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Aww... are you using a cold pack on him, or is that a little t-shirt?

My vet told me this morning that you can put a tick in water and freeze it into an ice cube, and they can still live! I didn't quite understand it, but it had something to do with them surviving on just CO2.

Ticks are going to be bad this year! I picked one off Truman, and this was back in March. I don't want to think of how bad they'll be in the summer. I don't think there's much more to do than clean the area and wait. You can get a snap test in 45 days if she's symptomatic for anything. Some vets will let you take the tick in and send it off to the lab for Lyme testing. Do you get your kids the Lyme vaccine?

Taylor looks so good! What a good dad he has to help him in the car and take him for rides. P.S. That incision is really clean- one of the better ones I've seen on a front leg amp.

So sorry for Magic's passing. What a tremendous loss.

He has an annual appointment next Monday, 4/20. We'll find out then, although, he does take Heartgard every month. The only worm he *should* be susceptible to is whips.

I don't know... Common sense and research tells me that I'm overthinking this. But I've had Henry for 5 years, and for most of that time, we only did the occasional brushing and once-a-week bone. I never remembered his breath ever being noticeably stinky back then. In the last six months that we've been brushing everyday, his breath gets really awful, even if I miss just one day. Is there a such thing as over brushing?

Do you guys find that the more you brush your dog's teeth, the more they need brushed? What I mean is... I'm finding that if I'm not completely diligent, and if I accidentally skip a day, Henry's breath smells like hot garbage. Truman's teeth seem to get gunked up overnight. I don't remember this happening before we adapted a once-daily brushing regimen. Why is that?

If I'm remembering correctly, Henry stayed in hospital for three days post-amp. The longer the better, I say... the more stable he is, the easier it will be for you when he comes home. Fingers crossed that Taylor continues to improve. That first two weeks are hell. It gets worse before it gets better.

I'm a little late to the conversation, but I've been following Taylor's progress. WTG, buddy!

FWIW, I think this behavior sounds more like an issue of self-control and habit. I doubt they're so starving, they can't control themselves. When Truman was a puppy, he would act obnoxious at feeding time, similar to what you're describing. We did take a bunch of obedience classes to work on this type of stuff, but the most helpful thing was teaching basic commands (down, wait) and rewarding for calm behaviors. Over time, he learned what he needed to do, and realized that I would not put his bowl down until he offered a calm behavior. Now, he certainly gets excited for dinner time, but he doesn't knock me over.

Yay! Holly, if you PM me your address, I'll send you a superhero collar for Kelsey. Everyone on GT was so kind when Henry got amped (16 months ago... yay!) I try to pay it forward.

IMHO, it's a little soon to jump to conclusions about a food allergy. It's April, prime time for seasonal allergies and insects. There could be a whole range of other explanations for the rash. While there are dogs with legitimate food allergies, some research concludes that they are grossly over-diagnosed (which may or may not have anything to do with the wholistic/grain-free/limited ingredient food craze). If you can't afford script food, don't be afraid to try something else. Just my two cents.

Thinking of you guys today, and hoping everything goes well.

Thanks so much for sharing. This made my day.

Another green-bag believer here! I second Ducky's statement that DogFoodAdvisor is useless. I wrote a rant on here about it awhile ago with some info you might find interesting. The creator, Mike Sagman, is a DENTIST, and does not have any expertise in veterinary science or canine nutrition.

I'm going through the same thing with my boy. http://forum.greytalk.com/index.php/topic/311840-constant-bum-licking-what-could-this-mean/ The first time, I had to have his anal glands expressed twice (about a week apart) before he got full relief. But it's been a few months later, and he's licking again. Maybe some dogs just need it done on a regular basis? Who knows.

What length leash are you using? And do you let him do a lot of 'stop and sniffs' on the walks?

Alright, so it's about two months later, and Henry's doing his bum licking again. I've been giving him the occasional RMB (Primal brand bison marrow bones), but stopped for a few weeks because our pet store was sold out. I picked up another bag, and he's had two so far (he gets them once a week). Could it be that the bones are firming him up too much, and possibly making him a bit constipated? If he's straining to go, maybe that's resulting in the full anal glands... Or am I over thinking this? In the meantime, he has an appointment to get his glands expressed. Poor Hen.

Oh, Jeff. I am so sorry. My heart sunk when I Betty Joan's name in Remembrance. I hope she stomped all the way across the bridge. ETA: I found the video!

Henry... Where do I even start? Amputation Surgery = $3,500 (that wasn't the expensive part). Chest x-rays, chemo, bloodwork, prophylactic meds, treatment for infections, and e-vet visits over the next six months = $11,000+ Trumie has had a few e-vet trips as well for accident/flukey things. He ate Henry's pills once and had to be treated for toxin ingestion and Seratonin syndrome. That was about $1,000. He also had a partial tail amp and stitches/staples for various things. Needless to say, I am indebted to Healthy Paws. They've paid out claims ten times over what I've paid in premiums.

I'm so sorry for your loss. Shana was one of my favorites on here.

Yes! Don't worry about correcting or being the alpha or standing your ground or making eye contact. Aggression breeds aggression. Correcting her in an aggressive way is likely to trigger a vicious cycle of aggression on her part.

So many new owners do this! Yes, bloat can happen in retired racers, but it's really not as common as you might think. Some people do all the "wrong" things, and it never happens. Other people do all the "right" things, and it does. I wouldn't walk on eggshells over it.

I've had experiences with Frontline Plus, K9 Advantix, and Nexgard. They all work fine. My favorite has been Nexgard, mostly because it's a chewable, and I hated the oiliness of the topical treatments.