prejudice pup

I was never a dog person.. until I got Jude last March. I immediately fell in love with him and he became my "little boy" :) Then, we decided Jude needed a playmate.. so here came Rigby in August for my Birthday. Two "little boys!" Jude is a boxer/pit mix, weighing in at about 85 pounds right now, and a little under a year and half. Rigby is an american bulldog, weighing in at about 65 pounds right now, and just turned 8 months old. They are big, big strong boys. And they really do, on a regular basis make me laugh and make me happy. Love it when they learn new things and obey. That isn't the point of this blog though. I am going to give you a peak into a walk with the boys. This isn't a normal walk with them, but with dogs, just like children I've heard, you have to be prepared for anything. Who knows what is going through their little (or in Jude's case, big) heads!

I should have known that today was a day to walk them separately when I tried to open the gate and it took a solid three or four minutes of me telling them to sit and stay. I had been gone most of the day and hadn't seen them since this morning. For those of you who don't know, mommy, or really daddy too, getting home is a big deal to the boys. They get so excited, and I assure you it isn't because they don't get enough attention. Rigby it is because he thinks it's time to eat, and Jude, well he just gets excited about most things period. Anyways, once I got them hooked on the leash (usually when I walk them both I use the coupler and connect them to each other so I only have to use one leash.. and usually Jude listens when Rigby doens't so if I just get on to him it helps Rigby to listen too) we had to sit in the yard for another good 3 or 4 minutes. Maybe even 5. They were ready to go and tried pulling on towards the road to start the walk, but heck no. I kept making them go back to the fence and sit.. then one of them would get up, so the other would get up.. a nice little cycle. Finally, they sat until I told them to come so we were off.

The first part of the walk is always rougher than the end, they are always excited and pull more at the beginning, not being bad necessarily, just pumped up and walking faster than I want. Rigby likes to run on his walks so it's always an issue getting him to slow down at first. We were having a hard time getting past that phase today so I decided to run with them to help get the energy out. That was fine until the huge concrete truck came by. Rigby has this thing where he feels he has to outrun trucks or something, so he is trying to run full speed, which is much faster than I can run. Apply the brakes too fast and your arm will get pulled out of socket. Whew. Once I get them stopped we immediately faced our next obstacle. A little annoying, loud, yappy dog that is tied up in it's front yard. I am not against dogs being in the front yard, the boys go in the front yard not even on leashes a good bit, especially Rigby. But this dog, seriously. I mean it was tied up, but it was going CRAZY. Just barking away, well, not really barking, yapping, nonstop. Jumping around. Where are the owners?? There's NO way they didn't hear it. Of course my boys notice it. Jude doesn't seem to care too much, until a bunch of other dogs start barking, then he's kind of looking around, pulling, getting excited. Rigby had decided to stop and stare the tiny dog down for a minute. So basically it's let the leash go and let the boys teach the little dog a lesson in messing with big dogs, or pull, with all my strength the dogs forward and back across the street. Made it. Whew. You'd think that'd be enough "drama" for our walk, but no. We had another obstable up ahead. And I think, well no, I KNOW this was the worst.

There is a man who lives a street up from me who is in a wheelchair. No big deal. Except that for whatever reason, Rigby HATES him. Usually if I see him out I will turn up a different street because Rigby will stand up real firm, and start huffing real loud, getting all worked up and angry. Today though, the man wasn't in front of his house where we could turn up a different street, he was up at the top of the hill of a long road, nowhere for us to go. Rigby starts his huffing and pulling backwards while Jude is trying to keep walking. Disaster already because they are pulling in different directions and are connected to each other. Well, Rigby fixed that. He pulled straight out of his collar. AKA Rigby was not attached to me at all anymore and free to do whatever he wanted. Of course I freak out. I don't know if he is going to go up to the man, if he is going to take off and run, if he will just stay beside me. I grab onto him, which is course isn't a good grip because there is nothing to grab except his skin. He continously pulls out of my grab because he's still huffing and backing up, kind of jumping, at this man. The man is just sitting in his chair watching all of this unfold. Thank God Jude decided it was time to start listening so he sat down right beside me and somehow, with one hand I managed to undo Rigby's collar and get it back on him w/o either dog escaping. I think I said something to the guy as I was walking away, but I honestly don't remember what. I was just relieved I had control of BOTH dogs again and that they stayed right with me instead of taking off or heading over to visit the man in the wheelchair. We were in the road, but thankfully there weren't any cars up that way. WHEW again.

I love walking my dogs. I have no problem walking them on my own, I'm not scared to do it because 9 times out of 10 they are pretty good. And of course, I have two big dogs with me so most people are just going to leave me alone. An occasional issue here and there with their behavior. I don't think I've ever had a walk so miserable as today's though. As much joy and happiness as they bring me, I let things like this go usually, but I don't think I've spanked hiney's this much in a lonnnnnnnnggggg time. Today they did NOT make me happy or laugh!!

2 morals of my story. 1. If you have a little dog that thinks it's big and tough, don't leave it outside by itself for fear that one day I will just let go and my dogs will step on it. 2. Don't have a prejudice dog.

Jude & Rigby in trouble.

little rigby wants to play!

It is yet again, another rainy rainy day in Georgia. I don't mind rainy days so much because of the inconvenience of going outside and getting wet for myself. I mind rainy days for Rigby. With all of his skin issues, and then his stitches- he has never really been outside in the rain. Wet grass seems to irritate his belly more than usual, which just causes bigger problems for us. Jude has no problem being outside in the rain. When it's warm outside you will see him running around playing in it like it's the greatest thing ever. When it's cool or cold out (if not so cold that he comes in) he usually hangs out in his mansion of a doghouse. Littleman will barely step off the front porch to pee though. No really, I have seen him stand with his feet still on the porch and try to pee on the ground. Pretty smart little pup. Then there are times when he just wants to go sit out in it. But only if it's that annoying drizzling rain and not too cold out. And you have to sit and wait on him. Not fun either.
Lately, especially after his 3 weeks inside because of him being sick/his surgery, he whines when he can't go out after a while. There is only so much room for him to run and get his energy out in the house and it just doesn't seem to work as well. I have a lucky rainy day every now where he will be like a lazy old man, curl up on his bed and stay there most of the day. Too bad I can't teach him to read!
We play together, but he gets bored. His toys start to bore him, and believe me, it's not because he only has a couple :) We play hide and seek. We cuddle and "chat" with each other. Whatever works to keep him out of trouble! Regardless, the day seems so much longer when we are stuck in the house together all day. Just the longest of days- but I am not going to complain yet. That will come tomorrow if it is still raining, days in a row in the house are not fun for the littleman! :)
You'd think we would be in clear once the rain stopped- but nope. The backyard has some areas that puddle up pretty bad and take days to go away.. FAIL. Rigby will absolutely find those spots then run back in the house with soaking wet feet.. and honestly, the soaking wet feet aren't the bad part. The bad part is when he gets them soaking wet and then plays in the dirt.. the orange dirt. Not fun for this mommy!
If only it were warmer, I might just through him out there. But the poor little guy shivers when he's cold, I just can't do it.

Rain rain go away, little Rigby wants to play!

rigby's surgery

What better way to start off my posts for 2011! The year started just as crazy as it ended. Our guests left, Christmas decorations started (and I say started because it took a good part of January to get them all down & organized in tubs and put in the attic) coming down.. and Rigby got sick.
 David takes care of the doggies in the morning: let's Rigby out, gives him his AM meds when he's on them (which with this poor puppy has been most of the time we have had him), feeds him, feeds Jude, and puts Rigby back in the bed until I get up to let him out for the day. January 3rd, a Monday, I had a text when I got up telling me that Rigby had gotten sick that night/morning in his bed but that it was cleaned up in there and his bed was in the garage. Of course a few red flags went off because off all his issues, but he was acting fine with me, ate some, drank and went out to play with Jude. I brought him in around 3 to feed him and within the hour he threw up twice. Little strange.. especially because he was playing fine outside most of the day. He went and laid down sometime around 4 in his "room" and didn't come back out until the next day. He threw up a total of 6 or 7 times by Monday night. In two of his throw ups, there was plastic from toys, rope from toys, and a piece of water hose. (Jude HAD an old hose he liked to drag around the yard and woods, apparently Rigby thought it was a snack). I tried to give him ice cubes (which are his treats because of his food allergies).. he wouldn't take any. He wouldn't drink, he wouldn't really eat. I called the emergency vet, completely freaking out, and they told me to keep an eye on him, but not to try to feed him or give him any more water until his stomach had completely calmed down and to call back if things didn't improve. Funny thing, the place I called Monday night is the place that he had his surgery Thursday night, not at his regular vet.
I took him to the vet Tuesday morning. He was up, eating, drinking, and playing. He practically ran into the vet office (he has been there so much they are his friends :)). They suggested X-rays and some medicine to help calm his stomach but I declined because he seemed to be acting better. We figured he had thrown up everything that was causing him to be sick and he'd be fine in a day or two. We scheduled a follow-up appointment for Friday morning. Little did we know that this was just the beginning to, honestly, one of the longest weeks of my life.
He was more himself Tuesday than any other day, but still wasn't acting quite right. I attributed that to throwing up so much the night before and kind of let it go. Kept him inside the rest of the day, we had to monitor his poop to make sure it wasn't getting too soft so he couldn't go out in the back with Jude. By Tuesday night he was laying on his blanket and not moving. Wednesday, he did not get up at all, except to go poop. We had to get up throughout the night to let him out because his diarrhea had gotten so bad, he was constantly having to be let out. He was eating, but not as much because we had cut his food way back. Sometimes he would drink, other times we found ourselves forcing water down his throat with a medicine dropper.
By Thursday morning, David and I were both really struggling. Exhausted. Hadn't slept through a night without getting up, more than once since Sunday night. And constant care since Tuesday morning for him. Worried. Not really knowing what to do because of the costs of the x-rays and the potential of it being a waste of money with nothing being in there. I had the little boy I keep, Tripp, that day but luckily David was off. I took Rigby out to potty and saw basically, straight blood come out. That settled that. David took Tripp with him to run an errand and I took Rigby back to the vet. They of course suggested X-Rays, bloodwork, organ functioning tests (he had to be on steroids for about a month due to another issue, which is bad for his liver apparently), urinalysis, etc. David got there and we decided to go on with the plan of treatment they suggested. He had to stay at the vet all day getting pumped full of fluids- hoping that it would help push whatever was still in his stomach out. The X-Rays did show that was still a foreign object in there and we were trying to avoid surgery at this point. We left him there and went to get some lunch and to pick up Tripp's brother from school. When we went back to pick up Rigby I got a phone call as we were pulling in that his condition had worsened and that they suggested emergency surgery immediately.
Of course at this point, I am a mess. David and the vet are both trying to calm me down, and we are trying to decide what to do about Rigby. While we were there talking to the Dr about options, he actually threw up another piece of plastic. In my mind, well good, it's all cleared out he should be fine. But the Dr didn't think so and suggested taking him to the emergency care clinic. They brought him out to me and he was just so pitiful. He had drool hanging out of his mouth (yes, he's a bulldog but he doesn't ever have drool just hanging out of his mouth).. and there was a constant drip of blood out the other end.
We got him to the ER clinic and talked to the Dr there. He re-did the X-Rays and there was another piece of something in his belly, down near where it would move into the intestines, except it was way too big. He suggested more fluids to see if it would pass, though he wasn't hopeful because of the size and said he would wait a couple hours but that was it because his intestines were concerning to him. I guess normally the intestines have a smooth appearance along the outside, but Rigby's had a ruffled look to them. He was concerned about tissue damage if blood flow was getting cut off to those spots, which would cause an even bigger issue. After almost having a heart attack about the costs of the operation, we ok'ed it. I did feel better at this office. The Dr seemed very confident and had actually done the exact same surgery to his dog twice before.
His partial obstruction had become a full obstruction and they operated late Thursday night. I got a call about 1 o'clock Friday morning that he had come through the surgery and they had a removed a very large, hard plastic from his stomach. It would not have been able to pass through, or been thrown up because of the size, so we made the right choice. :) I went to visit him Friday morning in the hospital and he looked just pitiful but by Friday night when David and I went back to visit he was becoming more himself. He is on a special diet because of his allergies so that was a hassle in itself, they wanted to feed him wet food but his food is only available in dry. Thankfully, that issue got resolved with my freak out attitude, a few phone calls and his Dr at UGA. He did eat a little wet food which was a huge concern, but we didn't have any issues with it, THANK THE LORD! Friday night we were able to take him outside for fresh air and to stretch a little bit. He was trying to run around the parking lot, went and sat by my car and David's truck, he was ready to leave.. but had one more night of observation to go. We picked him up Saturday morning and brought him home.. for another lonnnnnnnnnnnnngggg 2 weeks.
He had to take 9 pills a day, wasn't allowed to be running or jumping, couldn't go outside with Jude and play, etc. Now this may seem like no big deal to some of you with dogs. But you try keeping a 65 pound, 7 month old, energetic (when he wants to be) puppy entertained inside your house for 2 straight weeks and you will change your mind.Oh, and remember the pills, that you can't put in any special "treat" for him to eat. He is so used to pills he knows what they are and spits them straight out of his mouth.  And of course it snowed and got icey everywhere during that time, so my special little puppy wants to run in it and slide on his stitched up belly all over the yard. GOOD TIMES.
Poor Jude lost a lot of toys throughout everything, stuff that he was fine with having in the backyard to play with, clearly Rigby wasn't so we had to trash some of his favorite things. I think he'd rather have Rigby out there with him though :)
I didn't know you could love animals as much as I love my boys. It was a very, very hard 3 weeks, and that feeling of helplessness when we didn't know what was wrong or how to fix it is one of the worst in the world. I know my puppies aren't actual babies, but right now they are MY babies :)
This post is much longer than most that I will post I am sure. If I already had a blog it would've been easier to have it broken down throughout the actual time it was all going on. But here's the story, the actually, believe it or not, condensed version.
2011 started off crazy, and not the greatest. BUT, I am thankful for David loving the boys too, and knowing how much I love them and being willing to do what we needed to do to help Rigby get better.