10 Fleas!

Something has happened in our neighborhood to make the flea population grow exponentially of late.  Poor Petey.  Every time he comes in the house he must be de-flead immediately.  Yesterday, after one outing, I pulled off 6.  Later, after another trip outdoors, John pulled of 4.  That is a total of 10 fleas in one day.

We talked to the vet about it and were told that even the best flea treatments can take a couple of hours to kill a flea.  Petey can't take that.  He'd scratch himself into oblivion if he had to endure two hours of torture before a flea died.

He's enduring the humiliation a little better.  I think as smart as he is, he's figured out that he feels better once the inspections are complete.  He doesn't like them very much at all, but he'll stay still long enough for a good once over.  BUT, not twice.  We have to be quick and thorough!

I'm not one to long for the cold, but for Petey's sake I am looking forward to that first hard freeze.

Beddie-bye for Petey-pie

Yesterday we attending a wedding that was over 2 hours away.  We were gone from the house from about 3:00 in the afternoon until after 10:00.  This is a very bad infraction of the Petey rules.  No one should be gone from the house that long.  Both people being gone is even worse.  Then we were gone waaaaaay past bedtime.  That is the perfect trifecta for Petey's ire.

On the way home we discussed just how much trouble we were in and what if anything could be done about it.  We wondered if we would be met at the back door, or if Petey had put himself to bed without us.  It really didn't matter since, either way we were in deep trouble.

We were met at the door, a little to our surprise since it was after 10:00.  Petey zipped outside to take care of business with the expectation that the three of us would go straight to bed.  He didn't dilly-dally outside.  He was out and back in quickly so as not to waste precious sleep time.  Little did he know that we had been listening to the Alabama game on the radio all the way home and that there were still a couple of minutes left in the game.

We rushed in to turn the TV on and actually watch the last few moments of the pounding the Tide was giving Michigan.  This was quite upsetting to Petey.  He spend the next few minutes as the game ended huffing and puffing at us as he walked down the hall to the bedroom and back.  He flung himself around the living room floor  to demonstrate that we should be laying down not sitting down.

As soon as the game was over, I (Lori) had mercy on the poor dog and went to bed.  John likes to watch the interviews and recaps at the end of the game and he would be several minutes getting to bed.  I thought if one of us went to bed that would be fine and Petey would settle down.  Oh no! 

Petey got in the bed alright, but that was all.  He was not settling down to sleep at all.  He started under the covers, but had to get on the pillows, then he had a very bad itch.  After that he decided the foot of the bed was more appealing and then back under the covers.  The itchies struck again and he had to be uncovered to take care of than.  On and on, round and round we went, much like a toddler delaying nap time.

I was a little tired from a long day and wanted to go to sleep.  I told him so and that if he didn't settle down he'd have to get up.  He got up.  I think he thought he was punishing me by not sleeping with. me.  He could have been going for John, but it didn't matter to me. I was glad.  I could finally get some sleep.

Last Night

Petey managed to stay in the bed without falling out last night.  He and I (Lori) went to bed first like we virtually always do.  He likes to get way down under the cover at about my midsection.  He was on his side with his paws facing me and apparently had a bad case of RLS.  I couldn't take the constant pitter-patter of little paws on my back.  I decided my best course of action was to move to the other side of the bed and work it out with John later.

I got up, walked around the bed, and got back in on the other side.  That way Petey's back would be next to me.  I could even snuggle against it because he has soft fur.  That worked for about 2 seconds.  I didn't time it, so I can't be sure.  As soon as I got settled, Petey flipped over so that those pointy paws were jabbing me repeatedly every few seconds.

I thought about getting back up and going back to my rightful side but then realized that I was a human and Petey was a dog.  He should be the one adjusting not me.  Just about the time I had that thought, he decided to move. He moved so that his head was on the pillow and out from under the cover but his body was still covered like people do. I had to laugh.  He doesn't know he's a dog.

Petey Fell Off the Bed

Last night about 11:45, as I lay dreaming, Petey fell out of the bed.  I felt him move, heard a yelp and then a thud.  I got up to check on him but he'd already high-tailed it out of the room.  Apparently, hugely embarrassed.  I found him in the living room on his brown pillow.  I felt of him and didn't feel anything out of place.  He decided to go out, which I thought was a good idea.  I watched him walk to the door and down the steps with no problem.  He scampered across the driveway, took care of business and came back up the steps.  No harm done.  He spent the rest of the night in the living room.  No harm done there either. The reason I am posting this is because of the dream I happened to be having at the time of the incident.

John and I were walking through a lovely landscaped area in northern Alabama.  There were lots and lots of pink crepe myrtles that were planted in a very artistic way.  He was lamenting that they shed so much and were hard to care for properly.  I was concerned for my shoes.  The area where we walked was not paved, but just lawn and my heels were sinking as I was wearing my favorite pair of dress shoes.  As we walked along, we realized that we were in a Civil War cemetery.  We began to look at the various monuments and headstones only to learn that this particular graveyard was for cats!  Yes, CATS!  Just about the time I realized where we were, I felt the move, heard the yelp followed by the thump. 

Anybody else think Petey knew what I was dreaming and was upset?  He certainly would not like me dreaming about cats, even dead ones.  Creepy, huh?

Petey, the Toddler

I have likened Petey to a toddler many times in this blog.  His selective hearing, need to be first, and general 'my way or the highway' attitude have all been discussed here.  Yesterday, I was reminded of another toddler like behavior that I don't think has been mentioned.  Be forewarned this is one of those subjects that isn't discussed in polite company.  That is Petey won't poop in front of us.

This is not a new behavior, but is just happened again and made me realize I don't think I've mentioned it before.  Much like a toddler hides to poop so does Petey.  Petey still goes outside, but he won't let us see him. 

Yesterday afternoon I let him out.  Since I was in the middle of something, I just opened the door for him and went back to finish what I was doing.  Then I went outside.  Initially, he had his back turned but I could tell he was doing the 'poop walk.'  I won't go in to detail.  I'll just say I recognized what was happening so I kept my distance.  For some reason he turned around.  He locked eyes with me and immediately stopped. 

I knew I'd messed up, so I told him I'd go around the corner of the house and wait.  It was too late.  He'd dashed behind the garage where I couldn't see him.  I did not follow because I knew what was going on and I didn't want to be the cause of any digestive upset caused from holding it too long.

In a bit, he came trotting up with a look of innocence on his face.  I think he thinks we don't know that he poops.  Whatever, I don't care.  As long as he keeps it outside.

Petey and the Vet

I (Lori) took Petey to the vet today.  He's been sort of lethargic lately and then the last couple of days has been having trouble walking.  He has a heart murmur so we've been warned to watch for the lethargy.  He also has arthritis in his back 'hip' joints.  We felt like the two things had flared up on him at once and he needed some help.  I mean really, the dog wasn't even grumpy.  It was like it was just too much trouble for him to get upset.

We were quite concerned.  We speculated as to what the prognosis would be and what sort of tests and/or procedures would be required.  We had that hard conversation about just how much time the old fellow had left and should we go for quality of life over quantity of years.  It wasn't a good evening, but it was a conversation that needed to happen.

I was alone to take Petey to the vet.  I was surprisingly calm about the whole thing.  I told Petey that we were going to the vet and the vet would make him feel better.  He let out a heavy sigh and wouldn't look at me in the car.  As if, he really knew what I said, but did not agree.  I also suggested that he behave but he was already ignoring me.  When we got there he would not get out of the car.  I had to carry him in.  He was a trembling mess when it was our turn to go back to the exam room.

On the exam table, it seemed that the important thing for him to do was to bury his head under my arm.  That was fine with me and the assistant.  As long as he was calm, we were OK.   He went willingly with her to the scale.  She had him walk so she could observe him.  It may be he thought she was taking him out of there.  Who knows?

They returned with the vet and another assistant.  I figured someone had read his chart and knew that the real Petey would show up any minute and reinforcements would be needed.  I suggested a muzzle since Petey had been snippy with us a time or two when we tried to check on his hips.  I also offered to leave,thinking he might behave a little better.  They agreed to the 'party hat' as the vet called the muzzle but said I should stay.

The assistant held Petey and the vet started her exam.  The second person merely observed and I answered questions as they arose.  Petey calmly stood and let the vet do her thing while casting woeful glances my direction.

Soon enough the exam was over and there was no request for x-rays or other extreme medical tests.  No discussion of end of life scenarios.  Even his heart murmur was the same as before.  It seems Petey has a type of worm caused most likely from swallowing a flea.  We were given some medication and sent home.

Petey was as good in the car on the way home as he has ever been in his whole life! I even went through the drive thru at the bank and he didn't mind.  (She didn't give him one of those nasty treats either, probably because she couldn't tell he was in the car.)  I gave him the medicine as soon as we got home.  He had a nice nap and now he's scurrying through the house like a young pup.

I have to shake my head at all of us.  John and me for thinking he was near death and Petey for acting like he was near death.  You'd think we'd learn.  We've lived with Petey long enough to know he's the drama dog.  Such is life with Petey.

It is HOT

It is hot here.  Actually, that is an understatement.  We are experiencing record breaking highs, not just for the day but all time record highs.  The afternoon temps are in the triple digits.  They have been for several days now and will be for several days more.

I am glad to finally not be cold but Petey is the creature most happy about this turn of events.   We can't keep the dog inside.  He's always loved melting in to the neighbor's black top driveway in the heat of the summer sun, but this is a whole new level.

The back-door to our house is on the west side of the house.  In the afternoon it always gets toasty warm in the summer.  The past few days the metal screen has been too hot to touch.  We've not latched the door so that it can just be pushed open.  Seriously, it is hot!

Petey, has insisted on going out and napping on the back porch right in the hot sun.  He'd lay there for hours if we'd let him.  We don't know why he's staying on the porch rather than going to the neighbor's driveway.  We think it might be his hips.  He doesn't like going up and down steps so much.  It matters not, he gets plenty of sun right there on the back porch.  It is closer to the sun too, since it is a little higher!

We are careful not to let him stay out more than about 20 minutes. We don't know if dogs can sunburn or not, but we do know they get heat stroke and heat exhaustion.  He'll come in when we make him.  He'll pant and carry on like he's just run 10 miles, but soon enough he's standing at the back-door wanting out again!

We stall him for as long as possible, but that dog is quite insistent.  We'll finally break down, let him out and the cycle starts over.  In fact, I think he's standing there now, looking forlorn, waiting for me to open the door.