Housetraining a puppy 2
A lot of us are starting out the new year with new puppies, and along with enjoying all the cuteness and playfulness comes the very important responsibility to housetrain the dog.
A lot of us are starting out the new year with new puppies, and along with enjoying all the cuteness and playfulness comes the very important responsibility to housetrain the dog.
Angus waddled in to the exam room for his yearly checkup. This seven year old Lab had normally been springy enough he presented a challenge to examine, but between last year and this year he had gained ten pounds, and today all four feet stayed on the ground for the entire exam. His owners reported that it seemed like he was starting to act more like an old guy, just laying around and taking it easy more.
I saw the reason for the visit on the schedule as I was preparing for my afternoon appointments, "Has something stuck in his throat", and I was pretty sure I knew what I would find when I went in the room. At 2:30 Mr. Olsen arrived with "Boomer" and even though I was in the back of the hospital working with a patient I knew which appointment had just arrived because of all the hacking and honking from Boomer that was reverberating through the building.
Recently there has been a lot of interest generated in this area about a disease known as leptospirosis. Many area veterinary clinics are strongly recommending vaccination of all dogs against "lepto" and many area boarding facilities and doggie day cares have begun recommending the same. So what is this disease and should you get your dog vaccinated against yet another thing?
Mr. Jones seemed a little chagrinned in the exam room. His new Yorkshire Terrier puppy was happily wandering around on the floor sniffing the corners of the table then jumping up for attention as if it was just another day at the office. Not twenty minutes before Mr. Jones had called for an emergency appointment because something had happened to her right hind leg and she was unable to use it at all. When he called he was pretty sure she had broken something, and now here she was walking around without any problems at all. It is amazing how something so small can make you feel like such a big idiot.
Monsoon season has arrived right on schedule this year. As I listen to the rain coming down outside the window I can’t help but wonder what crop of mushrooms is going to pop up in my yard tomorrow as a result. It is amazing how a previously completely clear area can sprout clumps of large mushrooms overnight, or even from the morning to the evening.