I’ve gotten out of the habit of blogging! I like to blog a few times a week – it’s theraputic and I love writing, but I’ve fallen off the bandwagon. I haven’t been able to sleep the last few nights. I got up around 4:30 this morning and got a head start on some work, and now finally have some time to devote to a non-lingerie related post.
Yesterday I took the day off. I didn’t sew a thing! I had to take Oliver to the vet for his annual checkup and shots, and then afterwards I spent the day with my mom, visiting antique stores, wandering downtown, visiting with my aunt, and enjoying a nice lunch at a little bistro! It was really nice, very relaxing.
Oliver’s vet visit was interesting… He has been having re-occurring ear “infections,” though they don’t really fit all of the symptoms of a normal infection. They are itchy and gunky and bothersome, but not smelly, and they occur very often. So, that combined with his itchy feet has my vet suspicious that he may have a food allergy. This is tough news for Oliver who loves to eat table scraps at my parents house, and whatever else he can scavenge. I was really surprised to learn that dogs often have allergies to proteins, like the meat in their diet. So… I’m going to try him on a new diet and see if it will make my little love more comfortable. It breaks my heart when I know he is uncomfortable… Anyone else have a dog with skin/ear issues related to diet?
When the vet checked his mouth she also found a fractured tooth which was very surprising because I brush his teeth every so often with a finger brush and hadn’t noticed it. The tooth has fractured straight up towards the root and probably looks worse than it is! I have a “tooth thing” so it really freaks me out to think about. We will get it fixed this month, when his bloodwork comes back. He will be an expensive little dog this month, but for me, it is worth it. Oliver is my baby, and I couldn’t fathom having anything happen to him… I don’t think that it had really been bothering him, but I noticed that he won’t let me pull his lip back to see it anymore (without a little struggle), so I think that the poking and prodding might have bothered it a little.
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| Cheese! Smile for the Camera! |
Oliver will be six this year. I can’t believe I’ve had him that long. He is just the best little dog. He has enriched my life and changed me in ways that I never thought a dog could impact a person. He is just an interesting little creature, full of personality. I am so grateful that Oliver & I found each other.
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| Playing with the Kong in the pool |
Oliver has done a lot of cool things lately. He is a timid dog around new people, and a little unsure of himself. Since we had the birthday party at the agility training center, and he had such success on the equipment, he has managed to balance across a log to cross a river, and even went into the lake up to his belly! Those were two things he would never do before! It is really neat to see his confidence build. If we can afford it, I would love to enroll him in some agility training classes this winter.
Today, Dan and I are heading up to our old High School today. It is being closed, so they are having an open house for former students. I’m really looking forward to a little nostalgia. I am one of those rare people who really loved high school, though I was definitely not a popular kid. But, I had Latin Class and Latin Club and German Class and teachers who nourished my little mind and a library full of books with comfy chairs and a small group of weird, artsy, goth friends, and it was just a wonderful, enriching time in my life. I walked past the high school a few weeks ago, and it was so faded and worn out. It was a little sad to see a monument of such a fondly remembered time of my life in a state of disrepair. I really hope to see my Latin Teacher there. Though I didn’t end up pursuing a career in the classics, as was my original plan, she had a huge impact on my life and my interests and opened up a whole new realm of language to me.
Other than that, not much is going on. We are slowly landscaping our back yard, adding more gardens and a pebble path using rocks we are pulling out of the gardens. It’s hard work, but it looks good and I enjoy the gardens. I am also turning 30 in a month, so I am trying to decide how I would like to spend the day. I’m not a party person, but I want to do something to mark the day…
7 Comments
LK
June 1, 2013 at 2:36 pmMy dogs were both terribly allergic to something. Their skin would turn pink and hot, crack, and then they'd lose skin and fur, it was awful. The vet was convinced it was food based, but he wouldn't listen when we said it was seasonal and happened every spring. They both grew out of it, thankfully. Maybe its seasonal for Oliver? Good luck.
Cheryl-Anne Payette
June 1, 2013 at 7:42 pmOur dog Riley had reoccurring ear infections and intestinal issues as a pup. Through trial and error ( and many brands of high quality puppy food) we discovered she has an intolerance or allergy to chicken! I highly recommend acanna lamb and apple formula if it is allergies! (Canadian brand too!) Lamb is considered a hypo allergenic meat source for some reason, and she has been eating it for three years now and no ear infections since!
sarah.e.norwood@gmail.com
June 1, 2013 at 9:26 pmHi Cheryl! I had been feeding Oliver a chicken based food too, I wonder if chicken is a common allergen? I think he has also been on lamb and I can't remember if he was having the same irritations when he was on that. I will be happy when his infections clear up, I feel so bad for him!!!
Elise Lin
June 2, 2013 at 10:15 amOliver is so cute! It's great he's getting more confident. I don't have a dog, but I did have a cat with food allergies (fish and pork protein, apparently not so uncommon in cats). He got much better after I found him food without these allergens. So I'd say give the lamb based food a go! If it works, you can try out which protein he's allergic to (or just keep him on the lamb based food).
lilmissfreckles
June 2, 2013 at 2:30 pmHey there, i just chance upon your blog and read some of your old post. It's so inspiring and amazing to see how you managed to make your business so successful. It takes a lot to take the leap of faith and your lingerie are so pretty. You are truely talented. And you have a really cute pug too!
Cheers,Ade (www.adesays.wordpress.com)
La Famille Brown
June 2, 2013 at 4:28 pmWhat is it about Latin teachers?! I had the best Latin teacher at school. She was so much more opened minded than other teachers and also inspired me a lot. She gave me the courage to study Latin, and Ancient Greek which she also taught, as my parents never understood why I wanted to study them. I too never stuck with it (didn't like the course at uni) but I hope to pass on the interest to my two boys.
gingermakes
June 4, 2013 at 10:30 pmOh, poor Oliver! I feel so sorry for him. One of my pugs, Doug, has had a lot of allergy issues in the past, especially in the summer, and his feet always got really itchy and red, especially between his toes. He also struggles with ear infections. Our vet suggested giving him half a Claritin every day, and he's worlds better now. Generic Claritin costs about $7 for a bottle of 100, so it's really affordable. We'd tried all kinds of creams, shampoos, diet changes, and other stuff, but since the allergies seemed seasonal, it made sense to try this out and it worked. Good luck! It's so hard to watch your pets not feel well, and my dogs are my babies, so I totally relate.