Wednesday, December 3, 2008
As you know, Benjamin & Henry have an ongoing battle for the bin each workday. Benjamin almost always wins and even if he didn’t beat Henry to the bin he feels like he should win because he’s Baby Benny.
So after months of trying everything except getting another bin, I think I have come up with a solution that is agreeable to both parties. I took one of their new donut beds and put it on a ottoman I have in my office. This isn’t the special part, though, I have tried the bed on the ottoman solution before. What I did differently this time, is that I was sure to place the ottoman in the same sun beam that warms the bin. I think this was the piece I was missing all along!
Here I was thinking that the pugs liked the bin because it was elevated and I was missing once crucial piece - sunshine. So the key to creating two agreable sleeping spots was elevating the bed and putting it in the sunbeam. The other day they even took turns sharing the bin and the bed on the ottoman.
Lucky for me, Luna has no interest in laying in either the bin or the bed on the ottoman because I am out of ottomans and I would have to move a bookcase to fit her into the same sunbeam!
Monday, November 17, 2008
G-Ma, G-Pa and Aunt Cayce are in town for a visit and while the pugs are more spoiled than ever they has been so much excitement the pugs are super tired! Whenever there is a quiet moment, I find the pugs somewhere comfy passed out.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Henry is definitely one to think outside the box. From unraveling bones, to this new approach he has taken with the bed- using the bed cushion as a pillow for his head. He gets an A for creative thinking from me.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
These knucklebones must be pretty yummy for Henry to give up part of his bed so that the bone may rest comfortably. This particular bone is one of the rejects. Meaning, on the night the knucklebones were given out, this was not the one bone chosen by the pugs that they all wanted to chew. So, it will sit, untouched for days until someone starts chewing on it and makes it interesting enough for all the pugs. In the meantime, Henry is being a hospitable host. Yesterday, when I walked by the bone was in the center of the pillow and Henry was sleeping between the wall and the pillow! Which of course made me shake my head because Henry will give up his bed for a bone, but won’t budge for me when I need him to scoot over a bit so I can get my whole body on the bed at night. The boy obviously doesn’t know where his pumpkin bread is buttered.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
A few months ago, the pugs were outside for the final potty of the night and Henry was smelling around in the grass. Dead tired, I was waiting for everyone to do their business so I could get to bed already. As Henry is smelling around, I see him jump straight up in the air like a frightened cat. Assuming a frog or some other Florida creature startled him, I am practically rolling on the ground in laughter. It was quite a sight. A few minutes later, Henry goes potty and everything seems normal.
A few weeks after the first incident we are taking a nighttime walk with the pugs to beat the summer heat and as we are walking along on the sidewalk, Henry does the same frightened cat jump straight up into the air. This time, however, I know there was nothing there. He looks around and is a bit on edge for about a minute and then we are on our way and he seems fine.
Over the last few months, these little incidents have continued, but they have only occurred outside when it is dark out. Not dusk, but dark. However, last week, we were watching TV and the pugs were chewing a bone. There was dim lighting in the room from the TV and a lamp and while switching bones with Benny Henry springs up in the air like a frightened cat. He did it two more times while chewing that night. He was scheduled for his annual in about a week so I made a note to be sure I remembered to tell the vet.
During the annual exam, I describe Henry’s nighttime behavior to the vet who was slightly amused by my description of the events. I tell him it is almost like he sees things that aren’t really there.
The vet does a thorough examination of his eyes and then breaks down what he thinks might be going on with Henry. Two things come to his mind and he is leaning towards one more than the other. The first thing he tells us about is seizures. He says it is possible, the the jumping in the air is a form of a mild seizure. He went on to explain that sometimes you will see dogs involuntarily snap at the air and this is in fact a mild seizure. But he doesn’t think it is seizures because they have only happened at night. If it was some type of seizure, it would not just be a nighttime behavior. So he wants us to pay very close attention to make sure we are not seeing any of the same types of symptoms in Henry during the day.
What the vet really thinks is happening is that Henry is developing cataracts on the back lenses of his eyes. The vet thinks that he sees very small cataract development now and that these cataracts are affecting the way light passes through Henry’s eyes causing him to see things that aren’t really there. Since we take Luna to the ophthalmologist frequently, he suggested we make Henry an appointment and let the specialists look into this.
Luna’s is due for her next ophthalmologist visit at the end of the year. So we will have Henry tag along with her at that time and get thoroughly checked out.
Interestingly enough, Henry has not had any incidents since we went to the vet.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Yesterday afternoon we made the trek to the vet with Henry. It was also time for Henry’s annual exam and shots so we had scheduled all that for this appointment as well. The vet did a thorough examination of Henry and checked his knee to make sure the surgery to correct his luxating patella was holing up OK and his hips to make sure all was good in that department too.
When it came time to look at his coat and skin, he wasn’t too concerned. He did a very thorough check of Henry’s fur and looked very closely at the skin under his patchy spots. His diagnosis is he doesn’t think it is anything to worry about. He said the skin under the patchy spots is healthy and he shows no signs of irritation at all. Whatever, has caused the patchy spots has run its course and the patchy spots are just a result. But, he wasn’t going to treat him for any type of infection or irritation because, at this time, he doesn’t have one. While that was a little hard to wrap my head around, it was relieving to know that nothing serious was wrong. The vet told us to keep an eye on the patchy spots and if they start to connect together or if they seem to bother him to bring him back in for a follow-up.
As with any vet visit there is good news and bad news. While looking in his eyes, the vet was concerned that he saw the early start of cataracts forming in the back of Henry’s eyes. The thorough eye examination was prompted by some odd nighttime behavior that we described to the vet (more to come on this). Out of the whole visit the vet was most concerned about Henry’s eyes. He recommended taking Henry is to see the ophthalmologist the next time we make the trip for Luna. It will be interesting to see what the ophthalmologist has to say. Henry has been to the ophthalmologist before so they should have a baseline for him. Luna’s next visit to the ophthalmologist is late December / early January. While the news is obviously upsetting, I am trying not to go off the deep end until he has had a thorough examination by the ophthalmologist.
On a completely different note, we will be at Central Florida Pug Rescue’s Sock Hop event tomorrow! You won’t be able to miss us! Just look for Henry’s crop circles!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
It is difficult to see in the photograph, but Henry has some patchy fur loss on his left side. One of the spots has been thinning ever so gradually for awhile, but over the weekend, a few more patches seemed to pop up overnight. So, I made an appointment with the vet for tomorrow to go in and see what is going on. The spots don’t seem to bother him and he doesn’t scratch them. The skin in that area does not appear to be irritated and he doesn’t mind if you touch/pet where the spots are.
It will be interesting to see what the vet has to say.
To make it easier to see, I have highlighted the spots below. There are two other patchy spots, but they are on the smaller side and you can’t make them out in the picture.
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