DESIGNER PUPPYS: Everything you wanted to know about raising designer or mixed breed dogs,
featuring The BOYZ: Prince Alvin His Cuteness (on left) and Sir Simon The Sad, Cockapoo pups.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Raising Cockapoo Dogs The Right Way

Sir Simon on the cover of 
Raising Cockapoo Dogs The Right Way
Thinking about getting a Cockapoo pup or dog?

Let this newly published ebook help guide you through your pup's first two years. It covers preparing for a new pup, housetraining, obedience training and deciding the best way to groom your Poo through common Cockapo medical issues.

Best of all it spotlights Prince Alvin and Sir Simon in all their Cockapooness (or is it Cockerpooness?). Whatever! Be prepared and avoid common mistakes with your pup!
Click http://booklocker.com/books/6015.html for your copy.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

What To Do When Your Dog Is Dragging His Butt - Part III

In Part I of What To Do When Your Dog Is Dragging His Butt, I explained that my doggie son Alvin had infected anal glands. The vet's initial solution - a round of oral antibiotics.

In Part II of What To Do When Your Dog Is Dragging His Butt, we found out that the oral antibiotics did not work, so we agreed that the vet should inject antibiotic cream DIRECTLY into Alvin's anal glands.

Two weeks later, we were in the vet's office again for a scheduled followup appointment.

Good news - infection had cleared up.

No surgery for the immediate future.

It's a "wait and see what happens" scenario.

Right now, it's a month after the last vet visit and Alvin is doing fine. No scooting across the floor on his butt.

We are continuing the pumpkin once a day in his dinner.

Here's hoping that Alvino will not have another butt exam this year!

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

What To Do When Your Dog Is Dragging His Butt - Part II

In Part I of What To Do When Your Dog Is Dragging His Butt, I explained that my doggie son Alvin had infected anal glands. The vet's initial solution - a round of antibiotics.

The Followup Vet Visit

Two weeks after the initial vet visit for butt dragging, we were seeing the vet again - all of us - me, my partner, Alvin, and Simon. Simon got a shot, and then Al was up for his post-antibiotics butt check.

Bottom Line - Al's anal glands were still infected.

So the pumpkin added to his diet along with the antibiotics did not work. With our permission, the vet put Al out (sorta), injected the an antibiotic directly into his anal glands, and then brought him out of his semi-conscious state with another injection.

A caution if you have never seen an animal get an an anesthetic - it can be upsetting. The process looks like putting a dog down and Al fought the shot but was clearly losing consciousness. Like my partner, you may want to leave the room and talk to the pet owners in the waiting area.

Prognosis

The injection of antibiotics may heal Al's infection, but we may be faced with recurrent anal expression or the removal of his anal glands. Interestingly, both poodles and cocker spaniels have anal gland problems. Since Al is half cockapoo (poodle/cocker spaniel combo) it figures he would have the issue.

Young and middle-aged dogs routinely have anal gland surgery, but a possible side effect is incontinence. Al's vet claimed he had never had that happen. Turns out one of his vet techs called several of the dog owners whose animals had the surgery before her dog had the operation. None of the owners reported incontinence as a surgical side effect. Good sign that the vet does successful surgeries for anal gland removal.

Al's followup visit is in 2 weeks. One step at a time.