Merrry Christmas

Merry Christmas to everyone & best wishes for a Happy & Healthy New Year.

I've had an expensive year with home repairs, but the 'important things' remain ok. Cheyenne remains here, pretty healthy & happy at 10 years old. The vet's who have seen her over this past year still guess her age at around 7, which is a bonus. Apache remains in remission - currently dining on 1/4 or so of a whole rabbit 2x a day with rice/lamb boiled together to add his vitamins & suppliments to & about 3 of the baby carrots. Very little grey on this dog yet & no one would ever think he was ill because he remains such a wild and happy boy. Chippewa is healthy, happy, and wild. He's improved so much in the past couple of years, no one would ever guess he ever had the issues he did when I adopted him. These guys make me laugh (& occasionally scream) almost daily.

We've already documented Apache getting his RN title, but there's another one I should mention. Here's a the address for Rally information if you're curious -> http://www.akc.org/events/rally/faqs.cfm
Chip finished his Rally Title at the Cleveland shows with a 95 out of 100. I was very proud of him, as it is a VERY loud show site, and he did pretty well with all the distractions. I was actually more proud that he walked through the vendors with me for almost 2 hours and did not growl, snap, complain about any dog that he encountered & there were tons. He let people pet him, even hug him, and that's been a pretty ongoing issue for him. He's gotten to be a delight to take places (once we get there - he still DOES NOT enjoy car rides). So this year Chip got his CGC early in the year, and now he has his Rally title, and hopefully will get through his CD next year. It is really cute to see a little dog work!

My friend got a new Tri Colored Smooth Collie puppy to replace one that didn't work out (don't worry, don't egg her house, she found Sting a perfect home). A Smooth Collie is one with short hair, looks like she washed him with NAIR by mistake, but he's supposed to look like that! Here's an address for Smooth Collies if you were curious about them -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smooth_Collie
He's adorable, wild, outgoing, confident, and cute, pretty much all you could hope for in a conformation dog. He's funny, but a bit dominant, not aggressive, just snotty. He's learning to work with me, and I will likely begin showing him in the 'breed ring' next year'. It's something pretty new to me, but it's just another type of training & I appreciate the vote of confidence in allowing me to show him.

So, like I said, while the house has me broke, the important things are going well & I hope you can say the same (except for the house making you broke).

~~Merry Christmas!!~~

Ta Dah!!

Ok, I did it - which makes me one of those insane dog people I know, but I did it. I made Apache his own special home made dog biscuits. After all the money I've spent on 'natural' treats, only to find out they weren't natural, it was my only real option!

They smell fantastic, and are completely safe for people (since I know everything in them). No major protein, since he's allergic to most of it. It's a large can of pumpkin, 1 c applesauce, 2 t cinnamon, 2 t ginger, 2t nutmeg, 1 1/2 c rice flour (for his sensitive little stomach), 2 eggs, 1 c oatmeal, 1/4 c yogurt, 1 t baking soda, & a dash of baking powder (although I'm not sure why, they don't really rise) - throw all ingredients together and beat until completely mixed. Plop them down on a baking sheet (if you want to try and shape them into something, knock yourself out), cook at 325 for about 30 minutes, then turn the oven down to 300, and bake until they dry out. It's kind of like making biscotti (you can cook a thin layer in a cake pan, then dump out and cut up to throw back in to dry if you want too). The dogs LOVE them, it makes a lot, but they don't last that long. The house smells pretty good too (unlike the whole liver brownie thing). The rice flour my mother found on a clearance rack somewhere, but I guess I'll need to locate more soon. It seems to dry the bones out really well (I don't think I'd bake regular cookies with it - it's too fine). I'd imagine that they're fine for human consumption, but I make mine VERY VERY hard, and my dentist would kill me for trying them. They work really well in the Kongs, since they don't really break that easily. They even keep Cheyenne busy, and she's a MASTER at busting stuff out of the Kongs!

Anyway, Apache remains in remission (hooray), Chip is still a wild man, Cheyenne is still moving before I can say a command, everything is pretty normal. Since Apache's in remission, he's doing the Solid Gold dog food, with suppliments prescribed and made up. I'm happy they're all just annoying & healthy!

On a slightly personal note, I had my 4th private training session with a Shar Pei client (ok, the owner's my client). The dog is improving by leaps and bounds. She had aggression problems with people and other animals (the dog, not the owner), and we've been working on it alot. She's still not thrilled with other animals, but they seem to be working as a team, and the dog is starting to trust the handler YAY!! I asked the owner if she was pleased as she was leaving, and she said it was the best money she had ever spent...that's pretty rewarding for me. We're not done, in fact just beginning, but the improvement is obvious & makes the owner happy/gives her confidence, which is key. I think everyone should have a dog they can live with & enjoy, plus I think training helps the dog so much.

Whew

While I admitt it's a bit obessive, I'm relieved that I watch Apache so closely. I made that Eyebright tea to use as a compress last night as well. This morning the lump by his eye was about 1/2 the size it was & by this evening, you would never have known it was there.

I think what I'm learning (& I'm always learning) about this CH disease is to watch and catch the allergic reactions before it blows out of control. Since it's like an overactive allergy response, I try so hard to make sure I catch it early. That way, hopefully, he'll remain in remission...

Here we go again

I love Apache to death, obviously, but day's like this make me a bit crazy.

He was fine most of the day - I was in and out, shopping, having lunch with friends, etc.. Tonight, while I was doing dishes, he walked into the kitchen and over towards me, and I noticed something seemed a bit off on his face. I shrugged it off and finished washing dishes. He walked back over and I dried my hands and touched his face..... In the corner of his left eye along his muzzle is a very large lump... It's way bigger than I'd like - personally, I wish I would never see another one on him.

The only thing strange or different he did to day, is that he wandered around through high weeds today, briefly. We're talking about less than 15 minutes here. Apparently, it may have been long enough to trigger an allergic reaction... I gave him 2 allergy tablets, and am defrosting a rabbit from the freezer. I'm HOPING that this will help, just maybe...

I gotta get out and pull the f*@king weeds from the side yard! In all my spare time of course!

Hooray!

Apache did it!! His 'registered' name is now Annette's Apache CD, CGC, TDI, and now RN! Apache & Chippewa were entered in Youngstown OH's Rally Trial on Friday, and both qualified - giving Apache his 3rd leg and his title. I never understood why dogs need 3 legs for a performance title - they have 4 legs after all.... Anyway, I digress - Apache's score on Friday was 94 out of 100, due to me calling for a 'do over' for a front that his by-passed to go straight to heel position. (a Do Over lets you 'do over' whatever exercise you had issue with, but costs you 3 points).

Chip got 98 out of 100 - impressive little guy when he wants to be! I have it on tape, and, honestly, he is really cute (but I am a bit biased)!

Anyway, it was a good weekend for the most part. Apache has been eating raw rabbit (literally, a quarter of a rabbit 2x a day) for the past 5 days and his lips are no longer red/raw or irritated. Cheyenne has a small skin irritation on her back, but that's not as unusual as I would like to say it is. Apache's allergic to anything that goes 'in' him and Cheyenne has always had allergies for anything that goes 'on' her. They both went to the vet early Friday morning to just verify there was nothing else up with Apache's lip, and get Chey some antibiotics. My vet is always so surprised at how easy it is to work with/on my dogs. I guess that's why he refers people to me for training, which is a compliment in itself.

The Good & the Bad

Well a few weeks ago the 'boys' were entered in a Rally Trial. Apache got a steady 98 out of 100 both Friday and Saturday (that's my BOY). Chip got an amazing 100 out of 100 on Friday - I couldn't believe it either! He then got a little car sick on the road up Saturday, promptly threw up some water in the ring and got disqualified. The little stinker! Chip actually got 4th place on Friday - after they do the scores (since there were 5 dogs with 100s), they go by times in getting completed. They are great, and are entered at the end of this month, to, hopefully, get Apache his RN (Rally Novice) title and Chip will hopefully get one more leg. To get any performance title, the dog has to compete under 3 different judges, at 3 different trials, and get a qualifying score each time..

The bad, however, is Apache seems to be having a reaction to something... I have no idea what, the only change I made was some treats someone told me were wonderful & natural, etc... Apparently that was not the case. He has some lesions on his lips right under his nose. There are red bumps, and while they don't appear all that attractive, but they don't appear to be bothering him (thank goodness for small favors). Time to switch to an exclusively raw diet for a while and pray...a lot. I know his time with me will be short, but I hope it's not that short... I've made yet another tea type wash, and wiped his little mouth today. Between all of that and the food changes, I'm really hoping for the best - which is all I can do with this stupid disease. Keep your fingers crossed for us both please...

How could I forget!

The pigmy of the group, and the 'latest' addition. Chippewa is the little Silky Terrier (no, he is not a Yorkie on steriods). A Silky Terrier was developed by crossing a Yorkshire Terrier with a Australian Terrier, to get a larger, more aggressive & hardier Terrier, that still had a soft coat.

He's a monster and a wild man, but cute. Chip is also a rescue (notice a theme here??). He is what I used to call (when I worked at a shelter) a "Petland reject". He was purchased at Petland for over $1,000 as a pet for a 6 year old. They kept him for about 3 months, during which time the child dislocated his shoulder and broke his foot, & the puppy started biting anything that touched him, so they then dumped at the shelter. He started out with me with the typical terrier reaction, if it scares you - bite it, if it excites you - bite it, if it startles you - bite it! It's been a while (3 years now) and I've been working with him a lot. He now has his CGC (Canine Good Citizen) and we're working on a Rally title - hopefully soon a CD obedience title. He's also been introduced to Agility, didn't care much for the whole Earthdog/ratting thing though. He'll be busy, and I think he likes/needs that the most.

He is, however, amazing comic relief and truly adorable. He still has a dislike of children, if they're too excited/loud, but generally, if I have kids over, he will only greet them with a toy in his mouth, as I've taught him that's a guaranteed way to stay out of trouble. He can't bite with a mouth that's already full! He is also jealous of the other dogs, the phone and even the computer. When I finish typing this, there will be EVERY toy in the house lying at my feet, as he tries to entice me to stop whatever it is I'm doing and play with him. He also 'talks' when he wants attention - which is whenever he's not getting it LOL!!

Apache has learned not to pick him up and shake him (which was a close call the first time I tried to cut Chip's nails and he tried to bite me). When Apache tires of him, he picks him up by his collar, carries him into the kitchen, & unceremoniously dumps him right on his butt and walks away!

C H

Cutaneous Histiocytosis is often abbreviated as CH - no it doesn't stand for Champion LOL! It's a vile & insidious Auto Immune Disease. It's also referred to as the 'button disease', as it manefests as small 'button' like lumps just under the skin. It is not breed specific, or age specific - although when some get it under 4 years old it often goes into remission never to return, the older the dog is when diagnosed, the less likely the remission will be very permanent. It's a hyper or hypo (sorry I forget which) response to an allergic reaction, and it can sort of build on itself. It is triggered by stress, allergies, etc.. It is a recessive gene so breeders can't really screen for it, because breeding to a different dog will often not produce puppies with this problem. It occurs in mixed breeds too, there is little rhyme or reason as far as figuring out who/what will likely end up with it. Most people assume it's cancer and euthanize immediately. Others do the biopsy, get the results and run into a brick wall as far as vets or are daunted by the fact that it can't be cured and euthanize. A few follow vet recommendations to treat with steriods by massive doses, & I only found 1 person on the web who's dog went into remission, the other 4 listing I found stated the dogs died of organ failure due to the steroids... I did not chose that route...

I can only speak for myself (which I do often), but vaccines/medications tend to make it much much worse - so.........Apache is being seen by a holistic vet and has not had ANY shots in the past 3 years no, and will not be getting any (refer to your states guidelines regarding Rabies vaccines). Also, to combat the food allergies (he's allergic to beef, pork, chicken, turkey, venison - so far), he eats Solid Gold dog food on his good days (when his inhallent allergies aren't likely to be triggered - i.e. winter in Western PA), and raw rabbit and/or lamb on his not so good days. I suppliment with brown rice, raw carrots, occasionally yams and sweet potatoes (yep, he eats better than I do), along with 2 Chinese Herbs I can't remember the name of right this second, and 1/3 of a capsule of Red Rasberry Leaf, Eyebright, Pau D'Arco, Milk Thistle, Cat's Claw, & Echinacea... I have it down to a pretty good science now, it takes me about 10 minutes to get the food together for his 2x day feedings. He appears the picture of health, does demonstrations with me & is one of the happiest/self assured dogs you would ever have the pleasure of meeting. No one would know he was not well spending time with him.

I'm trying to give you a reference point, at least a little, so you can maybe help you vet if your dog is diagnosed, or at least make a more informed decision in his treatment. REPEAT AFTER ME - My Vet is not GOD, He DOES NOT know EVERYTHING! It is MY job to make an informed/intelligent decision on my dog's health!! Most vet's HAVE NEVER seen this disease first hand (ask them if they've ever actually treated a dog with this exact disease), but are highly willing to TRY and treat your dog based on limited research. I honestly think some are just looking to get published somewhere/anywhere. Do all of your homework FIRST and stick to your guns - even when your vet is telling you that they don't recommend something - if you truly believe/know it's the right choice, stick with it - even it you have to dump your vet.... Like I warned you, just my honest opinion....scary thought!

Apache

Well, one of the primary reasons for me trying this whole blog thing is this dog. Apache is my best/worst/most expensive dog by far. He's the large male black with white Belgian Sheepdog in the trio picture... (Sorry, I haven't figured out how to put pictures in the middle of my posts yet..)

Apache is a rescue too, all of mine are. He was returned to the shelter on 3 occasions by the time he was 7 months old, labeled untrainable, too big, & needs a farm. A LOT of work and time and effort later and he now has his AKC CD. He has never let me down, I didn't exactly take him to classes to prepare (bad idea if thinking about competing), with only 1 match (pretend competition), training him primarily on my own, but when I asked him to 'work' for me, he always did/does. He got qualifying scores 3x, under 3 different judges, which is what is required to get a CD on a dog.. He's a big entension of me, often in motion before I can give him a hand signal. As WILD as he was, is as amazing as he is..

He's a rough one though, he has cost me a fortune!! He ate the entire contents of my bathroom garbage once, and ended up with a 3 day stay at an emergency clinic. He has terrible food & inhallent allergies, that cause strange bouts of diahrrea and refusing to eat. And he also has a bizarre disease called Cutaneous Histiocytosis (that's a mouth full!). He was diagnosed a couple of years ago now, after he broke out in lumps everywhere, and they just spread and multiplied. He was truly breaking my heart, and we ran from vet's office to vet's office, until one decided to biopsy the lumps. The biopsy results took WEEKS, and came in around Thanksgiving. That's when we got the diagnosis, and mass confusion. No one had ever seen the disease first hand and a lot of vet's had never even heard of it. In the mean time, the lumps kept spreading all over his body. They were like tiny M&M candies just under the skin, but they were rapidly covering everything. The only 'approved' treatment is very high doses of seriods...ridiculously high doses. I poured over the minor information available on the web, and everything I found said the steriods would likely kill him...this was not an option. The cure shouldn't be worse than the disease. I found one person who switched the diet to all raw foods and some suppliments and her dog improved/went into remission. Around Christmas time, he began to get lumps/lesions on his eyes and actually couldn't see one night! I couldn't take it anymore, and he was confused/scared. I thought about putting him to sleep, but just couldn't. He was only 5 at the time... I was selfish, called family crying and begging for any input possible. My sister (a herb fanatic in her own right) told me to make tea out of Eyebright herb, soak a cotton ball, and put it over his eyes as a warm compress. I didn't think anything would work, but figured it couldn't hurt, so I tried it. The next morning his eyes were starting to clear, it was unbelievable.

After that terrible night, I figured I was running out of options. I was still thinking of putting him to sleep as the lumps kept spreading, and I couldn't get an appointment with a holistic vet for another month.. I opted to run to a local wholesale meat type outlet and buy him rabbit. Did I mention he also has terrible allergies?? He had eaten it before and enjoyed it, and more importantly, had not had any (bad) reaction to it & he would eat it. I started giving it to him cooked, along with yams, and some herbs my sister recommended. After about 2 weeks, the lumps were not only not spreading, but some were being reabsorbed!! It was amazing.

This is the primary reason I am trying to blog.. So that someone searching for Cutaneous Histiocytosis, might stumble upon this blog and find some hope. I'll try to keep it light, and post about the silliness that I deal with every day with these guys, but I'm also trying to journal somewhere Apache's cures/treatments and all...

Cheyenne

I had to euthanize my dear Roxie at around 9 years of age. When I rescued her, I knew she had severe hip & elbow displaysia... I was the assistant manager at an animal shelter, and knew she wouldn't get adopted, so I took her and we had 9 long years together. She got her CD/CGC/TDI - CD Companion Dog obedience title, and she passed the CGC Canine Good Citizen, & Therapy Dogs International test. She was a sweet dog, but was starting to cry out in pain, and this was a dog the vet put a staple in without any anesthesia. I had to let her go, we had had a good run and after all she did for me, I owed it to her not to allow her to hurt.

During that time, I was going back to the shelter I no longer worked at (I had to get a 'real' job to pay the bills), and worked with dogs that were 'difficult'. It's then that I met Cheyenne, but she was 'Beauty' when I saw her. A terrified heap in the corner of a cage. She wouldn't even look at you, she had her head jammed into that concrete wall for dear life. When I rattled the cage door and I saw that beautiful face, I was hooked. I worked with her for about 20 minutes, she was heeling, doing automatic sits...she was an amazing dog, with no future. She was terrified and overwhelmed at the shelter. I left a message for the manager, who was a friend of mine, telling her if she was stuck, to call me about this dog (don't EVER do that!!). The day I had Roxie scheduled to be euthanized, I got the call. I originally took Cheyenne to foster home her, but it didn't work out like that! Honestly, I'm kind of glad it didn't, she's, by far, my easiest dog!


I tried to foster her, but when she was stressed she'd make a break for her crate, my van, or to hide 'under' my Beauceron Lady. She was completely housebroken, silent always, and would never eat if I walked out of the room (BOY has that changed). I tried to place her once. She slipped out of the collar (they switched collars after I drove off) within about 20 minutes of their visit with her, and they called me on my cell phone to tell me that she had left... Left!! I asked how they could lose her, & they again said they didn't lose her, she left! I asked them if she called a cab, left?!?!? I was at the park with Lady, I packed her back into the car, drove back there and wandered around the neighborhood until I saw those cute little 'Teddy Bear' ears of hers. I got her back in the van, and the rest, they say, is history... She's 9 now, wonderfully trained, but still has little or NO use for other people (hey, she & I do have a lot in common).

Why exactly.....

Why do people blog?? Is it because they have time? Or do they think people are interested in their lives? Hmmmm...

I think people blog to remember things, both good and bad. I remember my dogs, people not so much, but definitely my dogs. I have more than my share that I miss terribly, some that I shake my head at getting in the first place, and some that I pray I never lose, but know I'm going to...

I had dogs my whole childhood... Usually large ones, by most people's standards. Tied outside during the day, and locked in the kitchen at night. We had little interaction with them then. My 'first' Lady was a huge German Shepherd/Collie cross that was amazingly patient with children - which was a good thing for her, because I came from a large family... She was great with us, and seemed to think I was her puppy. Her job was to watch over me and guard me from anything and everything. She lived to a ripe old age of 16 and I remember her well.

As an alleged 'grown up', I got married in my teens and got my second 'Lady'. She was a far cry from the first, but named because of her great desire to watch over me. She was a rescued Beauceron from an animal shelter who had 7 broken ribs, and cigarette burns all over her. Teaching her to trust me taught me a lot. However, teaching her not to eat people taught me even more. She honestly hated everyone but me...deeply. She was an amazing dog, and I can still cry missing her today. She was joined by the comic relief Rottweiler 'Roxie'. She was also a rescue from a shelter, but had been used as bait for dog fighting. She was an amazing coward, but sweet as any animal you could ever meet.. She taught me about patience, and dog training more than I think she could have realized.. While the 2 'girls' are long gone, but not forgotten, I now have a relatively small pack that amuse & frustrate me regularly.