A rescued Akita mix named Tula reacting to life!

8.22.2011

new vet. new plan. new tula?

Posted by with 7 comments
hi bloggie pals,

last month i was having problems. 
no no.. not my usual grr problems. 
a new one. see my right hind leggie would get sore
fur a second and i would hold it up in the air-
 like i was  three-legger, then a minute or two later, 
back to normal.

at first, thought something was stuck in my toe toe. 
nope. these episodes happened randomly and often. so
that lead to a call to the woo know who. 


but it wasn't a call to my usual vet.. this time my appointment
was made with a new vet who is experienced working 
with reactive/people sensitive doggies like me!
better yet, the facility is setup to be more conducive 
for reactive doggies to come and go 
without incident or escalation.

guess what that meant..a back door that lead to a huge exam room
that obviously had gone to the birds.
yep.  actual birds. a whole bunch of them.
not sure if they were patients or her assistants or what.
these guys kept squabbling- yapping with each other-
made me kinduv twist my head and say, huh.


although i must mention,
the exam room did have a lovely chamomile- lavender scent 

kind of spa-like and ahooomm, oh so relaxing.
 all that zen came to an end when the new vet tried 
to introduce herself to me with cookies and petting.
see, the whole idea of someone touching me, more than a very brief,
light pet makes me furry uncomfortable. stressed. grouchy. snappy.
me with my pawtee hat on (aka muzzle fur safety)
imagine if I don't let her pet me, it makes the exam
and procedures furry hard to do!


the vet thought that was highly unusual. She began to ask
about my history of behaviors.
 It made her wonder if maybe there were underlying issues .. 
like sensory input issues.

This led to the whole Temple Grandin idea of 
 using couch pillows to enclose me- giving me sensory input
while she sneakily drew blood from my hind leggies.
it worked! 


So now i have a new plan for an improved toolie!
(really, to reduce my dog reactivity and sensitivity to touch)

          1. Use an anxiety wrap- to give me the sensation of a 'hug'.
          2. Make a change in behavior meds (chlomapramine to prozac)
          3. Use fish oil supplements: Nordic Omega Pet formula
          4. Try flower essences.
          5. Take meds for Lymes' Disease- tested positive which could be the reason for my sore leggies (or not).


Ok. well. no wasting time in putting the plan into action.
many of woo probably noticed I was wearing a jacket 
in my last post. it wasn't purely fur fashion...


 I now have a Thundershirt and a HyperKewlie toolie vest .




The first time I wore it on a walkies,
it was like I was a rock star! 
Get this:


80 degree day- who knew! not me. I lasted the entire 2.4 miles..


doggies getting rowdy at me in their yards.. who noticed? not me.


a man in the truck yelled out.. Akitas rule! yep! aroo!


some other people came running out of their house to see me-
well, they thought I was a husky before noticing nope, akita.
The woman wanted to pet me with 2 raw hamburger patties 
in her hand. guess what. no problem.. pet away!


Norwood was with me. 
He was kind of upset that no one was paying any attention to him.  
as if!


Anyways. so far so good.
maybe the plan will make a difference.. stay tuned:)


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7 WOO WOOs:

Bruce said...

We're rooting for you Tula! Good Luck!
love ya lots,
Bruce the cat & Sharon:)

Kari in Alaska said...

wooo good for you!!!

Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Woo Hoo - sounds like you might be on to something good. Hope all continues to go well and get even better.

Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, Ciara, and Lightning

Duke said...

This all sounds so positive, Tula! We are hoping it works for you!
How cool - an examining room filled with birdies!

Love ya lots
Maggie and Mitch

Dexter said...

Wowee! That is the most awesome thing ever. I could have gone without that shriekie "Norwood" in the movie though.

Slobbers,
Mango

NAK and The Residents of The Khottage Now With KhattleDog! said...

HA!

My word - are woo ready - is


HYPER -

Remind woo of a certain khrakhkah khuz of yours?

Hugz&Khysses,
Khyra
PeeEssWoo: Paws khrossed woo khontinue to be MsBehaved!

STELLA and RORY from Down Under said...

Tula, mum thinks you are wonderful and your mum is very special. Our Brucey didn't like the Vet at all. He went Grrrr. We have never heard of so many things for reactive doggies. Take care and hope your foot is fine. No worries, and love, Stella