. Being that it's a community outreach, "low cost" facility, it wasn't the same as visiting an actual vet clinic, and I'd opted not to do the wellness exam, which was an additional $25, so we didn't meet the actual vet, or establish any relationships, but still... she's UTD on vaccines and her prescription for HW  meds has been mailed off. It still cost me $100 ($15 rabies, $19 DHPP, $19 Lepto, $15 prescription, $30 heartworm test, $2 "disposal fee"), which was a little bit more than back home (and I should have just had her done 6 weeks early, back in July before we moved, rather than waiting till we moved here and been as many weeks past due). I wish I had gone that route. If I had had the money, I'd have done the wellness exam, just because there are a few questions that I have. Next time.

I thought she'd contracted flea tapeworm, from eating rabbit poop out in the yard (dang rabbits!), but I wormed her for that and... nothing. I'm still going to give her the remaining dose tomorrow, since I bought it and all... 

Running!

I took Airlie running with  me last night. I really, really miss the treadmill, and the speed I used to sprint at, the elevation controls, etc... Running outside is very different and very humbling. You can't run as fast or as far, initially, because of the difference between running in place on a moving belt and propelling yourself forward on solid ground. The first week, I had to walk the hills. I ran for 4 minutes on day 1 before resorting to alternately run/walking. Day 2 I made it 6 minutes. The next week, 8 minutes on Day 3, 10 minutes on day 4. Then I fell off the wagon for 2 weeks, between the weather and feeling discouraged. Last Tuesday I ran the majority of the full neighborhood loop. It tok me 10 minutes. I stopped at the stop sign to wait for traffic and ended up walking the rest of the way home. I resolved to run all the way to the mailboxes the nest time (been stopping to pick up the mail at the end of my run). I did it! I ran a full 15 minutes straight and Airlie did too! It was her first time going running, and our first time using the jogging leash I bought a few years back. The leash was originally intended for Leo, but between walking the dogs in the morning, teaching classes all day, and the weather being too hot as the day wore on, I just never did it. Airlie, however, needs more exercise since we've moved here. The neighborhood route being only 30 minutes is insufficient, and since the hills add difficulty for Kansas, it's more than enough for Kansas and I feel mean keeping her out any longer. The plan is to alternate Leo and Airlie on runs, so nobody gets any overuse injuries. Airlie is really, really good at home, but you can just tell she's struggling with pent-up energy. She did the whole thing with no problem and I am really impressed.

Four Years Old!

Tomorrow should be Airlie's' annual vet visit, and introduction to a  new vet and vet clinic, since we've moved recently, but finances are not what we expected and I can't afford to take her. It's going to have to wait a while. Maybe not too long, but it irks me. I like to keep their vet visits as close to their birth dates as possible, that way I remember them and when they are due.