How Time Flies!!!

It is almost May, and with the arrival of warm weather (or what passes for warm in Iowa these days) and spring life has been busy. Ruby is doing AWESOME! And we just got back from the vet today for a weight check and a new supply of heartworm meds. We actually got to see Dr Tammy, as she was in between clients, and she couldn't believe this was the same dog she saw back in December. Thought she looked terrific, and we are going to retest her at the end of May to see if we are making progress the right direction with our treatment protocol. Ruby weighed in at 44.1 pounds... probably about where she is going to settle in at. We are running/jogging her 2-3 miles 5 days a week... I think she would run more. She hasn't forgotten the fence jumping habit, so we are going to be working on that this month... and probably resorting to some assitance to get her broken of it.

She sees every bunny, bird, or other critter in the neighborhood, and is very good at letting us know when people are walking by the house... she is definately ready for more exercise, as otherwise she uses her energy to be vocal!!

So far so good.... next month will hopefully bring even better news!

In like a Lamb

Beautiful weather here in Iowa to welcome in March. And Ruby certainly has Spring Fever... she has made a habit this last week or so of jumping the fence to run around the neighbors yard. The rabbitts like to hang out there, and she is hoping to catch one I guess. So it is back on a leash for her. Not so fun, and she doesn't expend near so much energy either. So she is almost ornery in the house. Pesting the other two dogs til they play chase, and helping pick up the kids rooms by picking up things that they leave on the floor. Oh well, while frustrating at times, at least she is feeling her age!!

Since the weather was so warm we waiting til tonight to give Ruby her first full dosage of heartgard. Figured it was hard enough to keep her contained, we decided starting the dose before she went to bed at night would be easier on everyone. And her normal Monday schedule has her in the crate for 5 hours anyway... so that will be a help.

I am wondering if we will see any different behavior, or if it will make her even more tired than the half doses. Or, if she has progressed enough, that it won't bother so much. We will find out.

She seems to be going through a puppy stage... which makes me wonder if she is closer to 18 months than 2 years. Her activity levels, and "forgetfulness" in listening are very much a younger dogs actions. Doesn't get her any lee way however!

There will be another update this week... and as always, I am nervous about this month too!!

New Tricks!

Here is Ruby after showing off her new trick!! She is a smart cookie this one, and very talented... maybe a future in agility! We have taught her on command to jump up into our arms. Who knows if it will be useful, but Ruby likes it because she can snuggle and get hugs!

Things are still going well for her. She just seems to have more and more energy. The cold weather we have been having (single digit type) doesn't even slow her down... and the birds coming back? Boy, does she spy every little thing that moves outside.

In a couple of weeks we will have treatment #3. This one will be the first one that is full strength. Hopefully we have had enough of the microfilia die off for the last two months that it won't be so hard on her. Til then we will keep teaching this young dog new tricks!

We have no signs of the cough she had in November, her fur is shiny, and all grown back in. Her eyes glow with health... and she has energy to spare. Her clock goes off at 5:45, and she is ready to go every morning!

Treatment #2

Miss Ruby is once again on "house arrest" as she adjusts to the second round of treatment using heartgard. This was once again a half dose, but she did seem a little tired again that first night. Another odd thing, which could just be unrelated, was that she was shedding more than usual by Sunday. Could be a fluke, could be her body is still having some shock reactions to the microfilia die off.

She is just as happy as ever- when she is not viewing us with a little disdane about being in the crate or on the leash. She just doesn't understand why everyone else gets to go outside and chase bunnies but she has to watch from inside- which still seems to get her excited. I swear she can hear them hop no matter where she is in the house!

Her appetite is still amazing... she eats as much as our 67# pointer and still looks thin, so her metabolism is working just fine. She seems to have more and more energy all the time. When she is all through this she is going to take a lot of running!

So far so good for Miss Ruby... round two seems to be going just fine, if not better than round one!

Watching the birds

Here is Miss Ruby doing what she likes best... being outside where she can play in the snow and watch the neighborhood rabbits, birds and other assorted critters.

She is pretty close to her goal weight at this point... maybe another pound or so and she will be set.

She just soaks up the attention these days... like any good healthy vizsla! (No one has told Ruby that she is so sick you see)

Goal Reached!!

Went in to be weighed today, and Ruby has gained almost 2# since the end of December. Her weight today was 43.3, and we (myself and the vet) decided that was just about right for her... she looks great, and everyone at the vets office thought she looked wonderful... and of course Miss Ruby was on her best behavior and just sucking up attention! So we hope to maintain this weight ... we will continue with the meatballs until they are gone, and then see how she does on her dry food with the supplement. Next Treatment day is Feb 1.... being still and quiet for 10-14 days is not going to thrill her in the least!

Snowing....

And Miss Ruby LOVES to play in the snow. She would stay out for hours if we allowed it I think! Even with the temps below 10 degrees she sits in front of the door waiting to go out. She also sits and looks out all of the windows for any type of wildlife... I think rabbits are her favorite, but she has also been fixing on all sorts of birds that are out flitting about.

We also discovered she is a fence climber/jumper. She has the most unique style of getting where she wants to go. She will jump to the top of the chain link fence, and balance there for a bit, before jumping down on the other side. We watch her, and will call her as soon as we see her go... and she will come right back over. Needless to say, we are trying to keep a closer eye on her, and she doesn't get to go out unsupervised anymore. Come spring we will have to put in some type of underground fencing to put an end to the tricks I think.

Wednesday we are going to the vet with our young pointer for her check up and Ruby will be going along so that we can check her weight and show everyone how nice she looks!

The day of her next treatment is fast approaching (Feb 1) and I am sure that will tire her out for awhile again. All in all though, she has done very well, and continues to make progress. We have seen no return of her cough, and her weight seems to be stable. She was looking a little ribby this last weekend, but I think she is burning extra calories running in all the snow!

baby steps....

We are now two weeks from the first day of Ruby's heartworm treatment and she is doing GREAT!! The first couple of days she seemed to tire easily- we kept her crated or on her leash, but she spent a lot of time sleeping!! We had read where you get a better result from the doxycycline if you use it for two weeks, then take a break, and then finish the treatment. So, on the day we started her on heartgard, we stopped the doxy. We started the doxy treatment up again on the 9th... and will finish the remaining two weeks dosage before her next dose of heartgard.

Other than being tired those first few days she has shown no ill effects from the treatment. Her appetite remained the same, she had no coughing, no runny nose, nothing except to be extra sleepy. We kept her on extreme restricted exercise (basically none) for that first 10 days. At that point in time she was going stir crazy- she started barking, wasn't enjoying her cage, and wasn't sleeping well. So, we did some checking, and decided to allow her some physical activity, but still nothing excessive. She is still crated for about 6 hours a day, otherwise she is free roam in the house. Outside she has the yard to go out in, and she will run a lap or two if it is above 25... today was a high of 14, and no one wanted to be out there!!

Her attitude is very positive- we think she is even happier than before- or maybe she is just feeling more energetic. She definately is acting younger than the 2 years I think her to be!

I will be taking her up to the vet next week to get her updated weight, but she is doing well... we now have her on 1 1/2 cups of premium dry food with the seameal supplement, and she gets a "magic meatball" after each of her meals. We think she is around 43 pounds which looks just about perfect on her. Her fur is shiny, and her nails have grown enough that the dry, cracked parts are almost gone... and her eyes absolutely glow!!

Happy New Year!!!

Today we started the treatment using Heartgard... I will admit that even knowing that it was her only chance, I was more than a little terrified!

She has done very well today... she is either in her crate or on her leash attached to one of us... which Ruby isn't so fond of. Night will be easier on her, since she is used to resting after about 8pm anyway. The midafternoon seems to be the hardest.

She has taken very well to the treatment with doxycyline, and we can only go by the information that we found that her reactions to the heartgard treatment will be less stressful on her because of the doxy treatment. She did seem to have an ever increasing energy level, and her cough was almost non existant after about 5 days on the doxy. I suppose it could have been coincidence.

Thusfar her appetite remains the same, if not increased. She looks like she has gained more weight even since Friday- that could be our wishful thinking too!

Back to the couch for some cuddle time!