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)
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...
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:)
WolfPack(1993-2006):
Libby (wolf) 13 yr old Black lab/chow
Jazze (little juzze girl)
12 yr old Akita/chow
Rescues after the Wolfpack:
Kiki-masho7 yr old Akita/Husky
Hazel (nut nut) OLD! Black Lab/Akita