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Allie March 25, 2022 Canine cognitive decline

Just made that trip (actually longer, went down to the Valley and it was roundtrip) with my Allie over Christmas. I rented a minivan, folded away the middle seats and laid down beds and blankets (top layer cheap fleece blankets that I got for $2) so Allie had plenty of room. There was no way I could get Allie and all the stuff we needed for a two week trip through all 4 seasons in my car. I put a baby gate in the passenger side sliding door; just in case I pushed the wrong button. Packing: Allie had three bags (tote bags) Go bag: stayed close always; within reach in the car and also taken into the hotel. Had leashes (multiple lengths), medications and first aid kit, folding water bowl, bottle of water, treats, trash bags and pack of wet wipes (in case she got car sick), a hand towel (for wiping feet before getting back in the car), extra roll of poop bags, vaccination records, squawker Hotel bag: food and water bowls, food for the overnight (she really didn't eat much on the trip), jammies/outerwear if season change for next day, toy Extras bag: jammies/outerwear not in use, food for remainder of trip, extra small blankets (in case she got sick in the car) I didn't get a vet certificate, but I did get a copy of her rabies certificate and a full vaccination record signed by her vet. For medications: I always keep rimadyl (arthritis) and metronidazole/flagyl (stress diarrhea) on hand. Allie gets car sick, so dramamine is a must (her dose is 2 to 4 tablets per 8 hours). She is also thunderphobic, so trazadone is always on hand. I also always keep gas-x in the first aid kit. We stopped every couple of hours, at rest stops as much as possible. Allie was invited inside the gift shop a couple times to say hello. I only left her in the car alone when I had to use the restroom. Allie loved and hated the hotels. Loved that she got an entire bed (covered by her blanket) to herself; hated because of all the noise. She was unnerved by all the noises in the hall, doors slamming, etc. Once we got to the hotels and settled in, I just ordered Doordash for myself. Every hotel we stayed at had a chain or other extra type lock. I did engage those as the doors had lever style handles. A lot of hotels have removed carpeting from the rooms; the floors were all laminate. If you pup has difficulty on slick floors, maybe take something to put down. I used one of Allies beds to give her a spot to get a grip to jump on the big bed. I avoided leaving her alone in the room as much as possible, but it was unavoidable since I was traveling alone. Although there was one front desk clerk who begged and was thrilled to hold on to her while I unloaded the car.

Allie seemed reactive when meeting new dogs at first. Until I figured out that she just HATED when another dog came up to her face. She thought that was horribly rude and let them know it. Now, I position myself or even turn Allie so that any dog approaches her side. No problems and everyone gets their sniffs. Allie also knows that she can "nope" out of a situation by getting behind me or moving to my opposite side, and I will respect her wishes and make sure she is left alone. It is very much about learning your dog's cues and figuring out how to work with them. And always remember that a growl is communication. I never discourage growling. I see what the issue is and deal with it. Then I thank her for letting me know something was wrong.

Yes. Please add C. E. Morris as adopted owner. Thank you.

Can you add a date of death for Davis? Color Print (DOB 1/29/2009) Date of death: 2/24/19

Check Walgreens. You can get the Prescription Savings Card for you dog (or cat) ($20 per year for individual or $35 per year for the entire family). Saved more than the annual fee the first time I used it.

I adopted Allie in January of 2015. Allie had no problem with thunder (even sleeping in a tent during a raging storm) until the week of 4th of July 2015. For about 10 days, we had either huge fireworks going off next door or huge thunderstorms. Since then, any kind of bang (firework, thunder, gun shot, door slam) would elicit a response (startle, shake, etc). It has been over two years, and she is just getting to the point where she doesn't immediately jump up and pace during a thunder storm. She will look when she hears other bangs, but doesn't try to bolt anymore. Progress has been slow, but it is happening. Davis sleeps through anything, except if I get up. He has radar for me moving around.

Bone cancer can happen at any age. So can seizures, heart attack, stroke, embolism, other cancers, etc. Age is no guarantee of health. Senior greys are awesome. I adopted Allie at age 6 and Davis at age 7. They are a perfect match for each other and me. Adopting the right dog is the most important thing.

I wrap the pill in bread. If needed, a hit of spray cheese on the outside.

I don't put a lot of stock in the initial greeting. When Allie and I were picking out a second dog, I was much more interested in how they walked together on leash (no fence in the back yard). Davis got "snarked" on the butt sniff, but Allie settled quickly and I had no problem handling both of them on leash. Yes, Allie made sure Davis knew the boundaries of her personal space, but after the first couple weeks, it was all fine. In fact, now Allie sometimes uses Davis as a pillow.

At 60 lbs and 2.5% (maintenance), he should get 1.5 lbs per day. That can be divided between however many meals you feed per day. Here is a calculator I like: http://perfectlyrawsome.com/pmr-barf-dog-cat-raw-feeding-calculators/

How much does he weigh? 1 lb per day seems low. He should get 2-3% of his ideal weight. Allie weighs 65 lbs. I feed her 2.5% of her ideal weight (65 lbs) which comes out to 26 ounces or 1.6 lbs per day. Davis weighs 75 lbs. He gets 30 ounces or almost 1.9 lbs per day.

Davis had an emergency splenectomy on Friday night. When I got home from work on Friday, he was panting very heavily and generally seemed very uncomfortable. My vet was unavailable and the e-vet wasn't open yet, so I called around until I found a vet still in the office who would stay open for us. They did an exam and found a fever of 104 degrees. Full blood panel was normal. X-rays showed a hugely enlarged spleen and large splenic mass. Transferred to e-vet for the splenectomy. Thankfully, there was no splenic mass; it was all huge spleen. This morning, we had the follow up with our vet and everything looks good. Just waiting on the pathology. Davis is eating and drinking normally. Managed to keep him off the couch for about 36 hours. Back to his normal self.

I am in Minnesota too. Allie and Davis limp after just a minute or two in this cold. They love their fleece-lined Muttluks. They even stand completely still, side-by-side for me to put them on.

Davis had gingivitis. I started wiping his gums with Natural Dentist Health Gums Rinse (Orange Zest) mouthwash whenever I brushed his teeth. Cleared up pretty quick. That mouthwash has no alcohol, artificial sweeteners, or fluoride.