Last Friday Pasha got into a really nasty dog fight over a rubber Chuckit ball, as you can see she lost in a big way and now her butt cheek looks like swiss cheese:/ Fights at the dog run happen fairly regularly but they are usually the doggie equivalent of Jerry Springer Show fights, noise, hair pulling, slapping, maybe a scratch or two but nobody going to the hospital. This one was seriously bad (and surprising, since the other dog is usually friendly and has great owners who have been bringing him to the dog run since he was a pup - they were understandably very jarred by this all and are looking into how to prevent this from happening again). The bite went deep and tore into the muscle so the muscle itself had to be stitched back together as well as the skin sewn up... So no running around for a few weeks, mostly homebound, short walks to "take care of business" only. Today it's a week later and she got a gold star from her vet, drains out, healing nicely and Dr. Tsung says "couple more weeks of nooooo exercise!"
Last Friday.
This was taken after she came home from getting patched up, drugged and hurting, poor Pasha!
Eeeeeeeek!!! Pretty gross right? Those white things sticking out are drains, keeps the skin from closing up so you can squirt antiseptic into the wounds to prevent infection, the vet said the wound was filthy and they had to flush dirt and wood chips out of it.... The red stuff is the antiseptic mixed with blood leaking out where the drains stick out lower down the leg, there was less of that after a few days. As nasty as this looks she didn't seem too bothered by it, no limping, no crying, she was on some pain medication but still you'd expect some discomfort? And to my relief she is just as happy as ever and doesn't seem to be anti-dog after the incident, as happy to greet other dogs on leash as before.
yup, one on the groin too. when I had to irrigate her wounds she would roll over or sit and cock her leg so I could get at it more easily;) and she especially seems to enjoy the hot compresses!
Less than a week later, drains are out and it looking a whole lot better :)
Those big holes are where the drains were, they should scab up shortly.
sooooo bored..... hate cone....
WHAAAAAT??? VISITOR!!!! my friend Dan was in town for a few days, Pasha LOVED him! even the cone couldn't save him from her slobbery love;)
Soooo how to wear out the 2 year old pup who is used to at least an hour of chasing the ball and wrestling at the dog run everyday.....?? For now she needs to be kept pretty quiet so we are relying on "boredom busters", thinky toys, involving strategy and coordination, doggie problem solving = mental exhaustion leading to naps and a little less restlessness;) doesn't replace physical exercise but will hopefully prevent overwhelming cabin fever for the next few weeks.
Here's our stash! These are all food dispensing toys, instead of the 15 seconds it normally takes her to eat breakfast and dinner from her bowl it can take 20 min - 1.5 hrs (yes I'm a looser and I totally timed it) anyway she loooooves them:) I have a few videos of how they work and the sort of focus they require. They work best if your dog is a pig like mine, perhaps less so if you have a grazer.
first crack at it, she needed a little guidance... she achieved "genius level" later that day according to the toy instructions...Very cute but not challenging enough, might bring this back for something more involved ;)
the Busy Buddy or as we call it the "green lantern" is my favorite, she loves it and it is less loud/messy than the Kong Wobble and the Buster Cube. This takes her about 20 minutes to eat a meal sized cup of kibble, and since it involves more angling skills than brute strength it is usually a quieter affair (but still enthusiastic).
This is similar in principle to the Kong Wobble, she loves them both but they are LOUD! She has been refining her approach to the Buster Cube, trying to turn it over on the bed instead of whacking it around the apartment... Better to hand these out when you will not be home to enjoy the crashing noises:/ or better yet if you are lucky enough to have a patio or something...
The winner in terms of longest time to empty is officially a frozen Kong, I clocked that at 45 minutes per Kong, AND it takes 2 for each meal, so 3 hours a day if she is served breakfast and dinner a la Kong!!!
She is super excited to be handed any of these options, sick or well these food dispensers are great for keeping your dog busy while they are indoors, and time consuming appropriate dog hobbies are good for your personal property and the dogs mental health! Below are some articles I found while googling for suggestions to keep my patient content while cooped up (also during inclement weather) and check out those crazy fun toys by Nina Ottosson, maybe Santa will bring her one;)
