Sookie had to have an eye surgery. I am not quite clear on the details but flesh around one of her eyes was putting pressure on the eyeball and eye lid. She came through it with flying colors but when we brought her home, she was slightly doped up.
We are in our study, playing computer games. Gordon had fired up Might and Magic VIII and I am trying to find some reasonable way to fit 44 foundries into a gorge in Satisfactory. Suddenly there is a blood curdling howl.
We run from the study, Kid 1 and her boyfriend run from upstairs, we converge on the living room expecting Something Terrible, and here is Sookie lying on the floor and looking at us sadly with her bulldog eyes.
In case you’ve never heard Sookie’s stirring rendition of Woe is Me, I am Bulldog, here it is.
It was like this but worse.
The best we can figure out is that Sookie, disoriented from her meds, decided that she was abandoned. We moved her to the study with us. She proceeded to periodically howl through the evening and I’ve just heard her howl outside, because she went down to the office and presumably got lost.
Unfortunately, Sookie has severe arthritis in her right knee and hip. We can replace the hip, but our vet recommended against it, because we can’t do anything about the knee. So the alternative is arthritis pain meds. This is a dog that used to eat rocks. The arthritis pill is a yummy chewable. Guess who had to stuff her hand into a gross dog mouth up to the wrist to make her swallow it?
On that note, I found a wonderful hack for foaming soap. So I am a soap fiend. I like a variety of nice smelling soaps and the ones from Bath and Bodyworks are my favorite. They come in a variety of fragrances and they foam up just right. They are also normally $6-7, which is a lot for a small plastic bottle and I don’t want to buy endless plastic bottles, because the planet is filled with plastic as is. By the way, I just checked the price, and today all soaps are $4 apparently. Anyway, BB doesn’t sell refills.
I have found a solution to this. If you mix 2 Tablespoons of Bath and Bodyworks shower gel and fill the rest of the bottle with water, you get the foaming soap.
Here is a tutorial for you.
It works like a charm. You can actually get away with 1 Tablespoon even. I use soap dyes – Kid 1 makes hand soap occasionally and I raided her stash and I recommend dumping a couple of bottles worth of water into a large glass measuring cup or bowl, adding your 2-4 Tablespoons of gel, 1 drop of soap dye, and stirring before filling the bottles. The shower gels are about $14, but there is always a buy 2 get 1 free or some other kind of sale, and the last time they had one, I took full advantage of it.
It is amazing how much soap $5 worth of body gel made. Hehehe. Because I want to smell like Moon Light Path instead of inside of Sookie’s mouth.
Moon Light Path. š Because I am a pretty princess.
You know, that doesn’t look like pretty princess moonlight path. This looks more like there should be a soldier walking to his home village after serving his 25 years or some third son who is considered to be an idiot looking for his lost sheep and then nechist should pop out. Looks like somewhere Roman would go.
Damn it. Now I will think about this all day.
The standard poodle and one of the greyhounds had to have a pill a day for arthritis, i used make a cheese ball (grated cheese and put the tablet in the middle and roll it up into a small ball) the dogs loved cheese and ate their meds every morning no problems.
Having had over 30 cats because I took in a lot of ferals to keep them alive when people were killing them, I learned that you lift the upper lip to get the mouth open, then toss in the pill and hang on to the head as you lift the lower jaw and rub the throat. Yeah, that mostly works, unless you have a cat who tucks the pill into her cheek and spits it out ten minutes after you have given it to her and rubbed her throat all that time. Mostly, you have to sort of aim and toss the pill to the back of the throat.
For dogs, I also recommend getting a pill pusher and shoving that almost down the throat to make the pill go down. Talk to your vet about them, get one that works, and learn to use it. I’m on Sookie’s side with anesthesia, which is why I go through any surgery that’s minor to me — meaning not a deep dive into my guts somewhere — without anesthesia. I fell asleep twice having root canals, which stunned the dentist. I just put my mind on somewhere I like to be, and hold still and it all works out for me because anesthesia depresses me into being suicidal for days. Shocked the surgeon who put in the infusion port and all the staff in the operating suite. Stunned the eye surgeon who removed my cataracts, and ticked off the anesthesiologists who are required by law to be there and had nothing to do. Some of us just have to sing the sad songs of our people when that depressing drug hits us. To me, I figure that I need the surgery, I choose doctors I trust to do them, and they always numb where they cut, so it doesn’t hurt. Asleep or awake, if you don’t trust your doctor, the surgery will not go well for you, so choose a doctor wisely. It works for people, but not for dogs, but she’ll be fine when the drug gets totally out of her system. It can take days, depending on how long she was asleep for it. It’s hard to know the animal is sad, but it will pass.
Well, your bulldog’s singing woke my dog up! He is now standing by the office door. Guess I’ll go let him out!
More unsolicited suggestions on getting meds into dogs: we use prosciutto (just enough to wrap around the pill) because it sticks to the meds. What really helped the most was giving a plain bit of meat, then the pill meat, then quickly plain meat again. Works even better if giving another dog treats at the same time – FOMO kicks in, and everything typically gets swallowed without analysis.
Poor Sookie! I hope she is feeling better. I’m guessing you have tried Pill Pockets already to give her pills? Some dogs are too smart for their own good and can sniff out the pills in anything, including pill pockets. Luckily ours was of only very average intelligence and gobbled down his pill pockets along with any pills we gave him!
Have you tried Natural Factors Cherry Rich – Super Strength Cherry Concentrate 36:1 with Sookie? I personally feel better taking it, take 2 each in the morning and again before bed. Was diagnosed with Degenerative Joint Disease(now termed OA) when 24, now 58, and can tell if forgot to take evening dose, when getting up in the morning. Hope it’s considered to help her feel better.
Please be cautious about diluting liquid soaps, shampoos, etc. Whatever the original formulation uses as anti-antibacterial protection also is diluted. There are many types of bacteria that can feed on diluted soap. Your diluted solution ends up stinky and nasty: not what you want to be washing your hands, hair, body, dishes, dog (even a drooly bulldog š ) with.
Mary, I do not use antibacterial soap. š I have a septic system. As long as soap coats your hands with lather, it is still effective. No, it will not grow nasty stinky bacteria in one week. I do not make it in advance. I refill a bottle, which lasts approximately a week or so. But if you are worried, someone in the comments above recommended a couple of preservatives.
A very late addition to your admission to home make over programs.
If you have BBC Home there is a program called DIY:SOS, the Big Build. It will make you feel good and will also probably make you cry. The basic set up is a family who have had some kind of major medical issue and as a result their house no longer works, but they can’t really afford to move. So a BBC build crew is called in by a friend, neighbor, therapist or other family member. The crew shows up, puts out a call for help and a LOT of people in the building trade–or just plain people–show up to rebuild the house in 9 days. I discovered this show last week when my TV carrier started carrying BBC Home.
This show reminds us all that there are still plenty of good people in the world.
I know you want to see this Darth Vader house that just came up for sale in Houston Texas.
https://www.tmz.com/2021/05/27/darth-vader-house-for-sale-hits-market-houston/
We are attached to our dogs as they are to us. Check with your vet, I gave my golden retriever Adequan shots at home to help with her arthritis. https://www.adequancanine.com/
It helped her quite a bit, but results may vary. I had to overcome the giving my pet a shot, but it was worth it. Between the shots, acupuncture and water therapy it all really helped her.
Good luck with the 44 foundries. I started over with update 4 and will eventually get there.
What helps my dog the most is physiotherapy with laser.
Every part with arthritis (back, hips, elbows, paws) is warmed with laser for a pair of minutes, plus bent and stretched gently, to let the joint fluid lubricate it again. Also the according muscles are massaged.
A seance takes 30 minutes weekly, plus travel time. After the treatment he gallops around the room, barking loudly, with a smile on his face.
The difference is significant – as we had to stop the treatment during corona lock down, he became a very sad old dog. His usual morning round became increasingly difficult, he held his head down and dragged his paws. We needed to give him painkillers to reduce his suffering.
We started laser again – he moves with much more joy, even invites me to run with him for a minute now and again. No more painkillers in pill form needed.
We do Cavaletti exercises daily to lubricate the joints, and I massage his back, shoulders and hips every time he asks me to.
For EU/UK/CH: He also gets a shot of “Librela” from Zoetis monthly now, and it seems to help too.
But physiotherapy with laser benefits him the most.
????
Poor Sookie, I played her ‘woe is me’ on YouTube and started a howling session here in my home. Apparently it was from her heart as my two Dockers felt it too.
Do you want a suggestion? Skip this if they offend you. Get some liverwurst or braunschwegar from the deli. Wrap the pill in a generours portion, then stand at the kitchen counter eating liverwurst on a cracker. Make orgastmic “Mmmm mmmm” noises. Sookie will come to investigate. “Oh, no. This is not for doggies! But soooo good! ” Then turn and drop the covered pill by mistake. 99/100 it will not hit the ground and Sookie will swallow it whole and be none the wiser. Should work for a week to 10 days until she figures it out. Dogs and cats love stinky food. Lol. Then just eat it yourself until she begs for some. Good luck. That was the most sorrowful howl ever. Like ” I was drugged and taken advantage of!!!!’
Yes, LIVERWURST. I live in Germany and this is a typical treat for dogs. Iāve tried the pill pockets, velveeta, and many other things. LIVERWURST works every time.
It is fun to play your Sookie song of woe because my pit mix Wilson immediately joins for a duet.
Thanks for the soap hack. I really like the foaming soap, but hate the container waste. I should be good now. ????
And this, Ilona, is why we love you.
It is kind of the BDH to offer tips to get a dog to eat pills but there are some dogs that will see through anything you try. My German Shepherd Thorn was one, this was a dog who on being offered a new kind of treat – even meat treats – would take the treat gingerly, drop it then smell it, turn the treat over and smell some more, repeat several times, then tentatively lick the treat, pause and consider what the licking told her, lick again, pause again, repeat, and eventually eat it, because you never know when those blinking owners are going to poison you! Maybe with PILLS! She removed pills from: her dinner even when crushed, almond butter, smooth pate, cream cheese, cheddar, mozarella, stilton, St Agnes, Gruyere, feta, sliced ham, sliced beeef, sliced chicken, sliced tongue, corned beef, fresh liver, fresh kidney, fresh beef, gravy, and more I don’t recall. She was actually ok with having the pills put straight down the back of her throat, not happy exactly, but ok, so that is what we did.
Hugs to you, Sookie!! The headache and tummy ache from anesthesia wearing off is not fun. Hugs to House Andrews too!! Hope everyone has a better day tomorrow!
Love the moon-lit path!! Maybe the Scots or English moors, or the Hungarian plains where the Sky Warriors appear to those who know how to look for them. (Can you tell my favorite childhood books are “The Secret Garden” and “The Good Master”?!)
So is our surprise novella about Roman then. You got it started and it was HILARIOUS, but it never got finished. Now I want to howl like Sookie! Arrooooo!
I just played the video and giggled to which my husband said what the f*ck is that? A sad sad bulldog. My grandpa had bulldogs until he got too old to have them underfoot. He would have one at a time and they were all named Butch. I can remember 2 of them.
Perfect for our 10 year old English Mastiff. The vet recommended it! And itās really works.
???? I love this! I tend to do the same w dr bronner soaps, (a couple of tablespoons worth in water in a reused dispenser) but now Iām intrigued by that same (roughly) dilution of the even prettier scents of B&B!
Also, dearest sookie woes!
Poor Sookie! I was fortunate that my dog (long passed) loved Velveeta so pills were no problem.
Yes, pleaseā¦ think of Romanā¦ think of him in his own novella! No, the BDH can never get enough.????
I enthusiastically applaud your continuing to think about Roman! Roman Roman Roman. He needs somebody to love him who is not evil. Well, not entirely evil.
You might try Bacon Cheddar Easy Cheese. Our vet recommended it for our clever, picky dogs. No idea why it worked so much better than meats and regular cheeses but it solved the wet-pill-left-on-the-floor problem.
I hope Sookie feels better.
After listening to the song of her people, I wonder what sort of noises a shapeshifter would make if they came to their senses after a dose of anesthesia. Would Derek howl Atlanta down or confess to Julie in very flowery words? And what would Curran do?
Bwahahaha! Your picture joke ????
Your description of stuffing your hand into a drooling dog mouth to deliver a pill made me laugh so hard because I have done that also. Thanks for the memories. Iāve also stuck my hand into my dogās mouth trying to remove some delicacy heās picked up on our walk. Gross. Thank goodness I carry hand sanitizer!
What we always do for pills is hide it in a spoonful of peanut butter. Usually our dog eats it before even realizing it’s there.
She really really likes peanut butter.
Hopefully The woefull Sookie gets better soon.
I make my own soap bars and laundry detergent and don’t use anything else now and watch the Royalty Soaps Youtube channel with delight. Love Katy Carson, she’s such a lovable character, so full of spunk and fun and her soap making skills and tutorials are what got me into making my own.
Have a great day!
My vet gave me 2 āpill poppersā that work great for catsā seems like they would work for dogs as well…. Have a cat that now has GERD after being treated for pneumonia with antibiotics and steroids. The pill popper has little rubber āfingersā on the end to hold the pill, and a plunger on the other end. Just open the mouth and pop the pill into the back of the throat. DONE. Wish I had invented it.
My dog does not like the peanut butter, pill pockets, shoved in meat or bread tricks either. Spits it right out. I tried shoving it down his throat but I don’t have the mental fortitude. But cream cheese or ricotta cheese, he swallows it whole. I’m thankful because I seriously hated the battle of wills between me and my Boomer. Hope Sookie feels better soon.
Oh, poor bulldog! So sad and disoriented!
My husband does the soap thing. Except he takes Costco sized jugs of softsoap (We don’t have scented because hello migraine triggers) and dilutes them down so they’ll work in the foam dispenser. Drives me bananas that he does it with the dishsoap too.
Roman. Roman. Roman. Me want more Roman!
My daughter works as a volunteer at our vet’s office. She said that dogs coming out of anesthesia “always scream” in horror as they wake up. Part of her job is to sit with them and comfort them.
And I feel the same about the foamy hand soap. I have been using this hack for years but with H-E-B’s dish soap…LOVE their seasonal scents and it’s a ~$1.90/bottle. Perfect for house full of teens, their friends and 2 dirty dogs.
Poor Sookie! Arthritis is no fun.
We found using regular liquid hand soap and water in a container Made for foaming soap works just fine. 1 part to 4.
It made me think of Derek and paths he might have travelled.
I too love BBW soaps. My favorite is Beach Cabana. Also, their white tea and sage hand soap smells like the Bulgari Green shower gel that Ranger uses (in the Stephanie Plum books).
We wrap pills and laughing cow cheese because it sticks to the pill. It seems to work really well for our dogs. Iāve been making my own foaming soap for a long time, isnāt it just the best?
Mom’s beagle has arthritic hips and she bought a “Back on Track” coat. It seems to help make movement easier. And she shoves the his pills in a piece of hot dog. Good luck!
Have you tried having pill time before bed time? For everyone? My adult kid (25) goes to pantry, opens pantry and takes her pill. Then reaches in pantry, grabs Great Daneās pill bottle, shakes out chewable pill for joints into cap and Great Dane takes her pill. Of course, Great Dane eats a cup when kid eats breakfast, another cup when kid eats lunch, and another when kid eats dinner. If kid eats a cookie, Great Dane gets a dog cookie too. Somewhere in there Great Dane gets another cup as a after dinner snack I think, Iām not exactly sure when. Anyways, itās not a bad schedule if you are able to do it and probably helps with vitamin or pill taking.
But Roman is a pretty Princess. He has a terem and everything!
When all else fails go to a PhD in animal behaviour with a really good blog.
https://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/making-the-medicine-go-down-giving-a-dog-a-pill
I also have a dog who spits out chewables and pills hidden in things. I am pretty proficient at pilling a dog, but the multi treat method works too – I do a sharp cheddar cheese or pieces of hotdog.
She’s a great resource. Thanks for reminding me about her.
I hope Sookie is feeling better. Iāve enjoyed reading the different creative ways of getting meds into pets! I have been doing training with my daughterās horse on getting his bridle on… he makes himself tall like a giraffe so we canāt get the bit in. Itās a workout doing the training, but Iām learning a lot about patience, preserving, staying very calm…someone well meaning told me to try peppermint bit wipes, yup, we did, he (horse) practically laughed at us. No matter the size, animals are smart to our tricks…
My elderly cat has his anti-inflammatory medication as a liquid. It is beef flavoured and we give it to him out of a syringe a drop or two at a time as he goes to town licking it all up. He thinks it is the best treat of his day. Then again he is the only cat in our vetās practice to have āfood motivatedā on his chart.
I just had to comment and let you know how much I love the Innkeeper Series. I obviously can’t comment on the Joss post, so I’m putting it here. Over this past year, my coping mechanism was to escape into Dina’s beautiful, enchanting, hilarious, and heartbreaking world. I’ve reread the series so many times, and I still feel my heart break for Dina and the little baby inn seed. I know us readers are both a blessing and a pain in the ass, but this reader just wants to thank you for sharing your worlds with us.
I use it to cope with chronic arthritic pain. Its great distraction therapy. I combine it with other things to manage. Innkeeper is always engrossing,clean enough that listening to it wont offend or shock any one who might be in range of the player. Many thanks to Clan Andrews for this gift to the world.
In looking at the original Moon Light Path photo just now, I was struck by how much those two tracks resemble the outlines of ears. Like, if you panned lower, there should be eyes and a snout below them.
My daughter used tumeric golden paste formula (tumeric, coconut oil, fresh ground pepper and Ceylon cinnamon) for her bulldog/pit mix. It kept her going for about three years. Roxie wouldn’t take the paste eventually so she used a syringe with it a little gloppy. The excess was kept in the freezer.