Friday, July 21, 2006

Azuki

Azuki is visiting us this week while his owners are on vacation. It's fun to have him around. He really likes to play with Farley. And he is the only dog that has been able to outrun Farley for a toy. It's good for the old dog (Farley) to have a younger dog challenge him. Keeps him young and in shape.

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Week 6: The Kishi Experiment

I wish I could say Kishi is doing better, but she seems to be itchier than ever and now the goop had reappeared in her eyes. I am keeping her and her eyes very clean in hopes that this will soon pass. She has been able to get her cone off her head a couple of times and she's chewed holes in her back again. So where she was growing back hair is now all scabby. She hasn't started smelling, so I'm still holding out a little hope that this is the period they were talking about on the Nzymes website where the dog gets worse before they get better.

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Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Weeks 5: The Kishi Experiment

I'm getting a little frustrated. While Kishi doesn't seem to be getting worse, she also doesn't seem to be getting much better. She chewed a small hole in her body yesterday in a place I didn't think she could reach with her cone on. She's been rubbing her face on the carpet and has worn off the hair where the cone doesn't cover. The good news is that the yeast smell isn't very strong. It used to be that I would give her a bath and the next day she'd smell. Now she goes 2-3 days without a bath, and she doesn't smell. I'm still spritzing, still giving her the Nzymes. She's still eating the Steve's Raw Meat twice a day with a Tablespoon of yogurt and parsley.

I'm going to keep trying. That's all I can do at this point. Nothing else has made her even this comfortable.

Friday, July 07, 2006

Weeks 3 & 4: The Kishi Experiment

While I think I see some improvement in hair growth these past two weeks. I don't see much improvement in the itch factor. Kishi still trys to scratch and chew despite wearing an elizabethan collar 24 hours a day. Her smell is much better. I can still smell a slight yeasty smell but I have to be really close to her. Our basement smells much better! She did get her collar off one night. It's just fastened with velcro and she must have been rubbing her face on the carpet and it came undone. By the time I woke up that morning, she had bloodied two places on her back by chewing them. So just when the hair was growing back and looking better, we're back to square one with scabs and needing to grow the hair back.

The Nzymes website warns that the dog may get worse about this time in the treatment as they are shedding the yeast from their body. I am hoping that is this phase and it doesn't get any worse than this.

I've decided to continue the treatment for another 3 months since I have seen some progress in the past month. I'm glad I've taken pictures throughout because looking at her now, I would say there wasn't a huge improvement. But then I look at her original photos and I can really see the difference especially around her face and on her chest. So the photos have been a great help in documenting the changes.

Judge for yourself... do you think she's looking better?

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Wednesday, July 05, 2006

In Rememberance of CH Prescott J's Mr. T of Tibbs

Today Don Juan's father passed away. He was 14. He had a wonderful show career, taking several BOB's and placing in groups which ranked him in the top 20 shibas in the nation that year. Although he never produced many puppies, he left a legacy in quality, not quantity. A few of his puppies went on to be Champions. But what impresses me the most is that both dogs in a litter of 2 (Don Juan's litter) received titles in agility. Don Juan's littermate also has a CDX in obedience.

He will be missed terribly by his owners, John and Carol Calder, who have loved him dearly since he was a puppy.

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Fourth of July...

And here's the way to humilate a 6 month old shiba inu. Dress him up and make him walk in a parade with thousands of people watching. Just like his mother in previous years, Tomo did just fine. He greeted everyone with a tail wag and a smile.

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It's a happy 4th for us, a scary time for our pets!

Happy 4th of July everyone! This has been traditionally one of my favorite times of the year since Childhood. It ranks right up there with any holiday that I get gifts! Nothing says summer than a 4th of July picnic, warm weather, and fireworks.

But for two of my dogs, this is the scariest day of the year. Farley and Don Juan are both terrified of fireworks. I actually didn't know that until we moved from Arizona where people weren't allowed to shoot off fireworks to a place that we were allowed. When my neighbors set off a whole string of firecrackers, poor Farley grabbed ahold of the gate to our fence with his teeth, getting his teeth and jaw stuck in it, and before I could get to him to help him, he had broken off several teeth. Other times, Farley will bark and howl repeated because he is worried about the sound.

Don Juan, on the other hand, has anxiety attacks. He runs around looking for places to hide, or some free arms to climb into. His tail is down and he whines.

Both dogs exibit slightly different behaviors when it comes to the fireworks, but overall it's the same - they are frightened. Unbelievably, my other 4 dogs could care less about them.

So, if you are shooting off fireworks this year, please be considerate to your neighbor's pets.

Monday, July 03, 2006

Happy Birthday Puppies!

Boy #1: Now named Tomo... Tomo's first show is the end of this month in Sequim.
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Girl #1: Now named Shimiko (which means Island Girl for the place she was born)...Photo is MIA. I'll post it when I get an update. She is doing fine. Still the Piggy. She's at the very top of the standard, and her new owners are praying that she doesn't grow even a hair more. They are planning on showing her, have been taking her to Saturday conformation morning classes. And she's doing great in the classes. She very sturdy with good bone, and from what I'm told, she's also very, very cute.

Girl #2: The puppy that everyone asks about. Once named Squeekers, she is now Kiko. Kiko's owner reports that she is doing just fine. She is blind in her right eye. She has seen a Doggy Ophthalmologist who prescribed an eye drop that is keeping her comforable. She has a puppy best friend Taiyo, and two little girl companions to play with. She is still as sweet as ever. Here she is with her buddy Taiyo...
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Boy #2: Now named Azuki... Wow, Azuki is one great dog. He's the sesame in the bunch of redheads. 'Zuki has been working on his obedience, and I have to say I'm really impressed at how far he's come in the past 6 months. He has drive. He listens. He does great recalls even with distractions. I know he's made his family proud and he'll continue to do so.
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